Fury as Mayor Eric Adams replaces Milton Glasers’ iconic I Love NYC logo with ‘inclusive’ We Love NYC
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has drawn the ire of Big Apple residents by redesigning Milton Glasers’ iconic logo so it’s more inclusive — labeling it “the worst thing they’ve ever seen.”
Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled the draft on Monday, which was created in support of a campaign to “break division and negativity” associated with the pandemic.
The late Milton Glaser created the original I Love NY logo for a 1977 campaign to promote tourism in the state.
As part of the change, designers have replaced the I with We and added a C to make it more ‘inclusive’, but dozens of residents have resisted the change to the beloved classic.
The campaign and design took over a year to create, with approximately $20 million in donations from dozens of companies including Amazon, Google, Macy’s, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, and TikTok.
Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled the draft on Monday, which was created in support of a campaign to “break division and negativity” associated with the pandemic
As part of the change, designers have replaced the I with We and added a C to make it more ‘inclusive’, but dozens of residents have resisted the change to the much-loved classic
In typical New York fashion, many have gotten excited about the new logo compared to the old one, with one saying “don’t mess with perfection.”
The 1977 creation was made as the city and state grappled with high crime rates, budgetary problems, and other challenges.
Graham Clifford, the designer and art director behind the new logo, told the New York Times the idea was to “put a more modern spin on it.”
One person said, “If Milton Glaser wasn’t already dead, this s****y version of his iconic I Love NY logo would have killed him.”
Another added, “I’m afraid to say there’s nothing left for Eric Adams’s mayoral administration to screw up, because they’ll inevitably find something.”
A third said, “If there’s a riot in NYC, it’s about this.”
Some decided to mock the campaign plan to “improve” the city, with one lashing out at the skyrocketing rent in the city, saying, “Make a logo that makes people want to leave NY and lower the rent , is actually good.’
After the design was revealed online, thousands of people labeled the new logo as “really bad.”
Ben Stephens, a freelance copywriter, criticized design terms, writing on Twitter that the iconic power of Glaser’s design “comes from the simplicity, the boldness and the quadrilateral arrangement of the elements.”
Mayor Adams has been hit with backlash over the $20 million campaign and draft that took a year
Others mocked Mayor Adams ‘War on Rats’ but edited the new logo to say ‘Rats Love NYC’
The 1977 creation was made as the city and state grappled with high crime rates, budgetary problems, and other challenges
He then added, “The original looks like the voice of a city. The new one looks like the voice of an investment bank or possibly a healthcare provider.”
Canadian actress Allana Harkin agreed that changing the logo was wrong, adding, “I think the city that currently owns the most iconic branding in the world shouldn’t change its brand.”
Others mocked Mayor Adams’ “War on Rats,” but edited the new logo to say “Rats Love NYC.”
Brooklyn Councilman Justin Brannan compared the new logo to the 2018 Holland Tunnel holiday signs, which were widely considered a design flaw.
While attending the launch on Monday, Mayor Adams said, “No one is ever going to beat the New Yorkers. We say, “Don’t say, ‘Woe is me.’ ‘Say, ‘Why not me?’.
“Go volunteer. Participate. Be part of the rebirth we are seeing in the city and state.
NYPD is making it safer every day; fewer murders, fewer shootings, crime is decreasing, our economy is recovering. Don’t believe the hype. Believe in New York City.
“We took the ‘I’ out of ‘I Love New York’ and brought the ‘we’. We’re in the same boat.’
He hopes the campaign will promote the city’s global brand in the coming months by highlighting community cleanups, volunteerism, local businesses and subway artists.
Gov Hochul added: “I Love New York” was a message to the rest of the world. “We Love New York City” is a message to all of you,” Hochul said. “The people who stayed here, who never gave up, who believe New York’s greatest days are yet to come.”
At first, Glaser’s colleagues said they didn’t support his logo, but he persevered after Bermuda beachgoers loved the idea.
In typical New York fashion, many have gotten excited about the new logo compared to the old one, with one that says ‘don’t mess with perfection’
At first, Glaser’s colleagues (pictured) said they didn’t support his logo, but he persevered after beachgoers in Bermuda loved the idea
DailyMail.com reached out to Glaser’s studio to ask for their thoughts on the new design, but didn’t get an immediate response.
Steve Swartz, president and CEO of Hearst Corporation, said he hopes the recently unveiled WeNYC campaign will have a bandwagon effect on fellow business leaders and the city as a whole.
He said, “Many other businesses and building owners will take this message to neighborhoods in every borough and spread it across the city and the world. This is just the beginning.’