Abstract The present paper argues for more conceptually-laden research on the constitution of place branding as a hybrid form of urban policy. By both drawing from empirical examples and problematizing the extensive research on place branding, this paper offers the view of place branding as an impolitical form of urban policy that emerges as a biopolitical apparatus in an ecology of complex political practices which can materialize both negatively and positively. Ultimately, this paper outlines a novel alternative approach for conducting research and analyse the politics of place branding. Such an approach has the potential to more clearly analyse and theorize the political dimensions of place branding.