Surprising Stories from the Set of I Love Lucy

The iconic heart image seen in the opening and closing credits of I Love Lucy was not part of the show’s original broadcast. When the series first aired on CBS, the opening credits featured animated clay figures of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz alongside sponsor advertising, such as Philip Morris cigarettes.

The heart design was created later, in 1958, when CBS began rerunning the series in syndication. The new imagery removed sponsor references and gave the show a timeless, romantic visual identity. Today, the heart is inseparable from the show, even though it came later.