Milton Glaser's I ❤️ NY logo at 50: from bankruptcy rescue to global icon
Milton Glaser's I ❤️ NY logo, created in the mid-1970s, was originally part of an advertising campaign to rescue New York City from bankruptcy. The campaign was produced by Wells, Rich, Greene under ad executive Mary Wells Lawrence, with a jingle by Steve Karmen. Glaser worked pro bono, first sketching a tagline in lozenges, then doodling the iconic heart-and-type version in a cab. He chose American Typewriter font and refined it with assistant George Leavitt. Despite early fears that the rebus would confuse, the city adopted it as the official tourism logo for the entire state. The logo's portability led to countless copycats, from I ❤️ Macedonia to I ❤️ Ngorongoro, and fashion collections by Chanel, Coach, Kate Spade, and Raf Simons. New York State secured a copyright in the mid-1990s, earning tens of thousands in licensing fees annually. Glaser, who died in 2020, called the logo 'something I wish people would forget' in a 2016 New York Times profile. He co-founded New York magazine, designed restaurants, posters, album covers, and logos for Brooklyn Brewery, DC Comics, and Sammontana. After 9/11, he added 'More Than Ever' with a burn mark; the poster reappeared during COVID-19. In 2023, New York City's 'We ❤ NYC' rebrand was widely panned, reaffirming loyalty to Glaser's original. The article appears in Wallpaper's August 2026 Creative America issue, written by Anne Quito, a design critic and lecturer working on Glaser's biography.
Key facts
- Milton Glaser designed the I ❤️ NY logo in the mid-1970s.
- The logo was part of a campaign to rescue New York City from bankruptcy.
- Wells, Rich, Greene produced the campaign; Mary Wells Lawrence was the ad executive.
- Steve Karmen wrote the jingle for the campaign.
- Glaser worked pro bono without a contract.
- The logo uses American Typewriter font, tweaked by George Leavitt.
- New York State secured a copyright in the mid-1990s.
- The state earns tens of thousands of dollars in licensing fees annually.
- Glaser said in 2016 he wished people would forget the logo.
- Glaser co-founded New York magazine and designed logos for Brooklyn Brewery, DC Comics, and Sammontana.
- After 9/11, Glaser added 'More Than Ever' with a burn mark.
- The poster re-emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In 2023, New York City's 'We ❤ NYC' rebrand was widely criticized.
- Glaser died on his birthday in 2020.
- The article is by Anne Quito, who is working on Glaser's biography.
Entities
Artists
- Milton Glaser
- George Leavitt
- Mary Wells Lawrence
- Steve Karmen
- Anne Quito
Institutions
- Wells, Rich, Greene
- MoMA
- New York magazine
- Brooklyn Brewery
- DC Comics
- Sammontana
- Chanel
- Coach
- Kate Spade
- Raf Simons
- New York Times
- Wallpaper*
- School of Visual Arts
- Elisava Barcelona School of Design and Engineering
- Columbia University Press
- Rizzoli
Locations
- New York City
- New York state
- Macedonia
- Ngorongoro
- Rhodes
- Barcelona
- Spain