WE ♥ NYC

If we must discuss an advertisement, the new WE ♥ NYC campaign is perfectly adequate, adaptable to different situations without being intrusive and referential in a way that someone savvy knew would grab headlines. The only time I’ve seen it was in a subway station, where it’s comparatively a welcome respite from whatever annoyingly snarky direct-to-consumer hair loss company might’ve taken up the space instead.

Since it’s not actually replacing Milton Glaser’s logo, what’s the big deal? I suspect the loudest voices are probably graphic designers and branding agencies that are upset they didn’t get the commission and therefore missed out on the opportunity to render a lowercase “new york city” in a sans serif typeface over a pastel background.