The B.C. government's "Best Place on Earth" slogan has been consigned to the dustbin of provincial brand history.

The decision to jettison the chest-thumping slogan has nothing to do with any change in the prideful phrase's accuracy, said David Greer, communications director with the Ministry of Labour, Citizens' Services and Open Government.

"The change in leadership signalled a change in how government brands its products and materials," added Greer, saying the slogan was dropped a few months ago.

"It's not going to be destroyed. It's just not being replaced."

While the "Best Place on Earth" slogan will no longer appear on new government letterhead, business cards and electronic or web-based materials, the logo of a rising sun and mountain that once accompanied the brash slogan will live on.

"By going with just the rising sun and mountain," said Greer, "you could argue that it simplifies the branding a bit."

The slogan had its critics, including those who signed an online petition calling for its elimination.

"My initial reaction is 'hurray,'" said Peter Williams, director of Simon Fraser University's Centre for Tourism Policy and Research, about the slogan's demise.

"It was presumptuous. If it was meant to endear people to us, it probably wasn't going to do that given that a lot of other people live in other parts of the world that are pretty nice. And probably quite competitive to B.C. in many senses."

Government communications director Greer said the slogan was aimed at British Columbians and not for a global market. "It was more of in-province pride thing."

Premier Christy Clark's government has also changed the province's international brand of "Canada's Pacific Gateway" to "Canada Starts Here," added Greer.

"Canada Starts Here" is also the brand used in the marketing of Clark's new jobs strategy.

B.C.'s tourism brand continues to be the venerable "Super Natural British Columbia."

SFU's Williams said the "Super Natural British Columbia" brand has gone through "many reincarnations but it's held up pretty well and I thought this 'Best Place On Earth' was creating some confusion in the marketplace that we didn't really need."

He said brands emerging from the bureaucracy in Victoria market not just the province, but also the government of the day.

"I know that they are politically charged terms and each and every government puts its own spin on what those brands mean."

dward@vancouversun.com