Advertising guru Allen Kay who was behind 9/11 slogan 'if you see something, say something' dies at 77
WEEHAWKEN, NEW JERSEY: The advertising mastermind who is known for his memorable commercials and helped save many lives with his famous slogan, died at the age of 77. Allen Kay was an advertising executive and the genius behind the 9/11 slogan, "If you see something, say something." His famous advertisements include the famous Xerox copy machine advertisement that aired at the Super Bowl in 1978.
The advertising guru reportedly died of a cardio-respiratory failure at his home in Weehawken, New Jersey on November 27, 2022. He is survived by his wife Susan Kay and his daughters, Jill and Deana. His slogan potentially saved many lives following September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on World Trade Center in New York City by encouraging the city's Metropolitan Transportation Authority riders to speak up about suspicious activity.
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Following the 2001 terrorist attacks, NYPD implemented Kay's famous slogan to encourage people to speak up and save lives, especially since the police couldn't be everywhere at once. The US Department of Homeland Security has since turned the saying into a national campaign to raise awareness and prevent terrorism and crimes with materials and signs translated into more than 10 different languages. Some of the languages include Chinese, French, Haitian, Korean, Russian, and Dari, according to the Daily Mail.
In a statement after Kay’s death, John J McCarthy, the MTA’s chief of external relations, said, “By essentially serving as a counterweight to ‘Snitches get stitches,’ the iconic ‘See something, say something’ campaign has over the years unquestionably saved lives,” according to The New York Times.
To further promote public awareness, the DHS allocated September 25 to be National 'If You See Something, Say Something' Awareness Day in 2018. The advertising guru's death came a few days after his birthday on November 25.
Born in the Bronx in 1945, aside from the MTA phrase, Kay's several slogans and commercials garnered millions of viewers and won him a spot in the Hall of Fame for advertising campaigns. His famous advertisement whose work sold Xerox copiers to Super Bowl viewers aired in 1978. The campaign featured the character, dubbed Brother Dominic, and was later declared one of the top 50 campaigns of the 20th century. He then went on to start his own company, Korey Kay and Partners, which launched in 1982. Kay's career appeared to be influenced by his father Samuel Kay who worked at an advertising firm.