Opinion: Obama is the top brand for 2008

Posted on Thursday, February 14th, 2008 at 1:55 pm in Uncategorized.

We, at GiantSky, would like to endorse Barack Obama as the top Brand in the US for 2008.  Barack Obama’s success is astounding.  But this is no miracle.  We believe that the creative work to bring life to the Barack Obama brand is world class, rivaling global brands such as Coke, Nike and others.  Moreover, the beautiful way by which the Obama brand has transcended all forms of media, from their website, to print and television, is work to be admired.  The message is clear, creative, inspirational and powerful, and now it has a symbol to represent it.  The creative folks who were a part of Branding Obama are simply fantastic.

The identity of the Obama logo - a rising sun (son) over the great American flag and all forming a wholesome “O” for Obama - is just the beginning of a genius branding campaign.  Beyond Barack Obama, the look  of his identity is an inspiration in itself.  The “O” transcends into hOpe, One, and Organize, all key aspects of the campaign.  In comparison, the handwritten Hillary brand may be more reminiscent the eighties, while the other candidates are nothing more than serif ordinary. 

Tagline:  “CHANGE we can believe in.” Is an extention of this great creative work.

The result has been astounding.  Obviously there are the millions who have been inspired to vote in the primaries for Obama.  But let’s look at merchandising:  there are almost NO articles of attire that you can purchase from the Barack Obama website… they have almost all sold out!!  People are bidding on Obama gear on Ebay, even paying upwards of 500% of their retail value. 

Obama is no longer just the name of a candidate, he represents “created value”.  But it must be said, Obama the brand would be just a pretty work of graphics if it weren’t for the dynamic and passionate orator, Mr. Barack Obama himself, who has inspired an entire nation with his honest approach to the typically tainted game of politics.  It is the authenticity of Barack himself that seems to be the brand value, and the artwork is just merely a catalyst of what he represents.

As of Valentine’s Day 2008, Barack Obama is not yet the Democratic candidate.  But the Obama brand is a winner.  Should he win the presidency, the world of marketing and advertising would look at this campaign as one of the greatest branding stories of our time, one that will be mimicked by future politicians, and taught as a case study everywhere for years to come.

GiantSky congratulates the creators of the Obama brand for such beautiful work, and the results speak for themselves. Obama is the most successful brand of 2008, and we are only in February.

Note:  GiantSky was in no way involved with the Obama brand or campaign, but we are just an admirer.

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