I Love New York facts for kids
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| Owner | NY Department of Economic Development |
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| Introduced | July 15, 1977 |
| Registered as a trademark in | 73758742 |
I Love New York (often written as I ❤ NY) is a famous slogan, a well-known logo, and even a song. These three things are part of an advertising campaign that started in 1977. The goal of this campaign was to encourage people to visit the state of New York, including New York City.
The logo is officially owned by the New York State Department of Economic Development. You can see it on souvenirs and brochures all over the state. Many of these items are officially licensed, but some are not. "I Love New York" is also the official state slogan of New York.
A talented graphic designer named Milton Glaser created the logo in 1976. He sketched it quickly in the back of a taxi using a red crayon! The original drawing is now kept in the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan. The song was written by Steve Karmen, and he generously gave its copyright to the state.
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The Famous I Love New York Logo
The "I Love New York" logo is very simple but powerful. It shows the capital letter I, followed by a red heart symbol (❤). Below these, you see the capital letters N and Y. All the letters are written in a special font called American Typewriter, which has rounded edges.
In 1977, William S. Doyle, who worked for the New York State Department of Commerce, hired an advertising company called Wells Rich Greene. Their job was to create a new marketing campaign for New York State. Doyle also asked Milton Glaser, a very creative graphic designer, to help with the campaign and design a logo.
Glaser came up with his first idea for the logo while riding in a taxi. His first sketch had the letter I, a heart, and NY all in one line. As he worked on the idea, he decided to stack the "I" and the heart above the "NY" letters. He later said he might have been influenced by Robert Indiana's famous LOVE pop art image.
Glaser thought the campaign would only last a few months, and he designed the logo for free. But this new and creative pop-style image became a huge hit! It has been popular for many years. Even though it wasn't the original plan, most people now connect the logo strongly with New York City. You can find the logo on simple white T-shirts sold everywhere in the city, which has made it a widely recognized symbol around the world. Glaser's first sketches and presentation boards are now part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The logo became even more important after the September 11 attacks in New York City. These attacks made people feel very united. Many visitors to the city after the attacks bought and wore T-shirts with the "I Love New York" logo to show their support. Glaser even made a special version of the logo to remember the attacks. It said "I Love NY More Than Ever," and it had a small black spot on the heart. This black spot represented the location of the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan Island. This special poster was printed in the New York Daily News and helped raise money for New York charities that supported those affected by the attacks. The poster also encouraged people to "Be generous. Your city needs you. This poster is not for sale."
New York State Anthem
| State anthem of | New York |
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| Lyrics | Steve Karmen, 1977 |
| Music | Steve Karmen, 1977 |
| Adopted | 1980 |
The song "I Love New York" was written and composed by Steve Karmen in 1977 as part of the advertising campaign. In 1980, Governor Hugh Carey announced it as New York's state anthem. What's special is that Steve Karmen is known for keeping the rights to his songs, but he gave the rights to this song to the state for free!
Karmen even wrote a new verse for the song in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. This new verse was meant to show how strong and resilient the city is. However, this new version was never officially recorded or used.
How the Logo Inspired Others
The "I Love New York" logo has become a huge part of pop culture. It has inspired many similar designs all over the world. You can find merchandise that says "I ❤ ..." wherever tourists visit. There are also funny versions, called parodies, like "I ♠ [spayed] My Pets."
New York State has tried many times to protect its trademark. A trademark is a symbol or phrase that is legally registered to represent a company or product. By 2005, the state had filed almost 3,000 objections against people or companies using similar designs without permission. In 2012 alone, they filed 100 "trademark objections and cease-and-desist letters." However, some of these objections were not successful. For example, a court decided in 1980 that the TV show Saturday Night Live did not break any copyright rules with its "I Love Sodom" skit. The court said it was a parody, which is a type of humorous imitation.
Images for kids
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Nick Walker's "Love Vandal" artwork in Manhattan, 2015.
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Actor Robin Williams wearing a T-shirt with the logo translated into Arabic as "I love ❤ New York", in 2003.
See also
In Spanish: I Love New York para niños
