A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.

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Entry from September 14, 2022
Indianappleis & “Move over New York. Apple is our middle name” (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Indianapolis, Indiana, is sometimes spelled with an “apple” in the middle. “Indianappleis” was printed in the Indianapolis (IN) News on June 18, 1912. “And there’s nothing truly better than an Indian-apple-is” was printed in the Muncie (IN) Evening Press on November 25, 1916. “Indianapolis, Ind. (Indian-Apple-I-S)” (also shown in an illustration) was printed in the Parsons (KS) Daily Sun on January 20, 1923.
   
“Move over New York. Apple is our middle name” was a 1982 promotional campaign by the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Bureau to attract more convention business to the city. The slogan makes reference to New York City’s nickname, “Big Apple,” that was popularized by the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau in the 1970s. Carolyn Molenda, the communications director for the Indianapolis CVB, came up with the saying.
   
“Move over New York. Apple is our middle name” was not popular with Indianapolis residents. “I have just seen another one of those nauseating ‘Move over New York. Apple is our middle name’ commercials. When will our city fathers learn that most people who live in Indianapolis don’t want this city to become like New York?” was a letter by Robert W. Van Buskirk printed in the Indianapolis (IN) News on January 11, 1983.
   
   
Wikipedia: Indianapolis
Indianapolis (/ˌɪndiəˈnæpəlɪs/), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most-populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion County in 2020 was 977,203. The “balance” population, which excludes semi-autonomous municipalities in Marion County, was 887,642. It is the 15th most populous city in the U.S., the third-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago and Columbus, Ohio, and the fourth-most populous state capital after Phoenix, Arizona; Austin, Texas; and Columbus.
       
Newspapers.com
18 June 1912, Indianapolis (IN) News, “Thinks Well of Mayor Shank,” pg. 3, col. 5:
The card is addressed to “Mair Shank, Town Hall, Indianappleis, care of Mair’s office.”
 
Newspapers.com
25 November 1916, Muncie (IN) Evening Press, “In Woman’s World” by Miss Munsey, pg. 3, col. 3:
GEOGRAPHICAL FEAST.
(...)
And there’s nothing truly better than an Indian-apple-is.
 
Newspapers.com
20 January 1923, Parsons (KS) Daily Sun, pg. 3, col. 2:
Indianapolis, Ind. (Indian-Apple-I-S)
(An illustration is shown.—ed.)
   
Newspapers.com
19 January 1982, Indianapolis (IN) News, “City Takes A Shine To Apple” by Jean Jensen, pg. 8, cols. 1-4:
“Move over, New York. Apple is our middle name.”
 
That catchy phrase fits Indianapolis to the core, say its originators, the image makes at the Convention & Visitors Bureau. It just popped up on Carolyn Molenda’s typewriter during the course of a creative spasm while working with Fran Watson on a campaign to boost the city’s stature beyond its boondock boundaries.
(...)
“The phrase is clever. It provokes a chuckle instead of being provoking. It has bite, but it’s not a slur. Our goal is to promote Indianapolis but not by downgrading our rivals,” said Ray Bennison, certified association executive and president and chief executive of the bureau.
(...)
Ms. Watson, who did the ad mock up and copy block, tossed the bouquet for coining the phrase squarely to Ms. Molenda, communications director for the bureau.
 
Mr. Molenda passed the honor to her 2-year-old, Jamey, a twin to Mark.
 
“I was on the kitchen phone while the boys were nearby in their high chairs. As I carefully enunciated ‘Indianapolis’ during the conversation, Jamey picked up on it and repeated, ‘Apple!’ pleased as punch. He expected one of his favorite treats. I thought, ‘You clever boy. It’s plain as the rain in Spain.’ I added it to a list of phrases to show Fran. It’s the one that clicked,” she explained.
 
Since the convention, the phrase and apple concept was turned over to Caldwell Van Riper advertising agency staff members, who designed a poster and campaign button featuring a huge red apple on a bright green background and the message in white print.
 
These have been made available to local groups to promote Indianapolis. Eventually the bureau expects to have buttons, posters, mugs, T-shirts and such available for sale to the public through retail outlets.
   
