Hotcards, Full Color Printing In The Nation

Political Printing for 2012

Political campaigns utilize a variety of printed sources to spread their message.

The idea is to introduce and popularize the candidate across the mass audience. Political printing is extensively used in campaign promotions. It includes direct mails, pamphlets, stickers, door hangers, T-shirts and other merchandises. Many companies specialize in printing campaign material, which get more and more active falling elections. Predicting the trends for 2012, political printing is likely to be used more extensively this year.

Print Politics: Huge Ad Spend in California Gubernatorial Race

The flyers are flying! The mailers are mailing! The posters are posting!

After two glorious, rock 'em sock 'em terms with the Terminator, California is looking for a new governor. And at a time when the state is as hard-hit by the recession as anywhere in the world, candidates vying for a spot in November's gubernatorial elections aren't sparing a dime on campaign spending.

Under particular scrutiny, Meg Whitman, former eBay CEO turned politico. She's running for a chance at the Republican candidacy, and so far, her campaign has spent almost $60 million ($49 mil of it Whitman's own) blanketing the airwaves in commercials and the streets in political printing. She's pulled ahead of Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican rival Steve Poizner in the polls, but at a cost that makes this the most expensive nonpresidential campaign in U.S. history.

The Whitman campaign has been distributing a series of direct mail pieces slamming Steve Poizner, accompanied by a URL to a clever matching website – a good example (from a former web CEO) of how to combine political print and web advertising to create a powerful cross-media campaign.

Obama Billboard Raises Issue of Advertising Ethics

Should political figures be fashion models?

We don't do a lot of controversial printing at Hotcards. Most of our customers, like the majority of print advertisers, don't go in for attaching their names to something scandalous. Edgy? Sure. But scandalous? Rarely.

Academically speaking, however, it's always interesting to consider the moral and ethical implications of a print design. This week, the whole country is talking about the huge Barack Obama billboard in Times Square. A political campaign ad? Nope! It's an ad for Weatherproof Garment Company, featuring a huge image of Obama in a Weatherproof jacket, next to the slogan, "A Leader in Style."

In 2010, the Democracy of Print Remains Vital

And the internet can help, too, I guess…

Often, printing and information technology are pitted against each other as enemies. Isn't printing being murdered by the internet? Isn't the internet destroying information quality? But print and the web aren't enemies. In fact, they're natural friends, and a recent talk given by Carl Malamud reminded me of just that.

Malamud is a public domain advocate, known as "the rogue librarian." In a speech at the Government 2.0 Summit in Washington this past September, he spoke about the history of the U.S. Government Printing Office. The speech focused on how essential printing and public record were to the development of the U.S. democratic system.

Today, Malamud says, we can continue to allow the democratic process to evolve by using the internet to do the same thing that printing has done over the last century or so – increase access to government, to legal process, to regulatory bodies, and hence, to the average citizen's ability to participate in the government and business of the country.

If ideas and technology don't evolve, they become obsolete. Malamud, in his speech, By the People (which can now be read as a pamphlet), challenges the U.S. Government Printing Office to lead the charge in terms of creating a supportive and integrative system between print information and digitized information. That's how it worked when Ben Franklin (a printer) decided to get involved in his community by publishing and distributing his political opinions.

The right to share and access information has always been the driving force behind printing. Now that those same principles have become the impetus growing the internet at such a phenomenal rate, printing can't get mad at that.

The issues addressed above may seem to have little to do with the concerns and work of a small commercial printer, but in truth, these seemingly disparate shades are interconnected. While using your local printer to publish a brochure or poster might not seem like it today, the very act is an engagement with the process of productive democracy. Ben Franklin would approve, and hopefully, the Obama administration will to, and access to information will continue to grow, both in print and online.

Printing Tips From Your Political Representatives

Space-saving is for non-winners.

Ever since the big bailout made our governing body famous for printing money, inquiring minds have been turning to Washington for printing tips. How shall we print? Why shall we print? What is best to print?

Gawker reports that in recent days, opponents of the health care bill have been bringing copies of the bill to debates printed single-sided, and in an extra-large font. These printing choices are made to visually demonstrate how epically huge the health care bill is, and what a majorly big overhaul it would be for the entire country.

Of course, the flipside of the story is that supporters of the bill could print it double-sided, in a tiny font, on a page with no margins, to give the impression that it was a small document, and hence, any changes would be relatively innocuous.

Political printing's lesson of the day? Size does matter. If you want to make a big impact, create a visually massive advertisement, with BIG typography and lots of white space. On the other hand, if you want to evade notice, print small, right?

While this philosophy doesn't exactly take into account environmental concerns, it does pose an interesting question: if you're going to use all that paper, would you be better served by one huge piece of media, rather than by a gathered stack of small pages? As a parallel, we might ask the question: what works better in an ad campaign – a series of posters, or one big billboard? Which will reach a larger audience? Which will be the most memorable?

Perhaps opponents of the healthcare bill could take a cue from print advertisers, and have the bill printed up on a jumbo, building-sized banner. That would certainly get people thinking about healthcare reform.

Print News Bailout Talk

But what about the free press?

Yesterday, President Obama said that as a "big newspaper junkie" he would be happy to look at proposals from Congress in support of a bailout for print news. This could come in one of several forms, anything from funding strategies to monetize online news, to allowing papers to restructure as nonprofits.

It's easy to guess where Obama is coming from with this freshly expressed support. As I mentioned in a post last week, the sheer flood of opinion online over the health care question has created such a glut of conflicting information that reaching a consensus seems to have become almost impossible. Surely this must cause the President to hearken back to a simpler time when print news offered the public no more than a handful of conflicting editorialized opinions to choose from.

Oh for the days.

How Print Advertising Could Help the Health Care Debate

There is such thing as too much information.

In a recent video for Time.com, Ze Frank said that we're not having a health care reform debate, we're having a health care argument. And what happens in an argument? Upset people say a lot of different things, many of which are untrue, half-true, or contradictory.

More and more, it seems that the average person is feeling overwhelmed by the issue of health care reform. So much conflicting information is zipping around out there that people don't know what to believe, and more than that, they're not sure what the point was to begin with.

A recent article on AdAge pointed to the crux of the problem – the White House is trying to sell a product – health care reform – unfortunately, the team that made the Obama brand so strong in 2008 is now doing a terrible job advertising this latest offering. Marketing 101: nobody's going to buy if they don't know what you're selling.

