PUBLISHED: April 3, 2008
I love it when marketing people talk about “branding.” No, seriously, I love it. Today, the New York Times talks with branding expert Brian Collins about the Obama campaign’s use of the typeface Gotham, designed by Tobias Frere-Jones—brother to New York music critic Sasha Frere-Jones. (Slackers. Don’t these guys know that the Foer brothers are writing bestselling novels, editing The New Republic, and writing kick-ass pieces for National Geographic?) Anyway, typophiles, start your engines.
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Michael Beirut (Pentagram, Design Observer) spoke recently about the same ‘Obama brand’ concept. I think one of the reasons it’s getting attention is because Hoefler/Frere-Jones works have been especially hot and high-profile in the last few years, Gotham in particular, and to see something so coveted in the design community put in a political context is strange and….exciting? Somehow a simple font-choice can change the whole game, yet it’s so subtle people are barely aware of what’s driving them in the direction of Obama’s ‘brand’. Pretty impressive sleight-of-hand on behalf of Obama’s team.