Newspapers.com
7 January 1982,  Indianapolis (IN) News, “Team Sells Indy In Capital,” pg. 37, cols. 1-2:
WASHINGTON—A delegation of Indianapolis business and government representatives made a “pitch” here today for their city to become the convention center of the country.
(...)
Those at the two sessions were given well-prepared information kits on Indianapolis. The material included the reprint of an advertisement for the city that began “Move over New York. Apple is our middle name.” The rest of the ad documented what Indianapolis has to offer convention-goers.
   
Newspapers.com
22 January 1982, Indianapolis (IN) News, “Apple Just For Opener” by David Mannweiler, pg. 25, col. 1:
The Convention and Visitors Bureau’s “Move over New York, Apple is our middle name” campaign, is just the opening shot. That campaign is aimed at bringing new convention business to the city.
 
Newspapers.com
1 February 1982, Victoria (TX) Advocate, “Washington People” by Rudy Maxa, pg. 6C, col. 4:
In the fine tradition of overreaching, the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Bureau produced a press packet for out-of-town reporters that touted Indianapolis as “the friendly crossroads of America” and announced the city’s new ad slogan: “Move over New York—Apple is our middle name.”
 
Newspapers.com
11 January 1983, Indianapolis (IN) News, “Letters to the editor,” pg. 9, col. 2:
More apples
I have just seen another one of those nauseating “Move over New York. Apple is our middle name” commercials. When will our city fathers learn that most people who live in Indianapolis don’t want this city to become like New York?
(...)
ROBERT W. VAN BUSKIRK
Indianapolis
   
Newspapers.com
21 December 2001, The Reporter-Times (Martinsville, IN), “Letters,” pg. 4a, col. 4:
Hudnut yearned to emulate the “Big Apple,” New York City, by referring to our state capitol as Indian-Apple-is.
(...)
Carl F. Ernstes II
Morgantown

 
Twitter
Achieve
@achievecauses
This is… so bad. RT @rmpuckett: Failed (and old) Indianapolis marketing slogan: “Move over New York, apple is our middle name!” #OI2011
10:15 AM · Jun 16, 2011·Hootsuite
 
Twitter
Bill Edwards
@91157
Replying to @Mark_J_Boyle
@Mark_J_Boyle @bkravitz move over NY apple’s our middle name circa 80’s…Indy leaders fault
10:27 PM · Dec 3, 2011·Twitter for Android
       
Twitter
Secretly Judging U2
@Ed_sexylegs
Indiannapolis
Indian
Indian apple
Indian apple is
Indian apple is ...good.
7:52 PM · Jan 27, 2013·Twitter Web App
 
Twitter
Eric Halvorson
@Eric_Halvorson
Replying to @BrookeMartinTV @Ken_Brewer and 2 others
Years ago, in a play off NYC’s “Big Apple”, Indianapolis had a short-lived campaign: “apple is our middle name.”  Try that. There aren’t many who’d remember it anyway.
10:11 PM · Jan 17, 2018·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
Bob Cook
@notgoingpro
I’m sure that would be as successful as that I’m-not-making-this-up 80s Indy tourism campaign, “Move over, New York — APPLE is our middle name!” (New York did not move over.) (Wherever over was supposed to be.)
Quote Tweet
Brooke Martin
@BrookeMartinTV
·
Jan 17, 2018
.@Ken_Brewer and I were brainstorming ways to attract @Apple’s new headquarters. We figured we could start by renaming the city IndianAPPLEis. Then @EricSFeldman suggested Carmel APPLE. I think we’ll have a good shot.
12:02 AM · Jan 18, 2018·Twitter for iPhone
     
Twitter
Tim McLennan
@BlackMajic_
@omyshelf did you ever find out what an IndianAppleIs?
6:17 PM · Oct 3, 2018·Twitter for Android
 
Twitter
L. Mark Finch
@WineCanine
Replying to @gbosslet
Oh jeez. In the early 1980s NYC was called The Big Apple so some marketing wizards decided the slogan for Indianapolis would be “Apple Is Our Middle Name.” A partner’s wife thought Apple Press would be a good name for my former printing company. (It was, after we got Macs.)
8:57 PM · Sep 12, 2022·Twitter Web App

Posted by Barry Popik
New York CityThe Big Apple“Little Apple” and other nicknames • Wednesday, September 14, 2022 • Permalink


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