Interestingly, in this case, the marketing problem is not one of lack of information, it's one of too much information. Pundits screaming on the news, thousands of opinion-based blogs throwing in their two cents, spammy email campaigns gone awry – this may, in fact, be one of the first concrete examples of a weakness in online advertising: the product disappears under a avalanche of information and conjecture.

In at least this one area, print advertising still holds the standard. Keep it simple, stupid! as they say. When advertising in print, a creative marketing team is forced to synthesize information, to treat space like gold and value every inch of it simply because there's not much of it.

A clean, simple print campaign could do wonders to help the coherency of this debate. A poster, a mailer, a brochure, and ta-da! You've got your whole argument down to a couple of lines of ink on paper. And this is no oversimplification, this is a thesis statement – something that all arguments, however complex, can be boiled down to.

One of print's greatest strengths is its spatial limitations. These force us to think, synthesize, and write words like arrows that pierce the heart of any matter. The only question is: which side will harness this strength first, cut through all the babble, and make their point on paper?

The Politics of Un-Design

Does the border signage controversy risks destabilizing our national brand?

It's not always election campaign season, but that doesn't mean that printing and graphic design ever stop being political. One of the single biggest challenges any creative team faces in today's communications climate is how to produce collateral – in print, online or anywhere else – that's going to make everyone absolutely happy.

Over the last couple of years, it's become abundantly clear that an overly in-your-face print ad, or an ill-conceived package redesign, can cause the kind of upheaval online – on blogs and in forums – that can damage a brand severely. And even when a brand responds to criticism, and changes or apologizes for a controversial campaign, let's face it, you can't make a design decision disappear.

Obama Joker Poster Printing Controversy

Why so serious?

It's a rare enough thing for a poster to make news. During the presidential election campaign, Shepard Fairey's HOPE poster became a pretty big deal, as did a herd of spin-off poster printing. Now, months later, another Obama-inspired poster is taking L.A. by storm, and hitting the national news.

Ridiculously Aggressive Tax Day Tea Bag Protest Signs

Usually we're big supporters of signage…

…but some of this stuff makes me wonder what people are thinking. This week, amid Tax Day fervor, protests against tax hikes and the stimulus plan, inspired by The Boston Tea Party, have been sweeping the nation.

Literally HUNDREDS of people have been congregating in various states, waving signs and engaging in collective bursts of teabagging. Which sounds hilarious, I know, but mostly seems to involve flinging bags of Lipton into giant vats of water.

And in truth, the tone of the protests has been distinctly un-funny. Many of the signs and posters on display today have a grim, and often, aggressive tone. I'm not going to put any pictures up here, or list any of the slogans, but check this page on the Huffington post for a detailed gallery if you want to see for yourself.

Interestingly, these protests seem to feature mostly handmade and desktop printed signs, with very little professional full color printing on display. Which I'm happy for, actually. Some of these signs – particularly those with hate messages – would look really ghastly reproduced by the hundreds, or even thousands, as we so often see at mass protests.

This again brings up the question I always like to ask printers: is there anything you won't print? If someone comes to you with a piece of printing that is adult or controversial, that's one thing, but if someone is seeking the printing of a message that promotes hate or violence, what do you do?

I'm not saying that the protesters today were malicious or even wrong. And I know that the majority aren't going in for the type of message showcased in abundance in the above link. But since I spend most of my time pointing out all the ways printing is great, I thought it was important to look at the other side of the story – those instances where print can be used to promote true negativity.

It's great when print does wonderful things, spreads positive messages and delivers interesting information, but throughout history, print has been used for a lot of bad stuff too. I hope the good outweighs the bad, but what do you think?

The Political Printing Just Keeps On Coming

New Obama poster!

Silly me. Silly, silly, silly me. Earlier this week, I wrote a post about the Presidential inauguration invitation printing, and I said something about it being “one last piece of political printing” for the season.

Take now, for example, the official inauguration button, t-shirt, sticker and poster printing being released by the Barack Obama Inaugural Committee. The design is another creation from once-edgy-now-official presidential artist Shepard Fairey. It can be purchased in the Inaugural Committee’s online store.

Now I know why every invitation to the swearing-in of the President was also stuffed with a pamphlet for the inaugural store.

The question is – now that Obama is officially going to be President, will the print and other branded collateral keep on coming? Is Fairey some kind of official White House designer? And how did the guy behind such anti-establishment street art campaigns as 'Obey Giant' and 'Be the Revolution' worm his way into the administration of this country?

It just goes to show – keep your eye on those shifty print designers. They've got their fingers in all the honey pots, and the next thing you know, this country's going to be run by people who base their votes on a candidate's font selection.

Not that that’s such a bad thing.

Tips For Designing Print For Your School Council Campaign

Just when you thought election season was over…

As you may have noticed, it’s a little quiet here on the Hotcards blog. We post all the time, but readers comments? Not so much. That’s why, when we get a request for advice on full color printing and design, we have to make a big deal about it.

So yesterday, Morgan Bowland asked for tips on designing a poster for a run at Student Council. Here’s what you’ve gotta do, Morgan:

2008 Presidential Election Campaign Printing: A Retrospective

Don't read this - go vote!

Looking back over the Hotcards blog, I see that I started to write about the election campaign printing happening in this Presidential race in May of 2007. That’s a long time to be writing about this campaign, y’all! And maybe it's even felt long for the candidates.

All I know is that we've seen a lot of campaign printing over the last two years. Here's a look at some of the best, and the worst.

Flyer Printing Gone Bad!

It's true, sometimes printing is used to make trouble!

Throughout this whole election, I've been writing about all the cool election campaign printing that's been created independently to support the voting process. What I didn't come across before today were random acts of subversive printing created to undermine the voting process.

In Virginia over the last week, voters have been receiving flyer printing informing them that Election Day has been changed to November 5th. The flyers were designed to look like an emergency bulletin from the Virginia State Board of Elections. And when I say 'designed,' I mean that in the loosest possible sense of the word.

It's easy to argue that the flyer printing hardly looks official. The government seals are poorly-made photocopies, and the message is replete with typos. But that being said, I don't think that it would take a stupid person to believe the message contained therein.

You only have to look at the crazy results of hoax advertising campaigns from the past to know that people are inclined to trust the printed page. Companies have been sued, in fact, for ad campaigns that they thought were clever, but were perceived by tricked readers as hurtfully false or misleading.

Design Trends In Political Printing

Get Out The Vote will woo designers, at least.

The AIGA Design For Democracy initiative has been working since 1998 to find ways that good design can make the voting process simpler, more appealing, and more accessible. Design For Democracy is one of the best examples out there of designers getting involved in politics, but I wonder, are they reaching an audience beyond the design community?

