The Genius of the Obama Campaign Logo
February 6th, 2008
Barack Obama made a huge impression on me at the 2004 DNC. I knew that he would be running for president at some point, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon. I’ve always wanted Hillary to run, and throughout the campaign I’ve been telling myself that Obama doesn’t have enough experience - that he should spend more time in the Senate. But as I see the diverse support he’s getting, and as I realize his speech at the DNC wasn’t a fluke, I find myself hoping he’s running the White House in 2009.
So let me me list the reasons why the Obama logo is pure genius:
- The O represents Obama and he can use the logo without his name next to it. He’s claiming the O as George W. Bush claimed the W
- The blue O and the red stripes represent the flag
- The red stripes represent the plains, the American farmland
- The O’s whitespace represents the sun, shining over the plains. Because it’s white, it evokes sunrise, not sunset.
So what the logo is trying to say is that there’s a new morning sun (a hope, change) rising over America, and that Obama is it. I don’t think you can find that level of meaning in any other logo, campaign or corporate. For contrast, take a look at the other campaign logos:
Sascha
February 7th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Yes indeed. Obama’s logo is way better than the rest because it doesn’t look like it was designed by an eight-year-old and has meaning for a change…
Juna
February 8th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Obama’s logo is beautiful. It was created by Sol Sender and his team at Sender LLC, a Chicago design firm. Sol is brilliant!
Andre
February 13th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I’d think Mitt Romney’s logo was for a package delivery company.
Sol Sender
February 16th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Thanks for the compliment, but we had the whole team over here on the logo, not just me. Also, it’s the Obama campaign team that has done some wonderful work rolling it out and developing new iterations.
Regards,
Sol Sender
President, Sender LLC
Seth
May 8th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Obama’s logo has always reminded me of the logo for my hometown, Chandler, AZ - http://www.chandleraz.gov
patrick sutton
June 15th, 2008 at 12:07 am
The logo is also a cross between the Van Gogh painting “The Sower” and a Thomas Hart Benton depression-era farm scene. Both are incredibly evocative, if not current to a lot of people.
Korinna
June 21st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
My first reaction upon seeing it was that it surely is the most egocentric logo campaign ever devised. The “Big O” is the rising sun/son bestowing his radiance upon us all and ruling over the land below. The image is completely about the man.
And it’s a visual concept rehash of Reagan’s “Morning in America” campain.
Forget Obama… we should elect his brand strategist for President, for absolute genius in spinning the most effective brand around a product as substantive as cotton candy.
“The use of advertising to sell statesmen is the ultimate vulgarity” -David Ogilvy
Naomie Keys
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:09 am
I heard Obama say this symbol was the rising sun, supposedly to represent hope. Japan is known as “The Land of the Rising Sun” and the “rising sun” flag is the military flag of Japan. So, this symbol may be new to the US, but not a new symbol. It doesn’t show respect to the US disparaging our flag and recreating his logo from another countries emblem.
Raf
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:20 am
Come on, that’s taking it a little bit too far. To say that it shows disrespect towards Japan is ingenious. The symbol is not new to the US, since it’s universal symbology. The sun DOES rise everywhere else too. It’s not always an invocation towards the Japanese flag.
Chad K
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Man, get over yourself Naomie. If abstraction is too difficult for your tender literal sensibilities to interpret then you have no authority to be judging the success of any graphical composition. What is your graphic design pedigree anyway; Professional or casual?
And to Korinna, isn’t every election sticker, button, and other collateral associated with their own respective candidate completely about the man or woman and their campaign?
Bud T
August 5th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Obama has a nice logo.
Too bad his arrogance made him replace the American flag on his plane with his logo.
I guess he believes HE is more important than Old Glory!
Debra Martin
August 6th, 2008 at 8:41 am
O Bama O prah…hmmmmm…
JAY
August 6th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I see Obama’s campaign logo as somewhat of a prophecy. If he is elected and chooses to passify our foes, such as the president of Iran, the logo tells us what will happen to our country. The whitespace represents the rising mushroom cloud of a nuclear explosion over our country and the red stripes represent the blood of all the American’s killed by the bombs.
Raf
August 6th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Ok, I’m putting a stop to this. I understand that I’ve been linked by conservative sites, but this article has been getting a lot of of unnecessary smearing comments. Valid criticism of Obama, such as Bud T’s will remain, while any smearing comments, such as Jay’s, will not. So if you plan on posting here, please make sure your criticism is valid.
Kate
August 7th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Is anyone else thinking it’s like a “lifesaver”, not that I’m supporting Obama or his logo. I could also see a new cheerio type Obama cereal…lots of advertising opportunities with this one. I heard a radio talk show today blasting Obama for this latest snub at America after not putting his hand over his heart during the Pledge and not wearing a flag lapel pin. I just got on here to read what the design means and wish media people would seek truth before they speak and smear.
Wiked
August 11th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Responding to Bud T-Old Glory on the tail of the airplane was the logo of the previous owner & Obama should have changed it. Arrogance had nothing to do with it, call it business! If you bought a used Fed Ex truck to transport your wears around would you leave their logo all over it or would you maybe attempt to promote your business with your own logo. Talk about simple minded!
Paul V
August 20th, 2008 at 11:22 am
I am not supporter of Obama but I do like the Logo. Nice work to the entire team. As for thr Logo on his aircraft, well that is his choice, the American flag is only necessary if the aircraft is a mail carrier. It would keep the criticism down if he put the`American flag on the aircraft but really it’s about the man not the symbols. Let’s just make sure we (American people) hire the best qualified candidate.
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