Luke Skywalker
Super Moderator
{vb:raw ozzmodz_postquote}:
A podium awaits the arrival of Hillary Clinton for her campaign launch rally on June 13, 2015, in New York. (John Moore, Getty Images)
While it’s too early to tell which presidential campaign message is resonating most, so far the biggest logo buzz has been around Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio.
Social media commenters made fun of Clinton’s logo, comparing it to a hospital road sign or the Wikileaks Twitter logo. And some professional critics found fault with the design as well.
Scott Thomas, the design director for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, said that while the logo is memorable, it is not communicating a message effectively.
Supporters hold signs in support of Barack Obama during a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 1, 2008.
(Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images)
Thomas attributes this problem to what he thinks is a bigger problem in the Clinton camp, which is that they, “don’t know what story [they’re] trying to tell yet.”
However, Thomas said that over time this could change.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>He said that a logo is only one piece to the larger brand, and that the brand can improve over time.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>“As the campaign grows, the brand could become stronger,” as it did for Obama in 2008, Thomas said.
However, others think that the Hillary logo is the leader already.
Her logo stands out because it is the most unpredictable and challenging visually, said Debbie Millman of<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Sterling Brands<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and chair of the Masters in Branding program at the School of Visual Arts.
According to Ty Fujimura, founder of the digital agency, Cantilever, <span style="color: Red;">*</span>the Hillary logo is effective as part of broader branding intended to challenge negative misconceptions about her.
Clinton’s campaign is trying to establish a brand making her<span style="color: Red;">*</span><span style="color: Red;">*</span>appear more ‘common’ to fight against the stereotype that she is part of the ‘Establishment’, he said.
Jeb Bush formally joins the race for president with a speech at Miami Dade College on June 15, 2015. (David Goldman, AP)
Kevin Lampe, executive vice president of Kurth Lampe, and a political strategist who has worked for several presidential campaigns, said that Hillary took a risk by using only the H and not her name in the logo. But her says it worked because she has such broad name recognition.
Other candidates have also faced criticism, and Millman does not think that any of the logos are particularly strong.
They are a “vast wasteland” and a “sad reflection on the candidates,” she said.
Jeb Bush’s logo in particular has become a target for Internet mocking<span style="color: Red;">*</span>for its similarity to old<span style="color: Red;">*</span>comic cartoons like Batman or a Big Lots advertisement.
Millman said the logo’s exclamation point is not effective because it is too forceful in its message.
Marco Rubio speaks to supporters during his presidential announcement at the Freedom Tower in Miami on April 13, 2015.
(Wilfredo Lee, AP)
Marco Rubio’s logo<span style="color: Red;">*</span>is effective because it has a unique quality and a modern appeal,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Fujimura said.
However, he has received negative feedback for leaving out Alaska and Hawaii on the U.S. map replacing the “i” in Rubio.
Despite receiving a wealth of attention now, Thomas believes that it matters more how brands develop over the campaign season, not how they are viewed upon launch.
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