The Obama logo was the flagship symbol of Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The design became one of the most recognized political brand logos during the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, and is being used again for Obama's re-election campaign.

Process [link]

The logo was designed by Chicago-based Sender LLC (a brand development and design company) on assignment from Chicago-based mo/de (a motion design studio). The latter had been brought on board early on by David Axelrod, Obama’s chief campaign strategist, although it had never done a political identity before. Creative director Sol Sender, now an associate partner at VSA Partners, led the design team of three which included Amanda Gentry and Andy Keene. Project managers at mo/de were Colin Carter and Steve Juras.^[1]

"We were looking at the “o” of his name and had the idea of a rising sun and a new day,” according to Sender. “The sun rising over the horizon evoked a new sense of hope."^[2] "The design expression was so constrained and so bland for so many years in politics," Sender says. "I think we had a fresh approach because we’d never worked on a campaign before” — and, of course, the power of the logo had a lot to do with “the power of the candidate’s message."^[3]

The final design was decided among seven or eight options in the first round. "In terms of our internal process, though, I believe the logo — as we now know it — came out of a second round of design explorations. At any rate, it happened quite quickly, all things considered. The entire undertaking took less than two weeks."^[4]

The design began late in 2006 and the finished logo made its debut when Obama officially announced his candidacy for president February 10, 2007 in Springfield, Illinois.^[1]

John Slabyk and Scott Thomas, designers with the Obama campaign oversaw the customization of the logo for 12 different identity groups as well as for each state with 50 additional versions. There was also identity for Republicans and Independents supporting Barack Obama.^[1][5]

Reception [link]

The logo in use during the 2008 presidential campaign

The reception of Obama's logo was generally positive, and in some circles, highly praised. The Boston Globe beamed that "the ever-present rising sun logo has the feeling of a hot new Internet company."^[6] "It begins to break with tradition while also rooting itself in tradition," said Peter Krivkovich, CEO of Cramer-Krasselt advertising agency in Chicago.^[2] "Patriotism is the foundation, but above that is hope, opportunity, newness." David Morrison, president of Philadelphia-based market research firm Twentysomething Inc., said the logo has "a nice, contemporary, dynamic, youthful vibe about it."^[2] Designer Michael Bierut called Obama's branding "just as good or better" as the best commercial brand designs. "Every time you look, all those signs are perfect," Beirut said. "Graphic designers like me don't understand how it's happening. It's unprecedented and inconceivable to us. The people in the know are flabbergasted."^[7]

On the other hand, cartoonist Ward Sutton asked, "is it a zero and a sunset over a deserted highway?" "Too many type styles and colors. The look is left undefined. The designer may have been too inexperienced," he added.^[8]

Some^[who?] have noted the similarity of Obama's campaign logo to others, namely those of Vietin Bank, The Sidney Hillman Foundation, City of Chandler, Arizona, the Taiwan Solidarity Union, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.^[9] There is also some similarity to the European Union's Protected Designation of Origin and Protected Geographical Indication logos and the logo of Germany's Agenda-Glas AG. The official logo of the Democratic Alliance party of South Africa models their logo after Obama's campaign logo.^[10]

References [link]

v t e Barack Obama August 4, 1961 Life and politics Early life and career Illinois Senate elections Illinois Senate career Illinois-1st elections, 2000 2004 Democratic National Convention U.S. Senate election in Illinois, 2004 U.S. Senate career 2008 presidential primary campaign Obama–Biden 2008 Electoral history Political positions Economic Social Energy Foreign/Administration foreign policy Nobel Peace Prize 2012 presidential re-election campaign West Wing Week Presidency Transition Inauguration Timeline 2009 2010 2011 2012 Judiciary Supreme Court candidates Foreign policy Obama Doctrine First 100 days Health care reform Presidential trips 2009 2010 2011 2012 People pardoned Death of Osama bin Laden Books Dreams from My Father The Audacity of Hope Of Thee I Sing Speeches "The Audacity of Hope" (2004) "A More Perfect Union" (2008) "Change Has Come to America" (2008) "A New Birth of Freedom" (2009) Joint session of Congress (February 2009) "A New Beginning" (2009) Joint session of Congress (health care reform) (September 2009) State of the Union address: 2010, 2011, 2012 Barack Obama Tucson memorial speech (2011) Joint session of Congress (jobs) (2011) Family Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (spouse) Stanley Ann Dunham (mother) Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. (father) Lolo Soetoro (step-father) Maya Soetoro-Ng (half-sister) Stanley Armour Dunham (grandfather) Madelyn Payne Dunham (grandmother) Marian Shields Robinson (mother-in-law) Craig Robinson (brother-in-law) Bo (family dog)   Public image News and political events Oprah Winfrey's endorsement Citizenship conspiracy theories litigation legislation Religion conspiracy theories Bill Ayers controversy Jeremiah Wright controversy Republican and conservative support (2008) Barack Obama assassination threats 2008 assassination scare in Denver 2008 assassination scare in Tennessee Inauguration invitations Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial Citizen's Briefing Book Tea Party protests New Energy for America Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Gates-Crowley Rose Garden meeting Resignation of Shirley Sherrod Books about Self-authored Dreams from My Father The Audacity of Hope Obama: From Promise to Power Barack Obama – Der schwarze Kennedy The Case Against Barack Obama The Obama Nation Culture of Corruption Catastrophe Barack and Michelle The Speech The Obama Story Game Change Music Obama Girl "I Got a Crush... on Obama" "Barack the Magic Negro" will.i.am "Yes We Can" "We Are the Ones" "There's No One as Irish as Barack O'Bama" "Sí Se Puede Cambiar" "My President" "Deadheads for Obama" "Air and Simple Gifts" Change Is Now Hope! – Das Obama Musical Other media @BarackObama Artists for Obama "Hope" poster "Joker" poster The Situation Room (photograph) Obama logo In comics Miscellaneous Places named after Obama Obama Day (Kenya) Book Category Portal