The advertising guru behind the phrase “If you see something, say something” has died at the age of 77

The advertising mastermind behind the post-9/11 slogan “If you see something, say something” has died at the age of 77.

Allen Kay died of cardiovascular failure on November 27 at his home in Weehawken, New Jersey.

Kay, who worked as an advertising executive in several industries, potentially saved many lives after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in New York City by encouraging passengers at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to report suspicious activity.

“By essentially serving as a counterbalance to ‘Snitches get stiches,’ the legendary ‘See Something, Say Something’ campaign has undoubtedly saved lives over the years,” said John McCarthy, MTA chief of external relations, according to the New York Times.

The famous slogan was printed on the city’s subways in 2003 and has since grown into an international campaign to raise awareness of signs related to terrorism and crime.

Aside from the MTA phrase, Kay had several catchphrases that reached millions and earned a spot in the advertising campaign Halls of Fame.

Allen Kay, 77, died of cardiovascular failure at his home in Weehawken, New Jersey on November 27

Allen Kay, 77, died of cardiovascular failure at his home in Weehawken, New Jersey on November 27

Kay was the advertising mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack slogan:

Kay was the advertising mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack slogan: “If you see something, say something.”

The slogan is said to have saved lives and raised awareness of the signs of terrorism following the 2001 attack

The slogan is said to have saved lives and raised awareness of the signs of terrorism following the 2001 attack

After the 2001 terrorist attacks, the NYPD’s famous slogan was introduced to encourage people to speak up and save lives, especially since the police couldn’t be everywhere at once.

The slogan was influenced by research conducted in Israel, where people are more likely to be on the lookout for signs of terrorism.

Kay was also the mastermind behind several other successful promotional tactics, one of which aired at the 1978 Super Bowl

Kay was also the mastermind behind several other successful promotional tactics, one of which aired at the 1978 Super Bowl

“People understood that officers couldn’t be everywhere, so the MTA asked them to share security with each other,” Kay told the New York Times in 2007.

The famous set won the 2003 MTA safety jackpot from several other options.

Officials were looking for a slogan that was easy to read and understand. Some of the options dropped were, “If you see a package with no person, don’t keep it to yourself.”

In the end, the well-known, today known safety sentence prevailed.

“The irony was that the message in World War II was to shut up,” Kay previously told The Times in 2003. “And now the message is, not on the trains.”

The US Department of Homeland Security has since turned the saying into a national terrorism prevention campaign, with materials and signs translated into more than 10 different languages.

Some of the languages ​​are Chinese, French, Haitian, Korean, Russian and Dari.

The national campaign launched in 2010 and has partnered with entertainment venues, transit stations, major sports stadiums, places of worship and more, according to the DHS website.

To further raise public awareness, DHS has designated September 25, 2018 as National If You See Something, Say Something Awareness Day.

The phrase was embossed across New York City in 2003 and has since grown into an international campaign to raise awareness of crime-related signs.  The US Department of Homeland Security has since turned the saying into a national terrorism prevention campaign with materials and signs translated into various languages

The phrase was embossed across New York City in 2003 and has since grown into an international campaign to raise awareness of crime-related signs. The US Department of Homeland Security has since turned the saying into a national terrorism prevention campaign with materials and signs translated into various languages

The national campaign launched in 2010 and has partnered with entertainment venues, transit stations, major sports stadiums, places of worship and more, according to the DHS website

The national campaign launched in 2010 and has partnered with entertainment venues, transit stations, major sports stadiums, places of worship and more, according to the DHS website

Aside from his safety slogan, Kay is behind several other successful promotional tactics.

He started his career at McCann Erickson in 1971 before rising to fame shortly thereafter.

Kay helped create an advertisement for Xerox – a high-speed copier – that aired at the 1978 Super Bowl.

The campaign featured the character named Brother Dominic and was later named one of the top 50 campaigns of the 20th century.

He then founded his own company, Korey Kay and Partners, which was founded in 1982. But before he started his own business,

Kay’s career seemed influenced by his father, Samuel Kay, who worked at an advertising firm.

The advertising guru died a few days after his birthday on November 25th. He was born in the Bronx in 1945.

He is survived by his wife, Susan Kay, and daughters, Jill and Deana.