These days, a website, a YouTube video and a kickoff speech will often accompany each presidential campaign rollout.
And all will be accented by a campaign logo.
So far, Hillary Clinton’s logo has received the lion’s share of media attention for its polarizing design (more on that later).
But what about the others? What do these symbols say about each candidate, their messages and the zeitgeist? And, more broadly, what makes a good logo?
Applying this lens, one major trend that emerges is the increasingly important role technology and social networks play in winning elections.
The History of Campaign Branding
As technology has evolved, so has the content and style of “branding” candidates.
From the 1700s through the early 1800s, posters and political cartoon engravings were the communication platform of choice, as literacy rates were low. Interestingly, political buttons can be found as far back as the time of George Washington, whose campaign doled out hand-painted portraits and engraved buttons that supporters sewed onto their clothing.
And giving away promotional freebies isn’t a new concept. As described in the 2012 book Presidential Campaign Posters, the practice dates back to 1828. The book notes that Andrew “Old Hickory” Jackson gave away hickory brooms and canes, while affixing hickory sticks to wagons, steamboats and houses – all to link objects to his campaign brand and identity.
