Sol Sender
Encyclopedia
Sol Sender is an American graphic designer and brand strategist best known for leading the design of the logo
for Barack Obama
's 2008 presidential campaign
. Sender is an associate partner at the design firm VSA Partners
.
, Obama’s chief campaign strategist, although it had never done a political identity
before. Sender led the design team of three which included Amanda Gentry and Andy Keene. Project managers at mo/de were Colin Carter and Steve Juras.
"We were looking at the “o” of his name and had the idea of a rising sun
and a new day,” according to Sender. “The sun rising over the horizon evoked a new sense of hope." "The design expression was so constrained and so bland for so many years in politics," Sender says. "I think we had a fresh approach because we’d never worked on a campaign before” — and, of course, the power of the logo had a lot to do with “the power of the candidate’s message."
Obama logo
The Obama logo was the flagship symbol of Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The design became one of the most recognized political brand logos during the 2008 U.S...
for Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's 2008 presidential campaign
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
. Sender is an associate partner at the design firm VSA Partners
VSA Partners
VSA Partners is an independent branding firm. VSA Partners is headquartered in Chicago, IL with offices in Minneapolis, MN and New York, NY. The firm was founded in 1982 by Robert Vogele as Communication Design Group...
.
Creation of Obama logo
Sender's firm, Sender LLC, was commissioned to design a logo by Chicago-based mo/de (a motion design studio). The latter had been brought on board early on by David AxelrodDavid Axelrod
David Axelrod may refer to:* David Axelrod * David Axelrod , Senior Advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama* David B. Axelrod , poet and educator...
, Obama’s chief campaign strategist, although it had never done a political identity
Corporate identity
In Corporate Communications, a corporate identity is the "persona" of a corporation which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives...
before. Sender led the design team of three which included Amanda Gentry and Andy Keene. Project managers at mo/de were Colin Carter and Steve Juras.
"We were looking at the “o” of his name and had the idea of a rising sun
Sunrise
Sunrise is the instant at which the upper edge of the Sun appears above the horizon in the east. Sunrise should not be confused with dawn, which is the point at which the sky begins to lighten, some time before the sun itself appears, ending twilight...
and a new day,” according to Sender. “The sun rising over the horizon evoked a new sense of hope." "The design expression was so constrained and so bland for so many years in politics," Sender says. "I think we had a fresh approach because we’d never worked on a campaign before” — and, of course, the power of the logo had a lot to do with “the power of the candidate’s message."