‘We❤️NYC’—see the new campaign for New York City inspired by a tourism classic

Few advertising creations have stirred as much civic pride as “I❤️NY,” the New York State tourism campaign devised by the agency Wells, Rich, Greene in the 1970s and bearing Milton Glaser’s famous logo.

Now, a new campaign themed “We❤️NYC”—designed to run alongside the first—aims to capture some of that same magic by issuing an inclusive, modernized rallying cry to drive civic action, showcase the city’s strengths and mobilize residents to keep New York flourishing.

Created by the nonprofit Partnership for New York City, “We❤️NYC” is a creative collaboration between agencies MaryamB, Founders, Grain Group and Graham Clifford, along with some independent creators. It will come to life, beginning this week, in digital, social and OOH ads celebrating New Yorkers who are doing great things and encouraging all New Yorkers to engage in volunteerism and other civic activities. 

The campaign is built around an approved adaptation of Glaser’s logo, with a new font and a more emoji-like heart. (New York State’s Department of Economic Development, which owns the “I❤️NY” mark and funds the state tourism work, will now own the “We❤️NYC” mark, too—but is not otherwise involved.)

The effort is designed to draw people in, stir feelings of pride and direct that energy to useful ends. “This is our city, and it's up to us to come together and create its future,” Maryam Banikarim and Andrew Lerner of MaryamB told Ad Age in an email.

‘We,’ not ‘me’

The core differences between “We❤️NYC” and “I❤️NY” are obvious—“We” instead of “I” and “NYC” instead of “NY.” The latter change puts the focus squarely on the city, whereas “I❤️NY” has always been a statewide campaign. Using “We” rather than “I” is more of a philosophical change to be more in step with the times and emphasize themes of inclusiveness and collaboration.

“This campaign is a reminder of our greatest strength—each other,” the MaryamB execs said. “Time and again we have come to the rescue of our city as a collective. Not ‘me’ but ‘we.’ We’re looking for real New Yorkers who won’t wait around for somebody else to come and save the day but will take it upon themselves to help address the problems the city faces.” 

Many of the ads begin with “We❤️...” before outlining things New Yorkers love—from the comical to the profound. The copy is snappy with an insider vibe, speaking to New Yorkers in their own language and referencing citywide cultural truths.

The tone is meant to be “smart, with attitude, irony and toughness ... reflecting what it's like to live and work here,” said the MaryamB execs. “We wanted to remind New Yorkers that when it comes to NYC, ‘the juice is worth the squeeze.’”

Many of the ads will live in digital OOH, so the executions can evolve based on what turns out to be most engaging.

Along with providing a smile and a jolt of inspiration at the moment of viewing, the other goal is to actually effect change. The ads use URLs and QR codes to send people to @welovenyc on Instagram and the website welovenyc.nyc, both of which will house actionable and aspirational content. For example, posts on those hubs will celebrate New Yorkers who are already stepping up, invite people to share their own way of making New York City great and showcase civic opportunities that people can join.

The latter include Earth Day activities with the Department of Parks & Recreation, community cleanups with the Department of Sanitation, performer auditions for the MTA’s “MUSIC Under New York,” and various NYC Service and NY Cares opportunities.

“The ‘We❤️NYC’ campaign is meant to be a conversation with New Yorkers, to engage in dialogue, and to make it easier for New Yorkers to get involved and to contribute to the campaign itself,” said Banikarim and Lerner. “Whether they send in a poster, share a story about why they love NYC, suggest an emoji ... this campaign is meant to be yours.”

A modernized design

Visually, “We❤️NYC” is intended to be more modern than “I❤️NY.” 

Glaser used the ITC American Typewriter font; the new mark is in Grotesque Sans, which is used a lot in NYC subway signage. The heart symbol in “I❤️NY” is quite flat; the new one has more of a 3D effect—“which you sort of need to do to speak to anyone under 35 or so today,” Banikarim and Lerner said. “Think of the video game ‘Pong,’ released in the ’70s, versus a game from today like ‘Madden 23.’”

The MaryamB execs admitted it was “daunting and exhilarating” to design a new logo inspired by such an icon—a fascinating challenge to modernize something that’s half a century old for new platforms.

“Obviously, we wanted to reference the original mark and to give it more of a twist because now we’re living with a very different media ecosystem,” they said. “The mark needs to work for different age groups and ethnicities.”

Beyond the heart, the campaign also uses additional emoji—the language of Gen Z. “In a city that speaks over 600 languages, we wanted to find a way to connect universally,” the MaryamB execs added. “Emojis are understood regardless of what you speak, do, think or believe.”

Emotion and economics

The Partnership for New York City is a nonprofit organization dating to the 1760s. Currently, comprised of 330 members from top businesses across the city, it is designed to serve as a broker between business, government and the civic sector to unlock the full economic potential of New York. 

Members of the Partnership for NYC along with multiple other companies have stepped up to support the campaign financially as well as through in-kind donations of media, communications and professional services.

The initiative arrives in the wake of COVID, which was devastating for NYC, as the city’s legacy of bringing people together was derailed by a disease keeping people apart. In citing the need for a refreshed civic-pride initiative, organizers also point to a troubling data point from a 2022 Morning Consult Survey—that 62% of New Yorkers believe the city is heading in the wrong direction. 

“The good news is that 72% of them are committed to New York City and want to be part of its recovery,” Banikarim and Lerner said. “In the 1970s, when this original campaign and mark was launched, New York was in a difficult place. And like New Yorkers always do, they acted. Today, we face a different, yet similar backdrop. ‘We❤️NYC’ is meant to be a rallying cry. We need to fight for the things we love, and we love New York City. Whether it’s by volunteering, helping a neighbor, supporting a local business or even simply picking up a piece of trash, no action is too small.”