Presidential Design

    In interest of the debate tonight. I thought I would take a minute to see how each candidate fares in terms of branding and the impact of their campaign visuals. Just to be clear, I am not endorsing either candidate from a political standpoint. I am simply offering my observations on each candidates visual aids and branding.
    From a Graphic Design standpoint, President Obama wins in a landslide. The posters above demonstrate a clear and consistent branding. I think what I like most about these posters is they avoid the campaign cliches. By that I mean, there are no cheesy slogans, and while stars and stripes are patriotic, I don't need to be beaten over the head with them. I also like the use of a neutral, somewhat "earthy" color palette. The posters also convey a message about what the candidate stands for without screaming "Vote for me!" I see a person, not a politician. There is sense of trust worthyness portrayed.

Going back to the election of 2008, Obama and his team understand the power of a brand and the impact of a good visual image. His "Change" posters (left) became almost iconic. His "O" logo also became very recognizable. This particular poster is a bold approach we had not seen before in a presidential campaign.

Governor Romney's posters are very traditional, utilizing the standard red,white and blue color palette. On one hand I guess you could argue that they convey a sense of stability. On the other hand, they are a good example of the "cliche" poster I mentioned. Romney's design team was afraid to take any risks, and consequently the result is a poster I've seen 100 times before.

In contrast to Obama's poster series above, in this image I see a politician first and fore most. I find it much harder to relate to the candidate on a personal level. The ad also does not tell me anything about the candidate and why I should trust him with my vote. Maybe it is just because the straight on portrait and the waving flag background have been so over used in the past.

This is another nice example of a well put together ad. There is a nice use of typography and the composition is nicely balanced.

This ad was not created by Romney's official campaign, It is a graphic I found on facebook created by one of his supporters. There is a stark contrast in style between the two ads. I'm not going to say that this one is ineffective, but it seems slightly amateurish to me. I will give Romeny credit, his "Romney: Believe in America" logo is nicely done.

So, as a voter, I remain undecided. As a Graphic Designer, the choice is clear, Obama wins the branding campiagn in a landslide.