As part of this year’s Get Out The Vote effort, AIGA members were invited to create non-partisan campaign posters encouraging people to vote. Design For Democracy then selected and printed 24 poster designs that were widely distributed in the hopes of increasing voter participation.

Images after the break...

Election Campaign Printing In The Famous Batman / Penguin Contest!

Bulging ballot boxes, Batman!

Whenever there’s an election in TV or Movie land, it’s always visually represented by tons of campaign printing. This is a really great thing for print designers and campaigners, because it shows us how to properly run a serious, and winning campaign. Take for example, the time Batman ran against Penguin for Mayor of Gotham City…

Print Ads in Gamer Land

Election campaigning comes to Xbox Live.

I can officially say that I've seen it all when it comes to the Obama campaign's political printing tactics. Game publishers like EA confirmed this week that the campaign has become the first in history to invest money in print advertising in the gaming world.

If you're playing anything from Burnout: Paradise to NBA on Xbox Live, expect to see billboards and other virtual print signage advertising Obama's Presidential campaign in-game.

Because the games are played online, game publishers are able to launch and remove “print” ad campaigns as space is bought up by advertisers. The Obama ads are slated to run until Election Day.

Political Tensions Surround Election Campaign Printing

And it’s not just happening here!

Now that this incredibly long election campaign season is zipping towards a conclusion, we’re seeing some pretty crazy stuff on the campaign trail. People are going nuts over this election, and a lot of the nuttiness is coming out through election campaign signs.

I’m not going to post any links here, because most of the stuff is pretty awful, but I’m sure you’ve all been hearing stories about campaign signs on lawns, and scenes at rallies expressing hatred of the candidates, threats, and racism.

Believe it or not, something similar is taking place in Canada, where a federal election is also being held, today. Over the last few weeks, voters in Toronto have been targeted for having left-wing political campaign signs on their lawns. Not only have the signs been defaced, homes have been graffitied, power and phones lines cut, and even brakes on cars have been cut.

And the elections in Canada, although reflective of the tenor surrounding the elections here, are nowhere near as politically charged. Still, it seems that tempers are running high all over, and even supporting your favorite candidate can be taken as a bold political statement.

What do you think – are political campaign signs becoming a dangerous way to express an opinion? And more importantly, what do political printing and freedom of speech have to do with each other?

I’m going to do some research and get back to you guys on this. Until then, let me know if you know anything interesting about freedom of speech as it relates to printed materials!

Election Campaign Print Design…For Kids!

Because it COULD get a whole lot more childish.

The unlikely geniuses over at Cracked.com have stumbled onto a rare funny moment with a contest to see who could come up with an election campaign poster print design geared to young voters.

Seriously young voters.

The Cracked contest asks designers (and just about anyone who feels like it) to create a poster print design that imagines the voter age to be right around six years old.

Clearly, most budding campaign planners believe that the 6-13 demographic will vote Democratic, particularly if they can be made to equate their candidate with a Jedi, Hogwarts wizard, or other superhero-type character.

Political printing designed for the 6-13s would also have to hit the important issues for that age group, such as increasing tooth fairy payouts, bringing back the old Facebook, and of course, for the boys, boobs.

The topic is silly, sure, but it begs the question, how silly is the next month of election campaign printing and other advertising gonna get?

Show Them Your Button, Tell Them Who Sent You

Election campaign advertising takes a (sinister?) new turn.

For the first time in the history of election campaign printing, the unthinkable is happening. A candidate who is no longer running for office is continuing to campaign!

Under the direct approval and supervision of the now-theoretically-defunct Clinton campaign, supporters at HILLPAC have launched a mini-promotion modestly titled, “Hillary Sent Me.” The campaign is attempting to mobilize Clinton supporters in backing the Democrats’ Obama-Biden ticket.

The promo is relatively modest – a suggestion of meet-up locations, a bit of button printing, a bit of sticker printing – but it’s still pretty weird, isn’t it? Since when do candidates who are out of the race continue to campaign?

Sure, they might help out their colleagues in the winning campaign, but to create a slogan, a color scheme, a website, and campaign printing around the losing candidate herself? The whole thing smacks of a certain degree of two-facedness.

For one thing, the campaign implies that Hillary supporters are failing to back Obama, a concept that the opposition McCain campaigners love to push.

For another thing, the campaign itself suggests that Hillary supporters will not participate in the election anymore unless it’s somehow made clear (through button, sticker, and sign printing) that they are there to support Hillary’s position, not Obama’s.

Ultimately, it doesn’t seem like this campaign is working to support Obama-Biden, so much as keeping Clinton’s run for office fresh and relevant in everyone’s mind. The strategy, disguised as a show of support, has the potential to come off as a subversive force in this final sprint for the White House.

Keep Large Full Color Printing Simple

Billboard designs should deliver a straightforward message.

Billboards are one of a political candidate's greatest allies when it comes to making contact with voters. You've probably seen dozens of them lining streets and freeways lately - the bright, ginormous full color printing is kind of hard to ignore, and that's what makes it so effective.

But like any piece of full color printing, a billboard is only as effective as its design.

When designing large full color printing like billboards, a common mistake is often made: putting too much into the design. Election campaigns see all this space where they can put images and messages and voter information; unfortunately, big space and busy design don't necessarily go together.

Signs of Hope & Change Election Campaign Printing

Political print design from all across the nation!

Check out this cool video from the Obama Presidential campaign that's built around election campaign printing and handmade signs created by supporters all across the country! Nothing beats full color printing for making a big visual impact...

Sticker, Banner, Label, and Poster Printing at the DNC

Let’s peel back the layers of the print design onion.

LOL Print Ads

Election campaign printing gets the giggles.

From Alaska to D.C., all the last-minute election campaign print ads are coming out, and for some reason, they’re kinda funny.

The Democratic National Convention begins today in Denver, Colorado, but that’s not where all the print advertising action is. In Alaska, voters are on the brink of reelecting their one and only Congressman, and for the first time in 18 terms, change may be in the wind.

Alaska has been Republican for a long time, but now it looks like the Democrats might have a shot at that coveted House seat. To capitalize on the opportunity, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has produced a series of direct mail printing slamming BOTH Republican primary candidates – mostly by making them look like funny bobble-heads.

The direct mail ads are actually glossy full color printing, but I could only find these black and white images. Still, you get the idea. LOL bobble-heads.

