I Love New York
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The I ♥ NY (read "I Love New York" or rarely "I Heart New York") logo is a rebus created by Milton Glaser 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 serif typeface.
Logo
It is a famous pop-style icon that unabashedly promotes the metropolitan pride of New York City. In 1977, the New York State Department of Economic Development hired advertising agency Well, Rich and Green, to develop a marketing campaign for New York City. Milton Glaser, a productive graphic designer, created the design, possibly inspired in part by the state tourism slogan Virginia is for Lovers which had featured a "Love" theme since 1969 (though without the Pop Art). Glaser expected the campaign to last only a couple months and did the work pro bono. However, the design became a major success and has continued to be sold for years. The placement of the logo on plain white T-shirts readily sold in the city has widely circulated the appearance of the image, making it a commonly recognized symbol. It is now used to promote tourism throughout the State of New York.
The image became especially prominent following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the city, which created a sense of unity among the populace. Many visitors to the city following the attacks purchased and wore the shirts bearing the I Love New York logo as a sign of their support. Glaser created a modified version to commemorate the attacks.
Before 1977, "Fun City" was the official nickname promoted by the city.
The logo has become a part of the American pop cultural canon, since inspiring countless knock-offs (t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc.) of the "I ♥ ..." form. New York, in turn, has tried to uphold its trademark by filing a total of nearly 3,000 trademark objections against imitators. Parodies of this phenomenon, such as “I ♠ my pets,” have also appeared. A recently popular parody is a shirt reading I [in the shape of a heart] New York.
Recently among young people, "I heart ..." has become a somewhat facetious way to express one's affection for something (e.g. the film I ♥ Huckabees).
New York State Song
I Love New York, written and composed by Steve Karmen, is also the New York State song.Lyrics
- I Love New York (x3)
- There isn't another like it.
- No matter where you go.
- And nobody can compare it.
- It's win and place and show.
- New York is special.
- New York is diff'rent' cause there's no place else,
- on earth quite like New York and that's why,
- I Love New York (x3)
Madonna also used the I Love New York as a title of one of her tracks from her 2005 album, Confessions On A Dance Floor.
Reference
External links
- [The History of New York's Marketing Campaigns, from the Gotham Gazette]
- [The Official New York State Tourism Website]
- [Trademark Protection Battle for "I ♥ NY"], BusinessWeek
- [Interview with Milton Glaser], The Believer
See also
- - horror film criticized for using the "I Love New York" music.
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