Regardless of your politics the brand builders of America have spoken. Advertising Ad magazine has selected the Obama campaign as the savviest marketers of the year. If you look back at the last 20 months of campaigning, one thing is clear symbolism played a huge part in this election.

From the "O" logo to the "change" messaging the Obama campaign used the visual landscape to it's advantage. We give Illustrator Shepard Fairey high praise for his Hope and Progress posters that captured the essence of the campaign as well as created a visual face of a movement.

As brand builders we are often charged with re branding a product that has lost it's shine, or introducing a service to an industry that is cluttered with claims and promises. Where do you start with an unknown candidate with a funny name and little brand equity? The power of symbolism can never be underestimated.


Political campaigns will never be run the same. From the use of visual cues to graphically designed posters. This will serve as a new political niche for brand builders, putting the importance of what we do at the beginning of the process.

http://adage.com/moy2008/