Hike back across Canada to the scene in Colorado, and you’ll find the Obama campaign airing a similarly tongue-in-cheek ad throughout battleground states. The ad features a reworking of the Sam Cooke classic, “Wonderful World,” sung to images of John McCain in some of his goofier moments...

John McCain Poster Design Contest

Is there such thing as 'Republican' poster style?

I was poking around on TPM this morning – always a great source for campaign advertising news – when I came across an election poster from the McCain campaign.

Blogger Josh Marshall points out that the head and shoulders poking through the clouds seem to imply that McCain is running "a campaign to be elected God."

Intrigued, I immediately had to know where the poster came from. Some more digging around revealed that the Republican campaign – perhaps inspired by the poster printing of its Dem counterpart – is holding a poster design contest. Ten finalists have been chosen – McCain in the Clouds being one of them – and you can vote for your favorite on the campaign website.

The Press-ure's On: No Campaign Printing For Journalists

Opinions, bumper stickers, not welcome.

An official memo sent out this week by New York Times standards editor Craig Whitney made a surprisingly intense statement against election campaign printing. In the memo, sent to Times staff, he wrote, "journalists have no place on the playing fields of politics."

Huh? And all this time, I thought journalism helped to shape and define the political climate. Silly me.

Times’ writers are asked to stay away from all election campaign printing: no bumper stickers, no buttons, no waving posters at rallies, and no yard signs. In other words: keep your opinions to yourself.

Whitney went so far as to follow up with a second memo adding that journalists should not put information about their political affiliations on blogs or Facebook profiles. The editor’s concern? That any such blogging or sign-waving would give a "false impression that the paper is taking sides."

Predictably, it didn’t take long for the interwebs to formulate a response somewhere along the lines of, "who are you kidding, Whitney? The Times is as blue team as a publication gets! We don’t need bumper sticker printing to tell us that!"

And more importantly, it seems to me that the whole concept of impartial journalism is more ideal than reality. Journalists aren’t information-conveying automatons, and attempting to perpetuate such an outdated illusion is hardly to Whitney’s credit.

Senate Election Campaign Mailer Ruffles Feathers in the Obama Camp

Proving, once again, that direct mail printing can be surprisingly controversial.

In Georgia, five Democrats are racing for the chance at a seat in the U.S. Senate. The primary election is on July 15th, and as such, candidate Vernon Jones sent out a statewide direct mail flyer this week as part of his print campaign.

The flyer itself is fairly standard: 6 x 11, two-sided, full color printing. The content, however, has got his fellow candidates, as well as presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign, up in arms.

On the front of the brochure, a cheering crowd is depicted with Obama and Jones in the foreground, both with mics in hand. The now-famous slogan, “Yes We Can!” is printed at the top of the image.

Obama Campaign To Advertise During Olympics?

But how much will he benefit from a national ad buy?

Barack Obama’s advertising team has an unprecedented campaign advertising budget, and as such, they’ve got their fingers in a lot of pies right now. One of them just so happens to be the NBC Universal Olympic advertising pie.

Right now, nothing is set in stone, but rumor has it that the Obama camp has inquired about specific ad packages ranging from $500,000 to $4,000,000.

Whew. That might not represent a lot of Olympic TV ad time, but that’s a lot of print advertising.

(Don’t worry, that’s not this story’s only connection back to the world of election campaign printing.)

Advertising experts are questioning the campaign’s interest in the Olympics because the ads blanket such a large audience. The most effective election campaign advertising is very targeted, to the point where you could call it ‘niche’ advertising.

Full color printing is such an effective form of election campaign advertising because it does target specific communities and groups. As a rule, campaign advertisers won’t spend their budget appealing to areas that are already firmly in their corner, or areas that will never come around.

Expensive Olympic ad buys on network TV, of course, would hit both of these less desirable demographics.

However, it’s also true that because of the unusual nature of the ads (political candidates almost never advertise on network television), they have the potential to generate enough publicity to offset the drawbacks of the investment.

The question is, if Obama’s ad team begins to think nationally, will they have the resources, and the focus, to dedicate to areas where niche marketing would make a great impact?

John McCain And The Amazing Technicolor Dream Campaign

Republican red, eco green, and everything in between.

John McCain gave a speech last night that is being called the kickoff to the next phase of this election season. It was also the clear kickoff to a new phase in McCain’s election campaign print designs, and the results are…interesting.

The McCain camp has gone from militaristic black and white to brilliant, full color printing and web design. If you check out McCain’s homepage, you’ll find just about every color in the rainbow represented. Again.

Yes, again. Remember waaaaay back in the beginning of the primaries, when McCain was so far behind that his campaign seemed like a lost cause? Then, his design team pulled a similar switcheroo, taking his color palette from Darth Vader to Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. As McCain’s campaign got on track, however, it slowly slipped back into the more stylized monochrome.

And now the McRainbow is back, looking for all the world like the colors used by John Edwards’ election campaign printing during his brief bid for the Presidency. The new dominant hue, however, is a rather unfortunate shade of green.

Already the media is happily shredding McCain for his use of an all-green background at his speech last night. And while it’s true that the background did little for the Republican nominee’s pasty complexion, I’ve got to hand it to him, he’s no fool.

If the next phase of this campaign is going to be defined by the candidates’ positions on the environment, then why not jump on the green full color printing train before anyone else can get to it?

Clinton Holds T-shirt Print Design Contest

Apparel print that stands the test of time?

The media might be declaring this primary race over, but Hillary Clinton isn’t giving up. As if we were still in the height of the contest, the Clinton camp is holding a little promotion entitled "Hillary Presents Project T-shirt."

For the past few weeks, supporters were invited to send in designs for t-shirt printing. Yesterday, the campaign released their final five, and now we, the people, get to vote on our favorite. The winning shirt will go on sale in the campaign store.

Tee design pics after the jump.

The Afterlife of Election Campaign Printing

Where does it all go?

The primary election cycle has been running for months on end, and for many communities, caucuses and primaries are immediately followed by municipal elections. That means a LOT of full color printing, much of which finds itself homeless after the fun of the election season.

While the Presidential primary may not yet be officially called, apparel sellers know which way the wind is blowing. The business in this pic had to do some emergency sale printing to sell off its Hillary Clinton tees. Kind of reminds me of how, once a game is obviously lost, the hotdogs vendors mysteriously disappear from outside the stadium or arena. That’s how you know it’s over.

Signs, posters, banners, and apparel are the big items often left to their own devices when the world moves on. But the last thing we want is for these hard working signs to be retired to the local landfill. Fortunately, as for political candidates, there is some form of afterlife for election campaign printing.

