By Ivan Pereira
JetBlue demonstrated its love for New York by keeping its offices in Queens, and now the state is showing its appreciation for the airline by unveiling a new ad campaign that adapts one of the most famous slogans in the country, the governor announced.
For the first time, the “I Love New York” logo has been combined with JetBlue’s logo for a special promotion by the Forest Hills-based airline and the Empire State Development Corp., Gov. David Paterson announced Monday. The airline has been working in Forest Hills since 1998 and will be expanding its operations in Long Island City in two years.
“JetBlue has historic ties to New York state with a decade of operation here. The company’s decision to rededicate itself to the Empire State and develop this unique marketing strategy truly demonstrates that New York is at the heart of JetBlue,” Paterson said in a statement.
The new symbol has the “I Love New York” logo crisscrossing with the JetBlue logo so that the heart is in between the words “Jet” and “Blue.” The phrase “New York’s Hometown Airline” intersects with the word Blue.
“Developing this co-branded mark with Empire State Development demonstrates our commitment to our home and dedication to continue offering the best value and service in air travel today,” JetBlue Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and General Counsel James Hnat said in a statement.
The airline worked with the logo’s original creator, Milton Glaser, on the new image and he said he was delighted the slogan has branched out to new business sectors.
“It’s nice to see that the old ‘I Love New York’ can still have other uses besides T-shirts,” Glaser said in a statement.
In March, JetBlue announced that it would remain in Queens and move its corporate offices from Forest Hills to Long Island City in 2012. More than 800 employees will move to the new space along with 70 corporate jobs that are located in Connecticut.
The airline, which offers cheap flights to numerous destinations across North America, operates out of Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy International Airport and has 5,000 crewmembers who work there and at LaGuardia Airport, JetBlue officials said. It plans to create 130 new positions over the next five years.
Empire State Development Chairman Dennis M. Mullen said JetBlue’s strength has also helped to improve the tourism industry in the state and help out the state’s economy.
“Over the past few years, ‘I Love New York’ has incorporated some of the best and most up-to-date marketing techniques in order to increase awareness of the many natural, historic and cultural attributes that New York state has to offer,” he said in a statement.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
