The I Love NY Logo
Tourists from all over the world wear t-shirts, bags, hats, scarfs and many more articles with this famous logo on it. The state of New York produces many different articles, all produced for the visitors and admires of the city. The logo was originally designed to promote the entire state of New York, but turned out to just promote the city. The logo is so simple and yet so effective that it is considered being one of the best logos ever. Because every tourist is familiar with the logo, but actually doesn’t know anything about its history, we decided to dig in the past of a fabulous brand.
The famous logo was originally designed by Milton Glaser in 1975 for the State of New York. The local government was launching a huge marketing campaign to promote the State of New York. There always had been tourists in New York but most visitors still came for business. With a big marketing campaign ahead, a strong logo was a must. The state asked talented designer Milton Glaser for the job, which designed the logo for free. Glaser was so busy designing logos for big companies, he didn’t realised the size of the project. He quickly designed the logo, not knowing it would become his masterpiece.
I heart NY
Many companies and organisations have tried to copy the logo to use in their advantage. The state of New York owns the rights of the logo and does anything in its power to protect it. Several companies use the logo legally, although they were forced to pay a licensing fee for it. However, endless numbers of those using it have not paid such fees, resulting in trademark objections from the state’s lawyers. In the past 20 years the local government has sewed nearly 3000 companies and individuals for copying the logo without permission.
Although designers from all over the world consider the I Love NY logo as being one of the most pretty and effective ones ever made, Glaser has a different opinion. The designer agrees with its effects but has, according to itself, designed logos that were better and prettier. There is a difference in the beauty and the effectiveness of a design or as Glaser says “I did the bloody thing in 1975 and I thought it would last a couple of months as a promotion and disappear.” It obviously went completely different and the brand is still growing and expanding with an internet site and custom design service. So, the next time you wear your `I Love NY´ shirt, think of the simple, though effective history behind it.