Let’s look at the job boards:

Souvenirs Wanted!

Were you part of a historic election campaign (say, the 2008 Presidential Primary)? Are you a sign, banner, or other piece of full color printing that can remind me of how I spent the last year of my life? If so, please apply for a spot on my wall. Desirable candidates may warrant framing.

John McCain Gets His Green On

Eco-Friendly Apparel Printing and More

I always thought that once this primary business was over, one of the central issues that would hit the election stage would be the environment. Democrat or Republican, we have to think about how are we going to proceed in a world that has shown itself to be, at the very least, ecologically fragile.

Apparently tired of resting on his laurels while his opponents fight it out, John McCain has launched the next phase of this Presidential campaign, and its focus is on the eco-conscious voter. Organic bamboo and cotton apparel, printed with a new, green McCain logo, is available on his website, along with a new section dedicated to his policies on global climate change.

Like the rest of McCain’s web and print designs, the new green logo hovers between well done, and overdone. I like the color scheme, and the little recycling logo that’s replaced his military-esque star.

The partial background of water droplets is a bit much, making the design look almost like a beer ad. However, it’s well in line with the campaign’s presentation of McCain as a candidate who is almost boyishly eager to do a good job.

Altogether a brave move, considering the flak the campaign is now taking from right-wing pundits who are accusing McCain of pandering to left-wing eco-activists.

As if it’s some sort of Republican badge of honor to insist that climate change isn’t real.

The point that the McCain campaign is making in the face of its detractors is that the environment cannot be seen as a conventional political issue. The importance of thinking green has nothing to do with party affiliation, race, or gender. It’s an issue for anyone who is simply a human being living on the planet earth, and it’s nice to see that McCain is tapped into this, even if only as a campaign strategy.

Looking ahead, we can expect to see a bunch of green election campaign printing coming out of the McCain camp, and bearing the beer logo. It will be very interesting to watch to what degree McCain’s ad folks integrate the greenness into his print collateral, because I do believe that it will be one of the central issues of the next phase of the race.

But what will the Dem nominee do? He or she will have to pick a very different shade of green printing upon which to build a platform. Which makes me wonder, in the end, will it come down to forest green vs. emerald green? A green printing standoff just when you thought the Presidential design race was getting boring! Sounds good to me.

Supporter-Created Artwork For Clinton

Just when you thought Obama had the upper hand…

Over the last few months, I’ve been posting a lot of stuff about the artwork and print designs being created by supporters for Barack Obama. My coverage hasn’t been exactly even-handed, unfortunately, because I’ve had trouble finding examples of poster printing, sign printing, and other designs being created by Hillary Clinton lovers.

Then I ran across Gretchen Baer.

Not only is Gretchen printing for Hillary, she’ s also designed plates, apparel, and yes, an entire car, in support of Clinton’s campaign.

Writing Good Ad Copy

Read the previous post for part one of this series.

Odds are not everyone is going to overthink the bit of sign printing discussed in the last post quite to the degree that I have. In fact, as good as that copy is, it’s not the kind of copy that’s designed to really catch anyone’s attention. Rather, the slogan, in all its skillfulness, is probably striving to avoid drawing too much attention to itself by being utterly apolitical.

In the world of TV advertising, on the other hand, Obama’s ad copy folks are all about making us sit up and pay attention. In two new ads, one for West Virginia, and one for South Dakota, a voiceover by Obama concludes with the words, “I approved this message BECAUSE…”

Isn’t that neat? It made me react right away, because I’d never really heard anything like it before. We all know that the candidate voiceover of approval is necessary to the vaunted integrity of a campaign ad’s message, but it’s usually delivered as nothing more than a last-minute disclaimer, like “side effects may include…”

But in the case of these ads, the copy folks on the Obama campaign decided to turn that last-minute voiceover into a central aspect of the ad’s message. “I approve BECAUSE” – very nice technique for calling us out of TV ad-time stupor, and for encouraging us to feel a personal connection with the candidate, like he knows that the typical way of doing things in the world of ad copy is kind of lame and played out.

My name is Anne Stewart, and I approve this message because it’s fresh, surprising, and personable.

Writing Good Print Copy

Obama Campaign Slogan Analysis

Let’s talk about copy writing. Most printed materials contain some copy. Not too much, because no one will read it, but enough to get the message across fast, and in such a way that it becomes indelibly burned into the collective consciousness.

Whether you’re engaged in the marketing of a product or service, or in a political campaign, the rules of good copy writing are essentially the same: be fresh and surprising, or expect the average consumer/voter to look right through your print collateral.

In the wake of the PA primary, and perhaps, inspired by Earth Day, the Barack Obama Presidential campaign has begun to churn out some fresh copy that dares voters to pay attention. During a speech today in Indianapolis, Obama took on the issue of the energy crisis, his podium fronted by a sign reading "Investing in Energy Independence."

This slogan defines the nature of nice print copy. Essentially, it tackles a sensitive issue - the rising cost of fuel - and makes it palatable to just about everyone. Here’s how:

The Next President: Everybody’s Business or MYOB?

Candidates are campaigning to an international audience, whether they know it or not.

It’s a fact. The political decisions made by U.S. voters affect the entire world. Just as this election season has gotten Americans excited about politics again, it has been placed front and center on the international stage, with all eyes on the contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

According to the New York Times, folks in Great Britain are just as interested in the outcome of the election as we are here at home. Every primary, every debate, and every print/web/TV ad is under scrutiny across the pond. This attention makes me wonder how aware candidates are that they’re campaigning to a worldwide audience.

How to Take the ‘Annoying’ Factor Out Of Election Campaign Advertising

And yes, even we will admit that it’s there.

Did you know that one of the Founding Fathers of this country was a printer? Even though he eventually became a major political figure, Benjamin Franklin always signed his name, ‘B. Franklin, Printer.’

More Obama Artwork, Brought to You By Upper Playground

Portraits, print ads, what’s the difference?

The tagline is not meant to be facetious. The essence of good marketing, and good election campaigning, is a blurring of the line between art and advertising, and between entertaining an audience and ‘selling’ the voter-consumer. A perfect example off this is found in the efforts of Upper Playground and their artistic collaborators, who offer a series of prints on their site that are both campaign print designs and serious works of portraiture in support of Barack Obama.

Tailor Your Campaign Donations

Clinton fine-tunes fundraising to encourage voter participation.

Good news! The Clinton campaign read my post yesterday and is taking my awesome advice!

