After launching a brand new $17 million ad campaign touting NYS’ upstate attractions, the tourism board is trying to crack down on the over proliferation of Milton Glaser’s classic “I ♥ NY” logo. Bumbling idiots somehow allowed the iconic trademark to expire in the 1990′s which led to a worldwide mugging that is estimated to have cost the state “tens of millions” and caused problems ever since. Now their trying to limit the usage, which is basically futile at this point. |NYT|
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Apparently New York ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi thought the best way to breath life into New York tourism was to give upstate attractions the human characteristics of a typical high-strung New Yorker. Like the “workaholic” parklands (left). “They’ve got to work day and night to be just as spectacular” as Broadway. Yeah, you can keep working ’til the cows come home, parklands, it ain’t happening! And then there’s the “neurotic” vineyard (right), who’s worried that his (her?) wine isn’t as good as what’s offered in Gotham. Well, alcoholism certainly makes you neurotic, so maybe Mr Vineyard’s been sampling a bit too much of his finished product? The campaign concept is just plain bizarre! And while the layouts are graphically attractive, the jammed-in city elements—like the “Union Square” and “Balthazar” type on the leaves in the vineyard ad—are just really sad. This uncomfortable melding of city/country has the feel of advertising by committee. Political committee.
-Copyranter
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