The DNC logo is a train wreck

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The DNC logo is a train wreck

Wed, 08/27/2008 - 12:53pm

Ok, I can't contain myself. The logo for the Democratic National Convention is a train wreck.

The Democrats should be eager to cast off the negative stereotypes that they've accumulated since since Gore lost to Bush in 2000 -- weak on defense issues, wishy-washy, too touchy-feely, disorganized, and unfocused. But this logo does exactly the opposite. The soft gradients and jumbled type only serve to reinforce those negatives.

The colors are washed out. Red, white, and blue in a political context should never fade to pink and baby powder. It looks weak. Red is always a dangerous color to run to a gradient in a logo for that very reason.
And while I'm talking about color, why is the sky a burning red? Has a nuclear bomb just gone off somewhere over the horizon? Has global warming gotten that bad already?
The stars overweight the logo on the left side, making the whole thing feel too asymmetrical. They also remind me of the stars a cartoonist might draw over a character's head to indicate that he's had too much to drink.
The tightly kerned sans-serif type is completely out of phase with all of Obama's materials, which provide for much more air between each character.
The right side of the logo reminds me of Enron's Logo. I don't understand why those large chunks have been taken out of the mountains. Is it supposed to look like a plug or a puzzle piece?
Why is the "0" so much bigger than the "8"? Yes, I'm sure that's the nature of the type they chose, but it looks terrible. This election is about the "8," not the "0"
Why are there mountains anyway? I know they're there to tip the hat to Denver, the convention's host city -- but why? Is this convention being held for Denver or for the country as a whole?

What would a successful logo contain?

Strong, solid colors. Similar to the deep blue on Obama's materials.
Clean, simple type. Go serif to make it different, but not too different.
A horizon that looks like a sunrise, or some other imagery that points us to the future, not a nuclear holocaust. Hell, even some clichéd "21st century digital" bric-a-brack in the background would be better.

Travis Daub | Permalink |

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( filed under:

Culture | Decision '08 | North America

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Logo thoughts

by heiwa on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 12:33pm

Isn't it not 08 with different fonts, but O8 (letter O, numeral 8)? I'm surprised we aren't seeing more bumperstickers with O8ama on them. Except now that I type it my brain isn't sure whether to read that as Obama or Osama. Talked myself out of that one. I don't think the mountains are a problem, since the convention is in Denver and it isn't like they're going to be using this in November. The mountain silhouette is very common in Colorado (appearing on the standard license plates). I agree about the colors. Since the mountains are West of Denver, every Colorado resident knows that a red sky means sunset, not sunrise. Seems an odd option.

Morning Brief Logo

by gabe on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 12:56pm

As a Denver native, I feel obligated not to say anything negative about that horrible logo. However, this is a great chance to design a Morning Brief logo the right way. Come on! It's begging for a good sunrise in the inbox every day. Plus I think "Morning Brief 4 Prez" posters should start showing up behind CNN sets. I mean if Bring Back Crystal Pepsi makes the news...

Logo

by Chris on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 1:16pm

The logo reminds me of one of my favourite movies about Colorado growing up: Red Dawn. I was remarking to my girlfriend that the stars/red in the logo look like the PRC Flag rising up and coming over the CO Mountains at dawn!!

Is this satire?

by kidzib on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 1:31pm

Because if it's not, I think this takes the cake for the dumbest post I've ever read here. Seriously, what are you going to complain about next? That the Republicans' convention logo (http://tinyurl.com/5jwvup) looks like a dead elephant that has been run over with a car and bled '2008' into the ground? Stick to policy and current events, because posts like this are beyond pointless...

I don't find the logo as

by Khalid on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 1:46pm

I don't find the logo as terrible as you do, but I think the mountain in the background might be justified by the fact that the Democrats are trying to reshape the electoral map, in large part, by winning Rocky Mountain states. Just a hunch.

Re: plug/puzzle piece on the

by fleurdelivre on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 1:57pm

Re: plug/puzzle piece on the right side: they're stripes. Paired with the stars in the upper-left, it imposes a stylized American flag on the whole.

In all honesty, this is the

by nquixote on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 3:38pm

In all honesty, this is the most trivial and inane post I have ever seen on this blog. A grand total of 1 person on the planet cares about the DNCC logo, and his name is apparently Travis Daub.

I Couldn't Disagree More

by Travis Daub on Thu, 08/28/2008 - 1:18am

Kidzib & nquixote,

I couldn't disagree more. Consider the fact that this is one of the most historic political conventions ever held; that images of Barack Obama at this convention are likely to become canon in american political history—like Reagan in a cowboy hat, "Dewey Defeats Truman," etc. The DNC logo will always be there, rusting away in the background.

This logo, which clearly represents the worst possible outcome of "design by committee, not only looks bad, but reveals one of the core weaknesses of the Democrats right now: An inability to form a unified message. The logo is a hodge-podge of ideas.

Outside the confines of the party, the Obama campaign has done an outstanding job of pushing a unified message, but the party is clearly still in disarray. Obama at this point, apparently doesn't have enough power to push for radical change inside the party. This logo was settled on last October, so any change would mean ripping up work that was already finished. But getting this message right is one of the most important tasks for a political party to accomplish in an election year, and it was worth doing over. It's important for the Democrats to look as singular in purpose as possible. One platform, one candidate, one single shade of blue.

BTW, Chris, I love your comment that it looks like the PRC flag. You're dead on.