âIf it ainât broke, donât fix it,â said no one in the cohort of New York State and City decision-makers who launched the new âWe NYCâ design on Monday, March 20. Partnership for New York City Foundation, a nonprofit composed of business leaders and organizations, unveiled the logo as part of the campaign to inspire civic engagement and volunteerism throughout the five boroughs. Organizers have succeeded in uniting New Yorkers, inspiringagreement across the boroughs that the new design is awful.
âNew York City enjoys the greatest concentration of diverse talent in the world,â Partnership for New York City Co-Chair and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement. âThis campaign intends to channel the energy and resources of millions of New Yorkers into projects that reaffirm that we are the safest, cleanest, most vibrant city in the world.â
The brand mark updates the iconic “I NY”design Milton Glaser created between 1975 and 1976. For many New Yorkers, the economic hardships experienced early during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the months when NYC was still the epicenter of the virus, brought forth memories of the financial crisis in the ’70s. William S. Doyle, then the deputy commissioner of commerce for New York State, had commissioned Glaserâs logo for a tourism and branding campaign launched in 1977 to encourage New Yorkers as the city nearly experienced bankruptcy in 1975. Similarly, the âWe NYCâ campaign hopes to inspire a âpost-pandemic resurgence of the city and its neighborhoodsâ through different initiatives and partnerships with various NYC departments such as Parks, Sanitation, and Small Business Services.
Marketing executive Maryam Banikarim and others leading the campaign sought permission from the New York State Department for Economic Development (Empire State Development) â which controls the original “I NY” and “We NYC” trademarks â for the redesign. They decided to change the âIâ to a âWeâ and focus the campaign exclusively on NYC. Banikarim told Hyperallergic that the updated logo is meant to live alongside the iconic original and specifically address the city.
âThis is a moment for we, not I,â she said. The ad agency, Founders, suggested converting the flattened heart into an emoji to reflect a modern age, and designer Graham Clifford lifted the new lettering from the typography the Metropolitan Transportation Authority uses for subway signage.
Reactions on Twitter range from shocked and confused to angered. Many wonder why the state would allow the design change when the original works just fine. LA-based visual artist Dewey Saunders replied that the logo was âliterally the worst design Iâve ever, ever seen,â while another Twitter user said the design had “zero swag.” Politics reporter Grace Segers noted that âWe NYCâ could have been made using Microsoft Paint. Some expressed concerns with the readability of the new square-formatted design, pointing out that viewers could interpret the text as as âWe NYC .â
However, writer and reporter David Colon reminded Twitter users that nothing is more beautiful than New Yorkers uniting against bad art or graphic design. Colon wrote, âItâs the first day of spring, and everyone in New York is getting together to throw garbage at the WE NYC HEART logo like itâs the Green Goblin.â
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking âAccept Allâ, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.