During the 1970s, crime in New York City was at its peak. The city was in such a poor state, that President Ford denied NYC federal assistance, which in turn led to citywide blackouts and looting. Desperate to change their public image, the Department for Economic Development hired the the Wells Rich Greene advertising firm to create a campaign that would motivate people to visit the city.
The agency developed a simple slogan ("I Love New York"), but required a visual to back it up. Milton Glaser, a graphic design artist, was hired to develop the logo. During a meeting with the firm, he removed a crumpled piece of paper out of his
pocket with a doodle he had drawn. The drawing was simple: The pronoun I, follow by a heart (representing the verb love), and the initials NY. The firm approved of the design, and Glaser got to work, developing the logo
further, stacking the characters and establishing the font. In the name of helping the city, Glaser worked for free.
Appearing first in a television commercial promoting the state of New York, the logo immediately gained popularity, and wasn’t copyrighted until
later in order to allow the logo to flourish and find its way into
popular culture. As shown by the logo’s current omnipresence,
this success continues today. The logo experienced a surge of popularity after 9/11, when it became
a symbol of unity. During this time, many visitors to New York City
purchased “I <3 NY” shirts to show their solidarity. To this day, the symbol endures, not just in New York, but around the world, with various imitations of the design.
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