Hehe, well, maybe not quite, but they are bringing a bit of a different spin to their online fundraising efforts. In anticipation of the Pennsylvania primary on April 22nd, Clinton supporters can now choose where their donation money will be spent, whether on TV, online, on the radio, or in print. The new strategy is geared towards getting voters more involved in the creative side of campaigning.

Clinton is trying to raise $50, 000 for 111, 000 yard signs, to show her campaign’s strength, and $15, 000 for 60, 000 door hangers, to raise awareness about voting. Compared to the 2.5 mil she’s looking for for TV ads, print advertising sure looks like a low-cost election marketing solution, doesn’t it?

What I want to know is, who’s printing for the Clinton camp? Considering that most of the legwork is done by volunteers, the cost of printing seems awfully, awfully high. Even at our highest rates, with no bulk discount price, Clinton could save thousands of dollars by printing with Hotcards.

But I digress…

The point is that Clinton’s campaign is trying to get voters more involved, and that’s essential to the success of any campaign, of any size. Now all they have to do is start a trend of supporters designing election campaign printing for them...

Skip the Funds, Get the Printing

Presidential candidates should be soliciting for print designs.

Every candidate running for President has a mailing list, and if you got on it early, you have, by now, received literally hundreds of pieces of spam that say the same thing: “My opponent is winning because he/she is out-fundraising me. Make a difference by donating today.”

The thing is, these emails demanding funds are missing the point. Obama isn’t trumping Clinton at every turn because he’s got more money than her. I believe that a huge contributor to his success is that he has captured the imagination of the incredibly powerful and influential design community.

More Supporter-Created Print Designs for Obama

Unusual designs can bring out a candidate’s complexity

I never cease to be amazed by the way the design community has stepped up during this election season. My latest find is the work of artist and design Christopher Cox. In 2002, Chris started a blog called Changethethought – it’s a great repository of info and inspiration for design types.

But the extra super relevant thing about Changethethought that I wanted to tell you about is its Obama section. Chris developed a variety of print designs, free to the public to download and print, in support of Obama’s campaign. I know there’s quite a bit of this kind of stuff floating around, but what makes this stuff impressive, to me, is the extensive variety of designs. Changethethought offers half a dozen different poster designs, and twice that many button and sticker print designs.

"Singing Songs and Carrying Signs"

Music + Politics = Cool Posters

Politics and music have always had a close relationship. Even hundreds of years ago, music was used as a tool by emperors and conquerors to whip the populace up into a frenzy of patriotism, or even to intimidate an enemy force during war.

In the context of more modern times, folk music has been an important part of the Civil Rights movement, and of union politics. Many songs have been written and sung and many instruments jammed upon during strike actions to buoy up spirits on the picket line.

Today, politicians select campaign songs to express themselves, and rock stars use their influence to get their fans thinking politically. It’s at this point when another form comes into play, connecting music and politics through the art of poster printing and design.

Is This Printing Blog Too Political?

Scroll down to the bottom of this post if you’d just like to respond!

I had a little email chat with a fellow blogger yesterday, who had this question about the political content on the Hotcards blog:

"Mixing business and politics is dicey stuff. From a business perspective, don't you risk alienating a significant number of prospects and customers--those who don't agree with your political views?"

This is how I responded:

“On the Hotcards blog, I truly try to keep partisan politics out of the picture in favor of a focus on design. How are the candidates branding themselves? How is a political campaign very like an advertising campaign? How are we, as voters, influenced by the quality or tone of a campaign's design choices? I find it's rarely problematic to ask these questions, and I strive to be even-handed in my coverage.

Of course, certain political issues are important to us at Hotcards. We're a union printer, for one thing; ecological stewardship is important to us, for another, but we get printing jobs from both sides of the fence, and we don't want to alienate anyone, so much as draw a picture of political campaigning from a design perspective. The design aspect of politicking plays an important role in the choices a voter makes. At Hotcards, we thought, hey, why not draw attention to this? And on a blog, where anyone can comment and make their voice heard on the subject, we can only hope that all our diverse clientele and partners feel free to express themselves, with the ultimate result being an interesting and even-handed look at politics from the perspective of print design.

It might be a business blog, but I really do try to make it about building friendships and community through lively discussion. Is this pure naivete?”

What do you guys think? Is one political perspective being overrepresented? Am I talking about the things that interest and concern you? Do you feel free to express your own thoughts here?

I really look forward to getting your perspective, and shaping the blog accordingly!

Designing for Everyone

The right design strategy can make people really happy.

This morning, I got an email for Bill Clinton. He was all like:

"Dear Anne,

The Obama campaign is already on the air with their first ad in Pennsylvania, putting their fundraising advantage to work."

That was basically the gist of the whole email, that Obama was winning because he’s got more fundraising dollars than Hillary. Bill said that if I gave him five bucks, it would help Hillary catch up.

I tried to email Bill back to disagree, but the address name turned out to be "Senator John Glenn," and the actual email address was "info@hillaryclinton.com."

That’s when I realized that Bill Clinton wasn’t actually writing to me at all.

As silly as this may sound, it’s a great example of where Clinton’s campaign is faltering, while Obama’s is succeeding. The Obama campaign’s marketing and design people are breaking their backs to make voters feel included by designing specialized web content and print designs for everyone.

Election Campaign Printing Goes Green (Literally)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day From Hotcards!

In Ireland, it’s a national holiday. Here in the U.S., it’s a reminder of how Irish roots are entwined throughout our culture and communities. It’s also a great excuse to drink green beer, wear green clothes, and, for Presidential candidates, to do some green printing.

And nope, I’m not talking about eco-friendly printing, although it may be that, too. I’m talking about straying from the bonds of brand consistency, and rolling out a truckload of print collateral that’s green in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

No other holiday or special occasion has warranted such a surge of specialized print advertising from the candidates. Why? Some might say it’s all about publicity, or drawing in the Irish vote, but the truth is that, according to ancient tradition, Presidential candidates that don’t sport the color green on St. Paddy’s Day can be pinched by their supporters.

Barack O'bama

To avoid a pinching, Obama’s campaign (though not the man himself) was out in full force at Scranton Pennsylvania’s famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade. While the campaign is usually militant about brand consistency, a fun rally sign featuring the name ‘O’bama’ was on display at the parade. Green stickers and balloons were also rolled out, with Obama’s logo slightly altered. The usual rising sun image was replaced by one of a shamrock dominating the rolling fields skyline.

