Advertising guru behind phrase 'if you see something, say something' dies aged 77

The advertising mastermind behind the post 9/11 slogan 'if you see something, say something,' died at 77. 

Allen Kay died of cardio-respiratory failure while at his Weehawken, New Jersey home on November 27. 

Kay, who was an advertising executive in several industries, potentially saved the lives of many following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack in New York City by encouraging the city's Metropolitan Transportation Authority riders to speak up about suspicious activity. 

'By essentially serving as a counterweight to "Snitches get stiches," the iconic "See something, say something" campaign has over the years unquestionably saved lives,' MTA chief of external relations John McCarthy said, according to The New York Times.

The famous slogan was imprinted in the city's subways in 2003 and has since become an international campaign to raise awareness of signs related to terrorism and crime. 

Aside from the MTA phrase, Kay had several slogans that reached millions and won himself a spot into the Halls of Fame for advertising campaigns.  

Allen Kay, 77, died of cardio-respiratory failure in his Weehawken, New Jersey home on November 27

Kay was the advertising mastermind behind the post September 11, 2001, terrorist attack slogan 'if you see something, say something'

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

Following the 2001 terrorist attacks, NYPD was 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 slogan was influenced by the research done in Israel where people are more prompted to lookout for signs of terrorism. 

Kay was also the mastermind behind several other successful advertising tactics with one airing at the Super Bowl in 1978

'People understood that officials could not be everywhere, so the MTA was asking them to participate in each other's safety,' Kay told The New York Times in 2007. 

The famous phrase won the safety jackpot for the MTA out of several other options in 2003.

Officials were seeking a slogan that was simple to read and comprehend. Some of the options that were thrown out include, 'If you see a package without a person, don't keep it to yourself.'

Ultimately, the well-known safety phrase known today came out on top.  

'The irony was that in World War II, the message was to keep your mouth shut,' Kay previously told The Times in 2003. 'And now the message is, in the trains, don't.' 

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

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

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

To further promote public awareness, the DHS allocated September 25 to be National 'If You See Something, Say Something' Awareness Day in 2018. 

The phrase was imprinted all around New York City in 2003 and has since become an international campaign to raise awareness of signs related to crime. The US Department of Homeland Security has since turned the saying into a national campaign to prevent terrorism with materials and signs translated to various languages

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

Aside from his safety slogan, Kay has been behind several other successful advertising tactics. 

He jumpstarted his career at McCann Erickson in 1971 before leaping into fame shortly after. 

Kay helped create a Xerox - a high speed copy machine - advertisement that aired at the Super Bowl 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 to start his own company, Korey Kay and Partners, that launched in 1982. But before diving into his own company, 

Kay's career appeared to be influenced by his father, Samuel Kay, who worked at an advertising firm. 

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

He leaves behind his wife, Susan Kay, and his daughter, Jill and Deana.