The need to brand New York City came during the city's fiscal crisis in the late 1970s. Crime was rampant, the city's coffers were empty, businesses and their employees were deserting New York City and tourism was suffering. The State of New York commissioned graphic artist Milton Glaser to develop a campaign, and the "I love NY" slogan was born, with its goal to promote tourism.
The I Love New York brandmark is a pictogram or picture representation of a name or phrase, consisting of the capital letter I, followed by a red heart symbol, below which are the capital letters N and Y, set in a rounded slab serif typeface called American Typewriter. Glaser expected the campaign to last only a few months and did the work pro bono.
Launched in 1977, the "I love NY" design became the most recognizable brandmark of any city in the world. The campaign was so successful it was plastered on everything from coffee mugs to buttons and bumper stickers. John Lennon and other famous names have all been photographed wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan. This innovative pop-style icon became a major success and has continued to sell for decades.
The image became especially prominent when the Twin Towers fell on September 11 2001 after terrorist attacks on the city, which created a sense of unity among the people of New York. After September 11, many visitors to the city bought and wore the shirts bearing the "I love NY" brandmark as a sign of their support, and even actor Robin Williams was seen sporting an "I love NY" T-shirt in Arabic while hosting a charity event. Glaser created a modified version to commemorate the attacks, reading "I love NY More Than Ever", with the heart subtly blackened in the bottom left-hand corner, symbolising the World Trade Center site. The black spot approximates the site's location on Manhattan Island.
This brandmark has become a part of the American pop-culture canon, inspiring countless knock-offs of the "I ... " form. Expressions beginning with "I love ", based on a literal reading of the brandmark, have become a somewhat facetious way to express one's affection for something.
Today, the brandmark, supplied free of charge by graphic designer Milton Glaser back in 1977, helps attract 140-million tourists to the "Empire" state each year.
Alexander Greyling is the Author of Face your brand! The visual language of branding explained and is one of South Africa's top branding experts. In his eBook he provides indispensable facts and logic for creating a successful visual brandmark through his seven essential elements of a successful brandmark.
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