Some symbols remain untouchable. New York City and State authorities and the New York City Foundation unveiled a new logo, “We ❤️ NYC”, on Monday March 20. Obvious reference to the iconic “I ❤️ NY”, this visual was produced as part of a “communication campaign aimed at encouraging civic engagement and volunteering in the five districts of the megalopolis”, reports the specialized media Hyperallergic. An initiative that ignites the crowds…, but not for the right reasons.
The famous “I ❤️ NY” design was created by graphic designer Milton Glaser, between 1975 and 1976, when America was going through tough economic times, the online art magazine explains. Glaser designed the logo at the behest of the Assistant Trade Commissioner of the State, within the framework of a communication campaign on tourism launched in 1977.
A poorly managed marketing campaign
“The economic difficulties that arose from the start of the Covid-19 crisis – in particular during the months when New York was the epicenter of the epidemic – reawakened in many New Yorkers the memory of the financial crisis of the 1970s. ”, note Hyperallergic. The “We ❤️ NYC” campaign is therefore part of a desire for renewal, with the hope of allowing a “rebirth of the city and its neighborhoods after the passage of the pandemic”.
Maryam Banikarim, marketing manager for the New York City Foundation, told Hyperallergic that the new visual was “designed to coexist with the original iconic logo and to specifically represent the city [par opposition à l’État de New York]”.
However, New Yorkers lambasted this new graphic proposal and “expressed their surprise, their incomprehension, even their anger on Twitter”. Political journalist Grace Segers notably reacted by saying that the “We ❤️ NYC” logo could have been done on Microsoft Paint.
Despite this massive rejection, it seems that the “We ❤️ NYC” logo has served its purpose. Journalist and author David Colon noted the irony of the situation by noting that “nothing is more beautiful than the union of New Yorkers against a work or poor quality graphics”, reports Hyperallergic.
