Naomi Klein on how corporate branding has taken over America

Ten years after the publication of No Logo, Naomi Klein switches her attention from the mall to Barack Obama and discovers that corporate culture has taken over the US government.

In May 2009, Absolut Vodka launched a limited edition line called "Absolut No ­Label". The company's global public relations manager, Kristina Hagbard, explained that "For the first time we dare to face the world completely naked. We launch a bottle with no label and no logo, to manifest the idea that no matter what's on the outside, it's the inside that really matters."

A few months later, Starbucks opened its first unbranded coffee shop in Seattle, called 15th Avenue E Coffee and Tea. This "stealth Starbucks" (as the anomalous outlet immediately became known) was decorated with "one-of-a-kind" fixtures and customers were invited to bring in their own music for the stereo system as well as their own pet social causes – all to help develop what the company called "a community personality." Customers had to look hard to find the small print on the menus: "inspired by Starbucks". Tim Pfeiffer, a Starbucks senior vice-president, explained that unlike the ordinary Starbucks outlet that used to occupy the same piece of retail space, "This one is definitely a little neighbourhood coffee shop." After spending two decades blasting its logo on to 16,000 stores worldwide, Starbucks was now trying to escape its own brand.

Continua at http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jan/16/naomi-klein-branding-obama-america/print

Design Obama

O livro Designing Obama encontra-se disponível at http://digital.designing-obama.com/. 

The Obama presidential campaign was innovative. For the first time in American politics, a candidate used art and design to bring together the American people—capturing their voices in a visual way. 

The Design Director of the Obama campaign, Scott Thomas, has collaborated with artists and designers to create Designing Obama, a chronicle of the art and design from the historic campaign. Get the inside story on how design was used by the campaign, and scope out the pieces, created unofficially, by grassroots supporters. 

The 360-page book is full-color and hardbound, highly crafted with an embossed sleeve. Forewords written by Steven Heller and Michael Bierut. 

Mais dois pequenos vídeos que resumem um pouco alguns conceitos abordados na conferência.

Designing Obama

A conferência (visionada na aula de hoje) de Sol Sender e Scott Thomas relativa ao trabalho de design de identidade da campanha eleitoral de Obama à presidência dos Estados Unidos tem a duração de aproximadamente uma hora, seguida de sensivelmente 45 minutos para questões colocadas pela audiência.

Dubbed a strategic and smart campaign by Fast Company, the Obama brand has received much recognition not only within the design community, but also throughout the nation and abroad. Sol Sender and Scott Thomas, creators of the official Obama logo and Web site, will describe their experiences developing this historic political brand. The event features a special exhibition of posters from Threadless Loves Democracy, a challenge to design the most unique and conceptual call to vote, sponsored by Sappi Fine Paper, Threadless, Rock the Vote, and Jones Soda. The conversation will be moderated by Paul Schmelzer, editor of the Minnesota Independent news site, author of the blog Eyeteeth, and contributor to Adbusters, Cabinet, Ode, Utne Reader, and other journals focusing on the intersection of art, media, and politics.

Obama Brand

Ficam os videos visionados na aula anterior, mais uma entrevista a Steven Heller sobre o Design para Obama.

Steven Heller, Co-chair of the MFA Designer as Author program at The School of Visual Arts, speaks with AIGA Philly on the outpouring of posters for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. Heller also compares today's political graphics to the campaign posters of a previous generation, and the relationship between democracy and design.

Produced by Peter Camburn & Craig Schlanser for AIGA Philadelphia

Steven Heller on Design for Obama

Those posters were like rock concert t-shirts.

Branding the Candidates: McCain & Obama Brand Design

Obama is the first to create a visual brand, just like a consumer product.

The first true political brand.

Yes We Can: The Obama Brand
User created adds appeared in games… He became more than presidential candidate, he was a international icon. The Obama fashion.







Obama as a brand
It's like you're participating in something bigger than you. Like you're joining a club. There is Obama mania taking place right now.