Fonts and presidential candidate branding: McCain’s Optimum Look

[APF]

McCain’s Optimum Look
By Steven Heller

Can a typeface truly represent a presidential candidate? It depends on the typeface and the candidate. John McCain’s printed material relies on Optima, a modernistic sans serif designed by the German type designer Hermann Zapf in 1958 that was popular among book and magazine designers during the 1970s.

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While it is not the most robust sans serif ever designed, it is not entirely neutral either. It embodies and signifies a certain spirit and attitude. And if a typeface is not just an empty vessel for meaning, but a signifier that underscores personality, then it is useful in understanding what the candidates’ respective typefaces are saying about them and their campaigns.

So, I asked various designers, design curators and critics, who get rather heated when it comes to analyzing type design, to weigh in on two questions regarding Senator McCain’s campaign logo set in a bold version of Optima: What does Optima say about John McCain? And should this, or any, candidate be judged by a typeface?

via: http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/21/mccains-optimum-look/index.html



Read the article for the designer / etc's comments.  Here's Matthew Carter's:

Matthew Carter, type designer and a principal of Carter & Cone Type

The moment of typographic truth will come when Senator McCain picks a vice presidential running mate and two names have to be combined on banners and bumper stickers. By choosing Optima, a rather distinctive typeface, he may have seriously limited his options.

I set the possible names in a bold weight of Optima caps and certain things became clear. HUCKABEE looks awkward in Optima, and ROMNEY is afflicted with the same difficult ‘EY’ combination that has plagued the current vice presidency. Perhaps because Optima is a German typeface, the word SCHWARZENEGGER looks predictably good.

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Although it’s German, Optima took its inspiration from Quattrocento inscriptional lettering in the cathedrals of Florence and Siena, which may explain why GIULIANI looks so simpatico. In the end, however, my research suggests that the optimal running mate — so long as you don’t have to typeset her first name — is RICE.

[FlameOfCallandor]

What does the font on the Ron Paul sign suggest?

[Howard Alan Treesong]

"I am not good with Photoshop"

To me, an article combining political punditry with typeface analysis is like being double-teamed by the Olsen twins.

[Human Snorenado]

What does the font on the Ron Paul sign suggest?
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Failure?

[demi]

"I am not good with Photoshop"

To me, an article combining political punditry with typeface analysis is like being double-teamed by the Olsen twins.

I am going to assume this is a good thing, otherwise prepare for some nasty marks on your straightness card

[APF]

If you haven't read it already, here's the one on the Obama campaign's typographical choices:

http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/to-the-letter-born/index.html

[FlameOfCallandor]

I read something in Newsweek that talked about Obama's logo. Is it an open corn field or an empty highway road?

[Debaser]

[recursivelyenumerable]

The McCain paraphrenalia I saw before was all using Trajan, which I thought was very fitting.  Is this a change?

[Ecrofirt]

Oh fuck. I'd vote for a McCain / Schwarzenegger white house. I'd vote so fucking hard.

[APF]

The McCain paraphrenalia I saw before was all using Trajan, which I thought was very fitting.  Is this a change?

Yeah, they wanted to avoid reminding people how old he is.

[CajoleJuice]

Oh fuck. I'd vote for a McCain / Schwarzenegger white house. I'd vote so fucking hard.

Indeed.

[Flannel Boy]

Oh fuck. I'd vote for a McCain / Schwarzenegger white house. I'd vote so fucking hard.

Indeed.

This isn't a movie Juice. This is not  Commando 2!

[FancyFeast]

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[FancyFeast]

Oh fuck. I'd vote for a McCain / Schwarzenegger white house. I'd vote so fucking hard.

OMGSTFUFAGKLOLDIETHXBTWARRHIPPOLOLAPOTAMUSAUCE

[CajoleJuice]

Oh fuck. I'd vote for a McCain / Schwarzenegger white house. I'd vote so fucking hard.

Indeed.

This isn't a movie Juice. This is not  Commando 2!

[xnikki118x]

Oh fuck. I'd vote for a McCain / Schwarzenegger white house. I'd vote so fucking hard.

:'(

[Ichirou]

.