How familiar are you with New York? What about the iconic I ❤ NY logo?
We know you've seen this iconography plastered everywhere: t-shirts, coffee mugs, bumper stickers, sweaters for cats, the list goes on.
And on and on and...
But where did it come from? After all, I ❤ NY didn't spawn out of the ether one morning, did it?
The I ❤ NY logo wasn't formed out of the ether, no, but instead in the back of a taxi in 1976. Scribbling on a piece of scrap paper with a red crayon, graphic designer Milton Glaser was working pro bono, for free, for Wells, Rich, Greene, an advertising agency . The goal was to create a marketing campaign for the state of New York. Expecting the campaign to only last a few months and fade away, Milton Glaser had no idea the social importance of the design he had just created.
The marketing campaign was a booming success. Its success cannot be overstated. Soon after its birth, the design was seen everywhere, all over the city of New York. Being printed on white t-shirts allowed the appearance of the image to be widely circulated to audiences all over the globe. The design quickly became and still is the main iconography associated with the city. Now a pop culture icon, the design has inspired hundreds of imitations, all attempting to hop on the campaign's success.
What makes the design so great?
We think it's the simplicity and readability of the elements of the piece.
Easily understandable and pleasing to the eye, the design is an instant classic. Keeping the logo free from passing trends allows it to age gracefully and maintain relevance as years pass. The design is now 44 years old and is still as popular as it was in the peak of the marketing campaign.
Sound familiar?
We here at TROPHYOLOGY are all inspired by similar notions as the I ❤ NY graphic. We believe simplicity is best and easily allows pieces to be timeless and instant classics.
He's not able to see our new designs, having passed earlier this year in June, but we like to think that Milton Glaser would appreciate our sleek inspirations and creations.
Always an inspiration.
We ❤ Milton Glaser
RIP
