Gothamist: Ad Agency's Epic Fail at "Revitalizing" I ♥ NY Logo

west side Michael

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:59:26 -0500

I could have designed that for $35.00. Madison Square Park has a lot of squirrel models who only charge about one nut an hour.

grantrules

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:33:13 -0500

so uh, where can i get one of these shirts? also, #5, that killed me. thanks so much for that.

HUGO_MEGO

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:31:44 -0500

Saatchi & Saatchi, I would like an explanation for your shitty work.

NannyState

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:35:43 -0500

We can easily spruce up this shitty logo by giving it a middle finger.

horatioseymour

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:32:03 -0500

Nothing is wrong with the original. That's why we're commenting on how silly this "update" has been. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Glaser did the original logo pro bono, if not for some massively small fee like $30. Even in 70s money, that's not exactly an enterprise venture.

Wza

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:28:55 -0500

I don't get it, what's wrong with the original?

r1b2

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:54:35 -0500

Matty, yours is super. And we could build on it, with any number of red things serving as the heart: baseballs, hot dogs, leaves, etc. A bloody butterfly? That's the best they could do? Snow, like some pathetic 1997 clipart set fo fonts for each season? Oy vey!

r1b2

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:52:48 -0500

When you stop to think how hard you work to earn a buck and feed your family, and then you see this crap it's insulting. I can imagine the meeting. The design team said "commit our most junior staff to this, and encourage them to limit any creativity."

jaycjay

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:50:57 -0500

"Christine Quinn the pig is behind this." Really? Which state-level office does she hold?

felixthecat

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:47:18 -0500

Christine Quinn the pig is behind this.

jaycjay

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:12:56 -0500

While the redesign seems kind of lame whatever the fee was, ttorison is certainly right. In fact, the 2007 Gothamist post that's linked to above said this: :The ESDC is looking for ad agencies to work on a marketing campaign to promote tourism to New York to the rest of the country. The state plans to spend $16 million on the campaign, which is a 45% increase over previous years." Apparently it's gone up a million since then, but that budgeted cost is for an entire multifaceted tourism campaign, not just for this logo design.

ny2102

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:11:39 -0500

This is absolutely insane.

Ronkonkoma Ondinnonk

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:09:02 -0500

It's an insult that the powers that be didn't give him sole control over this campaign. I agree, meechybee.

meechybee

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:04:39 -0500

The short answer is, no, Milton Glaser doesn't get a penny, or creative say over the logo's use. If you remember, he got in a bit of a kerfuffle when he modified it after 9-11. http://www.believermag.com/issues/200309/?read=interview_glaser If you've ever met Mr. Glaser (as I have) you would realize how special a designer he is. It's an insult that the powers that be didn't give him sole control over this campaign. Adding anything to this iconic logo should be a criminal offense. If the state wanted it to me more inclusive, they should have controlled it's placement more than mess with the original. Or, even better, have created the logo, crop-circle like out of wineries, and fall leaves, and the like - using it in conjunction with the original logo. This is what happens when the pencil-pushers are given creative control -- they spend WAY too much money on over-priced ad agencies that wouldn't know branding it it hit them in the head. I'm disgusted.

matty

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:59:54 -0500

thanks #18!

ttorrison

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:43:29 -0500

Sorry to burst your bubbles, but Saatchi wasn't paid $17 million to redo this logo. The client (New York State) is spending $17 million on TV ads, print ads and billboards that FEATURE these designs. Saatchi will probably only get 10% or less as their fee for writing, producing, designing, researching and having meeting after meeting with government officials to make those ads. I actually worked at a rival agency who pitched this account so I have no love for Saatchi but believe me, agencies WISH they'd get $17 million as a fee these days.

Kreo

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:38:12 -0500

Who the heck would travel to NYS from Britain to enjoy one of the campsites or golf courses?? 10 hour one-way flight for some golfing? Come on it is not even cricket.

flynn110

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:34:59 -0500

if they really wanted to change the logo couldn't this have been a better solution to try before spending $17mm. make a contest and post it in various ny schools, pratt, FIT, NYU etc and give the winner a new mac or something.

Kreo

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:34:19 -0500

Matty #5, I actually like your logo! Requires just another bit of subtle change (making the heart shape more obvious) and it will beat the Saatchi design easily! #12, "NYS could have hired a reasonably priced design firm of 2 talented people" - that is exactly what was done, a team of two designers was hired (Saatchi dad and Saatchi son the kindergartener), I wonder what the kickback was, like $16.999 mil? Someone should be held accountable for this. This design is worth $17,000 at most, reasonable kickback included.

jackdonaghy

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:33:45 -0500

What was wrong with the simple, yet catchy original message? Who thinks of squirrels and butterflies when think of NY? Why would you use snow to advertise for NY? People who go on vacation don't want to see snow unless they're going on a ski trip. At least incorporate skyscrapers, bridges, or the cast of 30 Rock.

slyseekr

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:31:30 -0500

The design is classic and immediately recognizable, so I really wonder if this is the designer's fault or maybe the board of tourism's severe attachment to a logo that probably didn't need any work in the first place!

jaycjay

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:24:46 -0500

"The Tribble Agency says the city should invest in a high school kid with access to Microsoft Paint next time." The Tribble Agency should realize that the New York State Division of Tourism is not a city agency. The whole state of New York only has 500 campsites? I think you mean "campground." It's a UK newspaper. So I believe that what we call a campsite is a camping pitch, and what we call a campground is a campsite.

ides_of_march

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:24:34 -0500

I wonder how many cops they could have hired for that. Somebody should indeed be proesecuted over this. Don't forget all the millions the city will pay to rename the Triborough Bridge after RFK. About 4 million to change traffic signs at least. Send the bill to the democrat party. I'm tired of paying for this shit.

Gregoire

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:21:46 -0500

Shouldn't that be a rat, not a squirrel?

Ronkonkoma Ondinnonk

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:19:55 -0500

Why is it almost always horrifying to see where your tax money is going? NYS could have hired a reasonably priced design firm of 2 talented people to come up with something far better than this. Won't someone design an I ♥ IRS logo? So many of us will be more intimate with them in the next few years.

flynn110

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:09:35 -0500

sounds like someone in the nys tourism dept has a really really close friend at saatchi. this is disgusting.

PBRK

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:51:42 -0500

This has to be some disgruntled employee made this up to smear Saatchi. This just can't be true.

rubyredhead

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:50:53 -0500

i sick about this. disgusting.

edEx

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:47:35 -0500

Dear Saatchi & Saatchi: This is a fucking joke, right—a $17 million dollar squirrel? Yours, The New York State taxpayers.

donner

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:46:54 -0500

Epic Fail is an epic understatement. Horrible.

doppelganger

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:46:31 -0500

if it ain't broke don't fix it

matty

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:45:11 -0500

Here I just made this. That will be 17 million please. http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u317/djetra/i-state-ny.gif And all rights reserved and i hold the copyright to the above image and any similar replicas.

stillshot

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:43:47 -0500

such embarrassment for a city with some many top design schools! some must get fired over this.

Blairy Blair

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:43:47 -0500

The whole state of New York only has 500 campsites? I think you mean "campground."

Internet Handle

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:43:34 -0500

Wow x2.

Dirk

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:35:14 -0500

Wow... I'm speechless... we (the taxpayers) spent $17 million for that? Seriously, someone should investigate this.