Hillary Clinton

Pro-Clinton printing was everywhere at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Pittsburgh. Signs reading “Clinton Country,” green shamrocks declaring “Clinton 08,’” and “Irish Americans for Clinton” tshirts were on display, along with the campaign’s usual fare. To top it all off, Clinton actually showed up to the parade, wearing a green scarf to keep herself safe for pinches, presumably.

John McCain’s Eerily Quiet Campaign

Is he out of ideas, or is he holding back for a reason?

Last week, I was wondering what John McCain was going to do to keep his campaign exciting and relevant now that he’s got the Republican nomination in the bag. He certainly hasn’t been showing us much on the full color printing front, and the same has to be said about his web presence. In fact, as of today, his blog hasn’t been posted to since he won the nomination!

As it turns out, John McCain and me have been thinking the same thing. Last week, he told reporters that he’s not sure what his campaign is going to do, either! He turned this race around for himself by getting personal with NH voters and journalists, but he can’t use this same strategy while running a national campaign.

The thing is, it’s not actually as hard as McCain is making it out to be. With the flexibility and versatility of media these days, advertising has become all about how to get personal on country-wide and global scales. Example: there are tons of forms of print advertising, like postcards, DVD booklets, apparel, and palm cards, that connects with voters individually. The only trick is designing print in such a way that the message feels like a personal and valuable communication.

That being said, according to McCain’s campaign, this type of full color printing assault may not be in the budget. (Hello! Have you checked on the cost of printing lately?)

On the web advertising front, McCain’s already got some great assets that he’s simply failing to exploit. Example: his daughter and her friends run a fun, informative blog all about the campaign. And they, at least, seem to know how important it is to update everday! I think McCain’s campaign would do well to put more effort into promoting the blog, because it’s really a warm, insider’s look at the campaign that, again, voters nationwide can access and connect with.

My point is that there are tons of opportunities, in full color printing and online, for McCain to use to combine personal strengths with a great, big message, but his campaign is stalling. Why? Could it be that the GOP is deliberating choosing to sit back and relax while the Democratic party tears itself apart down the middle? At this stage in the competition, is McCain really playing the waiting game?

If this is so, it’s a great example of how a winning tactic doesn’t always make for an exciting competition. As someone who looks forward to each new election campaign advertising strategy, I cry foul!

What do you think? Is McCain shortchanging us on an exciting campaign as a way to make the Dems work harder? And is this the kind of strategy you want to see from your Presidential candidates?

Presidential Candidates Turn Fashion Icons

By the end of this election season, you won’t be able to see over the pile of screen-printed t-shirts.

Just as this is proving to be the most design-conscious election we’ve ever seen, it’s also becoming the most fashion-conscious. If you’re ever at a rally or a candidate event, you’re going to see tons of screen-printed tees promoting Clinton, Obama, McCain, and yes, even Ron Paul.

A lot of these shirts are homemade. These days, it’s really easy and cheap to have your own designs screen-printed onto tees, long-sleeved shirts, hoodies, and anything else you could possible want Hillary Clinton’s face on. The homemade designs I’ve been seeing run the gamut from truly terrible to unbelievably gorgeous artwork. But the designs that really interest me are those being offered by campaigns themselves. What, according to our candidates, is good fashion?

Capturing the Nation’s Imagination with Door Hanger Printing

Obama door hangers bring out voters.

If you asked me what I thought defined ‘excitement’ in printing and print design, I probably wouldn’t say ‘door hangers.’ But apparently, I’d be wrong. While campaigning in Texas, Ohio, Vermont, and Rhode Island, the Obama camp was dolling out door hangers left and right, and voters loved ‘em!

Different designs were produced for Texas and Ohio. Notice how the “Change We Can Believe In” slogan is used for the Texas hanger, on the left, but not for Ohio, on the right. Remember that in Ohio, the Obama campaign was leaning heavily on the slogan, “Keeping America’s Promise.” The question is: Why wouldn’t Ohio want change as much as any other state?

The other major design difference is in the backgrounds. In Ohio, the background is completely filled by a crowd scene of voters holding homemade signs. Conversely, in Texas, the crowd only fills half the background, and all the signs are official election campaign printing. In fact, if you look closely, it seems that the background doesn’t actually have any people in it, only a pile of rally signs. What do you make of this difference?

Clinton Wins ‘Super Tuesday: The Revenge’

Review of Candidate Printing Leading Up To March 4th

I have to admit, I was happy to see Hillary Clinton get a couple of wins here in Ohio and in Texas last night. Why? Because it means that the race is still on! In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if we voted the way that we did just to keep the action going. And that’s a great thing. Like Barack Obama has said repeatedly throughout his campaign, it’s all about getting people excited about politics again.

On the Republican side, conversely, the race is over. BOOORRRR-ING! An election campaign that’s all tied up with a neat little bow has never inspired great full color print advertising. If John McCain doesn’t get as much attention on this blog as Clinton and Obama, it’s because he’s not stepping up with some killer print designs. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican, what’s going to get you play here is the quality of your print advertising.

That being said, what was the quality of the full color printing offered by the Dem campaigns over the last few weeks? Did the printing predict the winner? Let’s take a look:

Should Presidential Candidates Be Printing Locally?

How are those big election campaign print advertising budgets spent?

Check out this great review that a member of the Hotcards team did of the print collateral at a recent rally with Michelle Obama:

"I didn't make it to the big rally on Saturday. However, I did make it to the rally held at the CSU Atrium Thursday (February 21st), by Michelle Obama. I was surprised at the lack of literature and promotional material. I managed to pick up a tiny pamphlet (off of the floor) only to discover it was printed in Chicago.

The other thing I found rather interesting there were a few Obama signs placed strategically in the building. They were primarily vinyl banners, which were probably their staple signs used whenever they travel.

Lastly - here is the kicker - there was a McCain supporter amongst this crowd...how do I know? He made his own sign using a blue ink pen and a bright yellow piece of paper. You know the paper that separates notebooks into 3-5 sections. The sign was very tacky, but effective...lol. It got my attention, not to mention Michelle Obama's. She quelled the McCain supporter, who was desperately attempting trying to steal her shine by stating Barack is ready to take on the Republicans."

Reaction after the break...

Sen. McCain, Where’s the Sparkle?

Where’s the direct mail? The full color banners? The slightest effort to stand out!

Less than two weeks before the pivotal primary contests in Ohio and Texas, John McCain is comfortably entrenched as the inevitable choice for the Republican Presidential nomination. It seems to me, then, that he should already be running his presidential campaign, but from what we’ve seen as of late, McCain is still running the same old campaign. So far, his team has continued to offer voters:

- Infrequent updates on the campaign website.

