A person is a brand too. Take a look inside the workings of Sender, LLC, the firm behind the Obama logo. Sender’s principal came from DesignKitchen, a top brand identity firm. Influenced by corporate branding projects, this project deserved a mark that could truly stand alone; this is important for a potential president.

The key to success with a logo for a presidential candidate is to create something that is not complicated. The logo has to be designed around the name. You find a lettering—a typeface for a logotype. You try to create unique elements around the name, which reinforces the logo mark. You have to figure out one very important thing: What do you do with the first initial? In the name “Obama,” Sender discovered the Power of “O.” They worked the O to represent the rising of a new era in American politics. All caps for the name makes it look stronger. Then they adapted the logo. The logo changed depending on the 10-15 demographics that the Obama campaign was trying to appeal to.

Sender currently has 6-8 main clients, a few of which include Motorola, ChicagoBusiness.com, and Tribune Interactive. With Obama on their resume, they’re figuring other doors will open for them.

And I thought the “Power of O” was about Oprah’s influence on the nation.

View video: Inside Brand Obama

Article Tags: brand | Branding | Identity | logo | Obama
Filed under: Branding, Design, Political Marketing, Visual Identity