Origin of the I love NY T-Shirt (and the man behind it)
May 7th, 2008 | Published in i love ny t-shirts
As is usual with most images that become very famous, the origin and designer of the I [heart] NY T-shirt logo are often forgotten. Since we sell these t-shirts, here is a little bit to remind everyone what they are all about.
The origin:
The iconic I Love NY T-Shirt began as a marketing campaign by the NY State Department of Commerce in 1977 to promote the New York. Today it tends to be associated with New York City more often than the state. It is considered by some to be ‘the most frequently imitated logo design in human history’.
The man behind I (heart) NY:
The logo was designed – for free – by Milton Glaser, founder of Push Pin Studios, designer of New York Magazine, and of many well-known images. Glaser recently designed a special “I Love NY More Than Ever” logo following the September 11 terrorist attacks in NYC. He placed a black spot on the heart in honor of the Twin Towers.
Today:
The I Love NY T-Shirt has become a symbol for America abroad, but has also been re-appropriated and remixed in various ways. There is a St. Patrick’s Day Clover version in green, an Arabic version, and many other unlicensed I love NY T-shirts versions out there to deliver various messages, completely unrelated to promoting the state of New York.
(Above images: Wikipedia.org and MiltonGlaser.com)
