Political Brand-Building: Crossing the candidate-brand barrier, one logo at a time

October 10, 2008 by Olivier Blanchard

http:thebrandbuilder!"ordpress!com20081010political-brand-building-crossing-the-
candidate-brand-barrier-one-logo-at-a-time
Pictured above: Barack Obamas 2008 Presidential Campaign logo.
Brand development: A quick look at te po!er o" s#mbols.
Bac# in the good old days o$ co"boys and cattle drives, %brands& "ere mar#s to identi$y
o"nership o$ livestoc#! 'hat o"nership eventually became a stamp o$ (uality in cattle mar#ets!
Over time, the terms %mar#& and %brand& became interchangeable in the "orld o$ product
mar#eting! )*n $rancophone countries, the "ord %+ar(ue& , the -rench e(uivalent o$ .+ar#/ , is
still in use today!0
1hatever your language o$ choice, the term %brand& has since evolved to encompass almost
every $acet o$ a speci$ic business/ identity, $rom cultural relevance and mar#et leadership to the
ability to routinely create iconic products and build a great reputation! 2t the $ore$ront o$ a brand
)as printed on a company/s pac#aging, products, "ebsites, letterhead, $ront door, etc! is its mar#!
*ts logo! *ts symbol!
3umans li#e symbols and emblems, "hether they sho" up on $lags, military unit patches, $amily
crests, educational institutions/ emblems, sports teams/ uni$orms, the butt o$ livestoc#, products,
or corporate letterhead! 1e "ear them on '-shirts and baseball caps! 1e stic# them on our cars
and laptops! 1e paste them onto our des#tops! 1e add them to our -aceboo# "alls! 4ome o$ us
even get them tattooed sometimes! )5ote: 'he ne6t photo is not o$ me!0 'hat is the level o$
emotional attachment that people can have "ith symbols, "hich is "hy almost every
organi7ation in the "orld uses them!
1ithout $lags, symbols, mar#s and logos, "hat "ould initially separate 5i#e $rom 2didas,
-rance $rom Belgium, 8ell $rom 3P, 9ol#s"agen $rom 2udi, or even the :an#ees $rom the
4oc#s; )* said initially< Chill, sports $ans!0
'o illustrate the role that evocative emblems )logos0 can play in the success and longevity o$ a
brand, here are a $e" you might be $amiliar "ith:
Pretty potent stu$$! O#ay, so "e/ve established the po"er o$ logos! Badges!
=mblems!4ymbols!1hatever you choose to call them! 1e can move on no"!
$e emergence o" branding concepts and logos in political campaigns.
One o$ the prime ne"comers on the list o$ most-vie"ed %logos& in the last $e" months has been
Presidential hope$ul Barac# Obama/s distinctive circular sunrise and stripes! >ast month, *
brought you the history o$ the ?epublican and 8emocratic parties/ elephant and don#ey
emblems@ today, * bring you a little bit o$ insight into ho" the Obama campaign logo came to be!
-rom Chicago Business 5e"s:
2 team o$ Chicago graphic designers has given Barac# Obama/s campaign its signature loo#! 4ol
4ender o$ 4ender >>C and $ive others in his $irm created the logo the *llinois senator is using $or
his 2008 presidential bid!
'he icon, a gradated blue %o& $eaturing three red stripes, is prominently displayed on +r!
Obama/s campaign 1eb site pages and $eatured on t-shirts, buttons and bumper stic#ers!
4ender >>C is a Chicago brand consultancy and design studio "hose clients include Crains.
%1e "ere loo#ing at the %o& o$ his name and had the idea o$ a rising sun and a ne" day,& +r!
4ender said! %'he sun rising over the hori7on evo#ed a ne" sense o$ hope!&
%*t begins to brea# "ith tradition "hile also rooting itsel$ in tradition,& said Peter Ariv#ovich,
C=O o$ Cramer-Arasselt advertising agency in Chicago! %Patriotism is the $oundation, but above
that is hope, opportunity, ne"ness!&
1hile most presidential campaign sign designers have traditionally not strayed beyond the realm
o$ bac#ground color and $ont type, it is interesting to see logo design $inally ma#e its "ay into
the "orld o$ voter in$luence tactics!
O$ course, "e don/t need to loo# too $ar to $ind another e6ample o$ catchy political logo "or# o$
late! Our sitting president, Beorge 1! Bush/s iconic %1& )ironically adopted by Oliver 4tone as
the title o$ his latest movie0 has served as an emblem in its o"n right, sho"ing up on bumper
stic#ers, '-shirts and even under"ear!
%ere do !e go "rom ere&
2re "e seeing a ne" trend in presidential political mar#eting; Possibly! *$ the obCective is to help
a candidate appear to stand stand $or something greater than a political plat$orm or $ormulaic
series o$ promises, "hy not create an emblem that can hold that message $or them and resonate
"ith an audience in the same "ay that our $avorite brand logos do; 1hy not transcend agendas
and soundbites to create something greater , something that can be conveyed in a symbol; *t
loo#s li#e political strategists have $inally tapped into our need to rally behind symbols rather
thanD "ords! *n the same "ay that "e get behind 2pple, 3arley 8avidson, 5i#e and 5e" :or#
:an#ees logos, "e can no" get behind our presidential candidates/ logos and truly Coin their
team!
*t/s probably too soon to tell "hether or not a candidate , in spite o$ their record, position in
regards to issues and even charisma , might actually gain an advantage over another by having a
"ell-designed logo, but the (uestion is "ell "orth as#ing!
=h!
One (uic# "ord o$ caution as present and $uture presidential hope$uls begin to venture across the
candidate-to-brand barrier in order to gain a strategic advantage: 'he margin o$ error in the "orld
o$ brands is ra7or-thin! 2s e6pectations rise to unrealistic levels )political leadership is much
more comple6 and volatile than market leadership0, each mista#e become increasingly costly!
)'he 1hite 3ouse doesn/t have a customer service department! :ou aren/t li#ely getting a re$und
or a discount coupon in the mail "hen things don/t go your "ay!0
'he po"er that comes "ith becoming a brand can be too much $or Cust one man )or "oman0 to
handle , even $or a 1ashington, Aennedy, ?oosevelt or >incoln!
2s my uncle Ben once told me, with great power comes great responsibility.4omething to
consider once elections are behind us and the time comes to actually deliver!
3ave a great "ee#end, everyone! @0
image of Super Obama by legendary graphic artist Alex Ross.