“It’s pretty brave of us to change a logo that’s been around for 31 years”, the New York tourism spokeswoman told me at the launch of the state’s new logo.

Well, brave is one word.

The logo in question is I love (a big red heart) NY. It was created in the 1970s by graphic artist Milton Glaser from the Wells Rich Greene advertising agency.

Since then it’s adorned souvenir shops around New York, and travelled from Tel Aviv to Timbuktu on the backs of New Yorkers and tourists alike. Somehow the logo has kept its cool – whether worn with irony or pride, its ubiquity hasn’t damaged its appeal.

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Now the New York State Division of Tourism has spent $17 million dusting the letters with snow and balancing a squirrel on the Y. Why indeed.

The campaign, which has lined the pockets of Saatchi & Saatchi, has seen the new logos (featured above if you click the arrow below the original logo) plastered across ad campaigns in the US and is due to hit the UK any day now.

In the UK you’ll see it soon on tourism brochures and the New York State Division of Tourism website.

The aim? To show us that New York is a state, not just a city, with 500 campsites, 150 vineyards, 400 golf courses, 45 ski resorts. . .

I’m sure many Britons are guilty of thinking of New York as no more than a city, but will the squirrel really do the job? How about a picture of a national park in autumn, with the strap line “Welcome to NY”, or just the strap line, “Did you know NY has 45 ski resorts”?

Ok, I know it’s not Saatchi & Saatchi, but it gets the message across.

It’s not that the logo hasn’t spurned imitations in the past. Trendy indie band New Young Pony Club felt it was edgy enough to feature on their t-shirts in the slightly adapted version, "I (heart) NYPC”.

The logo enjoyed something of a renaissance in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks in a patriotic show of unity. An adapted version emerged - “I (heart) NY more than ever”, with a small black mark on the heart symbolising the World Trade Center.

While these imitations come and go, surely what New York’s tourism chiefs should be doing is championing the original. Who’s going to buy a t-shirt with the squirrel version?

But then again, at least the relaunch has got me telling you about it – I guess that’s job done.

* A spokesman for the New York State Division of Tourism later told Times Online: "The $17 million figure - theactual total budget is approximately $12 million.

"The logos are one component of an overall campaign - and the bulk of the money is going to media buys. To imply that New York spent $17 million on a logo is simply wrong. Also, the $12 million total that New York state spent on tourism marketing (including PR, web, marketing partnerships, collateral, etc.) in 2008 is smaller than many U.S. states.

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