politics and branding - part two: the making of obama
For part two of this series, below are two video segments describing the process to develop the Obama brand for the 2008 presidential campaign. Then-candidate Obama had the foresight to hire a multi-disciplinary firm, VSA Partners, that typically works with corporate clients. The collaboration resulted in a graphic identity and messaging campaign unlike any that had come before it in previous political contests.
While the process of exploration and design described in the videos is common for design firms, what made this project unique was its application to the very different arena of modern political campaigning. In the end, the final product proved to be nearly flawless in its effectiveness in communicating with the electorate and eliciting the desired response. Due to the success of the Obama campaign, I wouldn’t be surprised if this branding model is one that will be replicated by future candidates for national office.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this bit of designer “inside baseball.” Needless to say, I certainly found the videos quite interesting.
- tdc
SEGMENT ONE:
SEGMENT TWO:
MORE INFO:
- Read Part I of this series - via the design conservative
- Designing Obama by Michael Bierut (Pentagram) - via The Design Observer
- A summary of Obama logo options that didn’t make the cut - at LogoDesignLove
- Sarah Palin to Keep Brand Fresh and Relevant on Fox - via Brandchannel
