"If You See Something, Say Something" is the city's new "Loose Lips Sink Ships," and that's exactly how ad agent Allen Kay wanted it. Penning the slogan for a post 9/11 New York, he told the Times, "I wanted to come up with something that would carry like that. That would be infectious." Now, especially after civilians followed the advice and called in a smoking SUV in Times Square, the slogan has taken on a life of its own, and is an ad agency's dream.
The line has spread across the country's transportation systems, in songs and on tattoos (in English and Spanish). Though the MTA definitely could have charged licensing fees—and maybe should have considering their budget woes—they instead let over 54 organizations use the slogan for public awareness campaigns. Officials say the city received 16,191 calls about suspicious packages last year.
Though plenty believe the slogan has done nothing but good, there are definitely those who believe it only promotes Big Brother tactics. "The phrase has come to mean, 'Go get the cops,'" says civil liberties activist Bill Dobbs. "We New Yorkers do need to bear in mind what happened on 9/11, but common sense and real community, watching out for each other, is the key, not just calling the cops. Common sense saved the day in Times Square, not an ad campaign." It has also inspired its fair share of parodies, including this one urging anyone who sees something weird to call a Ghostbuster.
MTA spokesman Christopher Boylan said the slogan was never meant to be used to snitch out regular criminals, only for possible terrorist activity. "We felt that use in other spheres would water down its effectiveness," he said. So, when was the last time you said something?
