When it comes to famous logo branding, it’s hard to beat the image of I ❤ NY – a piece of promotional design work now synonymous with the city (and its copious amounts of promotional merchandise). But how does someone come up with a logo and campaign that continually successful over multiple decades? Milton Glaser, the graphic wizard behind the design has finally revealed all.
- Design simple, memorable logos for promotion.
- Consider scalability and brand representation.
- Test on different products, use high-quality materials.
World Famous Promotional Printing
As surprising as it may seem, the “I Love NY” campaign has been around since 1977 when it was commissioned by the state’s Department of Commerce. In the 1970’s New York had something of an image problem. The city itself was struggling with high crime rates as well as utility and housing issues that made it seem unappealing as a holiday destination. The first step was coming up with a jingle for the advertising campaigns to follow, and “I Love New York” was the fun little slogan set to a short tune for TV and radio ads. But as nice as this sounded, there was no real visual component to the campaign. That’s where Milton Glaser came in.
Glaser’s initial design (now proudly on display in the Museum of Modern Art) featured a red crayon scribble on the back of an envelope saying simply: I ❤ NY. While his team’s first response was fairly “meh” it was Glaser’s replacement of a verb with a noun that eventually won them over. By getting the audience to think in order to decipher the design (and appreciate that “❤ NY” means “love New York”) Glaser’s promotional logo sticks firmly in the memory.
But it wasn’t until the Deputy Commerce Commissioner, William Doyle, decided to mock up the logo onto some budget promotional t-shirts at his own expense that things began to happen for the now iconic logo. Doyle and his girlfriend (now wife) wore the shirts while on holiday and launched the promotion all on their own. People couldn’t stop asking where they got their shirts from – the logo design was already making waves. Nowadays I ❤ NY is on tote bags, teddy bears, headphones, coffee mugs, almost any promotional product you can name. It’s one of branding’s greatest success stories and the fact that the logo hasn’t needed to change majorly since its inception shows that this is one promo print that won’t be going out of style.
Logo Design Best Practices
Creating a promotional product can be a complicated task. There are several things to consider before launching the product to ensure it is effective and well-designed. Here are some best practices to keep in mind when designing a logo for promotional products:
- Keep the design simple yet creative. Use bold and striking colours to make the logo stand out.
- Ensure that the logo is scalable. It should look good on products of varying sizes, from small keychains to large banners.
- Make sure the logo is recognizable and accurately represents your brand. Consider incorporating elements that are unique to your brand or company’s message.
- Test the logo on a few promotional items before scaling it up. See how it looks on different backgrounds, in different sizes, and with different colours.
- Choose high-quality materials for the promotional products. A well-designed logo on poor quality materials won’t leave a good impression on clients or potential customers.
Takeaway
So, now you know the story behind the “I ❤ NY” logo and some best practices for designing logos for promotional products. Remember, a simple yet creative design with bold colours, scalability, and accurate representation of your brand are all important factors to consider. Don’t forget to test the logo on a few different products and choose high-quality materials for the best impression on clients and potential customers. With these tips in mind, you can create a successful logo that will help promote your brand for years to come.
History first spotted here: http://www.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/north-america/new-yorks-most-iconic-logo-almost-didnt-exist/news-story/e2fbeb7cf620ee6ad3cfe5e5a9cecd50
