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I Love NY? It’s way more than that.
There’s actually so, so much to learn about Milton Glaser’s iconic logo.
My Creative Monologue this time takes us back to the 70’s, where the design of I❤️NY makes its debut. It’s for a cause, but how did that fare so far? Let’s see.
ONE OF NEW YORK’S most iconic visuals can arguably be its tourism logo “I❤️NY.” Comprising just four glyphs, it is very recognisable in one look and easily imitated by other cash-grab merchandisers.
You may have heard its origin story: a designer working on the logo got the idea while riding in a taxi. He draws out the characters on an envelope with a red crayon, and the rest is history.
That’s a nice little story to tell, but it’s a really, really brief summary of what happened. It beckons questions: Why did the designer have a crayon with him on a taxi? Why was a major advertising campaign so seemingly rushed? How did he convince government officials that his mere scribble will work? And what can we learn from this logo?
Of course, this abbreviated story has more to it than that, and I’m here to find out. And to find out all that I can know about this logo, so you can know too.
Who Designed It?
Milton Glaser (the said man of crayon scribbler) was already a well-established graphic designer with his design firm when the New York State Department of Commerce contacted him in 1977. Working alongside them and advertising agency Wells Rich Greene (WRG) (more on that later!), Glaser was tasked to design a logo as part of an effort to draw people from out-of-state to come to New York. Why? The state was in disarray and barely getting itself away from bankruptcy. A series of unfortunate events, including violence and homelessness, has turned a once-bustling city into a potential slum.
It is interesting to note that Glaser was raised as a Bronx-residing New Yorker back in the 1930s. His family and the neighbourhood helped shape him to be a more open-minded individual, including impartiality towards race and choices of career, and he liked…
