The use of sound and film as rebranding strategies in two Danish port cities

Through two Danish case studies, we investigate how the media of sound and film production are used in port city branding and transformation: in the port city of Struer through a somewhat unconventional branding strategy called ‘The City of Sound’; and in the port of Hirtshals, through film productions foregrounding cultural, social, and physical-material aspects of the port. The paper analyses the role of sound and film in place-branding and port city development and discusses the challenges and benefits of these ventures as a port city transformation strategy, and in the building of positive port city narratives.