Honda paid New York State $45,000 for rights to use the “I Love New York” logo in a Honda Accord commercial. In the commercial, the Accord is seen nudging the heart aside and taking its place. Some say this is sacrilegious to the slogan which was created by Bobby Zarem and designed by Milton Glaser in 1978. Others say it’s just business as usual. We say New York is stupid for selling out. Any campaign that’s been running for 27 years must be doing something right, not to mention the slogan becoming part of culture. To sell it for a measly $45,000 is a joke. And, worse, for a throw away ad campaign.
Zarem says, “All anybody is interested in is making a buck. It’s cheap and stupid.” Conversely, Glaser thinks it’s OK telling the New York Daily News, “The state has the rights to it, but I’m happy with it. Basically, I love to influence the time I am in, and when you see something like this it’s very flattering.”