- No fresh election campaign printing, and nothing tailored to individual states.

- A reluctance to agree to GOP debates.

- Weak responses to media attempts to attack and discredit him.

Massive Wave of Union Printing in Support of Obama

Clinton criticizes Obama camp for flip-flopping on the issues.

Union printers in Texas and Ohio are getting more work than they can handle lately. The election campaign printing jobs are coming not just from the Presidential candidates themselves, but from unions that are putting their weight behind their favorite candidates.

Today the NYT reports that the powerful Service Employees International Union has so far funneled approximately 1.4 million dollars into canvassing, direct mail printing, and other forms of advertising in support of its endorsed candidate – Barack Obama.

With independent support from unions in the millions of dollars for Obama, the Clinton camp is jumping on the chance to criticize his campaign for accepting the support that it once criticized John Edwards for receiving.

You can bet this issue – as well as the issue of the negative direct mail printing – will come up once or twice during the debate in Cleveland tonight. Don’t forget to tune in!

From One Little Direct Mail Campaign…

Clinton goes after Obama, guns blazing.

Who would have thought that direct mail print campaigns could become so contentious? It’s the dream of every direct mail project to generate enormous buzz, but at this point, Barack Obama’s campaign is getting more than they bargained for!

An early Ohio direct mailer by the Obama camp slammed Hillary for supporting NAFTA, and touted Obama’s “consistent opposition” of the economically damaging trade agreement.

However, like a similar mailer focusing on the failings of Hillary’s healthcare plan, the Clinton camp quickly picked apart the inaccuracies in this mailer. Clinton's spokespeople went so far as to call the mailer disingenuous, and accused Obama of attempting to vilify her campaign.

And now Clinton is taking issue with Obama’s mailers during rallies. At a rally in Cincinnati on Saturday, Clinton actually displayed the Obama campaign’s direct mail printing to the crowd, saying, "Shame on you, Barack Obama. It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages in public – that's what I expect from you."

Perhaps as if to demonstrate that she planned on doing exactly that, Clinton went on to slam Obama again during a rally in Rhode Island, where she offered the crowd a hardcore mockery of Obama’s rhetorical style. Some might call this type of aggressive behavior campaign suicide, but at this point, Clinton may be hitting the nail right on its proverbial head.

Don’t Bring Your Homemade Signs to Rallies?

Authorized campaign printing only!

The Barack Obama campaign is holding a rally this Saturday in Cleveland at the Convention Center entitled the “Keeping America’s Promise’ rally. Should be a fun event, although you’re not allowed to bring in your own campaign signs:

For security reasons, do not bring bags and limit personal items. No signs or banners are permitted.

My guess is event organizers are going to provide guests with all the signs and banners they need. Still, I can’t help but think of this big, sad-looking pile of homemade signs being turned away at the door.

Is this policy part of an effort to maintain print design uniformity at the rally? And if so, why isn’t the Clinton camp doing the same?

Hillary’s holding a “Solutions for America” rally in Dayton on Saturday, but the event details on her website don’t say anything about signs and banners being turned away at the door.

What is the story behind this strange Obama campaign policy? Are his rallies really so much crazier than Clinton's that it's a must for one campaign, and a non-issue for the other?

If any of you go on Saturday, let me know what the election campaign printing scene was like!

Ohio Primary Campaign Printing

Obama unveils a new print design in Youngstown

To keep things spicy in Ohio, the Obama camp has recently whipped out a new print design. The rally sign printing sticks to the classic Obama campaign style, setting a modern sans serif font into a field of navy blue, a small logo in discreet red and white at the top, poised like a political cherry. But the slogan is fresh: "Keeping America's Promise."

You gotta love how candidates latch on to broad concepts based on socio-economic statistics in order to come up with these slogans. Just imagine all those media folks sitting around:

"Okay, we need a new piece of full color printing. Something special for Ohio."

"Okay, I think we should stick with a similar style to the 'Change We Can Believe In' signage."

"Agreed, but this time, we need to use fewer words. Fewer words pack a bigger punch."

"Okay, well, we know that Ohio is going through a drawn-out economic slowdown due to overseas outsourcing in multiple manufacturing sectors."

"Well, that doesn’t sound like the America our ancestor were promised by the Declaration of Independence."

"No, sir, it does not!"

"Okay, how about 'reclaiming the pursuit of happiness!'"

"Shut up!"

"Too long! How about, 'bringing economic independence back to America!'"

"That’s even worse!"

"Okay, I’ve got it! 'Keeping America's Promise!'"

"Meh."

"It’s okay, I guess."

"We could put 'Keeping' and 'Promise' in light blue, and 'America' in white so it really pops out of the background!"

"No reason to waste the full color printing on a two-tone design."

"Let’s run with it."

Healthcare Direct Mail Printing Showdown – Part 2

Clinton’s mailer might have been better, but it didn’t win her Wisconsin!

In the cold light of dawn, Barack Obama has emerged as the victor of last night’s primary and caucuses in Wisconsin and Hawaii. I guess voters didn’t respond positively to the piece of direct mail printing sent out by the Clinton camp in response to the Obama mailer of earlier this month.

Yesterday, I looked at Obama’s direct mail print design, which attacked Hillary’s healthcare plan and touted his own. It was less than stunning. So how did Clinton rebut? With an almost identical design! And yet…

I would have to argue that Clinton’s campaign did a better job on their healthcare mailer, but Obama got the results. So what went wrong? Let’s take a look at the mailer for clues.

Healthcare Direct Mail Printing Showdown

Obama vs. Clinton – Obama’s design is up first!

There are 92 Dem delegates up for grabs in the Wisconsin Primary today. For this round of the competition, the Clinton and Obama camps have decided to make healthcare the central issue. Look out! This could be bad for your stress level!

A lot of crazy accusations are being bandied about between the Democratic frontrunners, most of which have come up around the direct mail campaigns being run by the two candidates.

Print designers for Obama and Clinton have released mailers criticizing their opponents’ proposed healthcare reforms. Both mailers are full color brochures, both use a nearly identical format in which to frame their argument, and both were clearly designed with the same goal in mind – to convince voters that the opposing candidate is somehow trying to shortchange us with a less-than-wholeheartedly-committed plan.

The truth is that both plans have their strengths and weakness. Like any two products or services being promoted through direct mail printing, the ultimate success of the campaign is not determined by the quality of the offering, but by the spin put on its marketing.

So, what did each piece of direct mail printing do right, and what wrong?

John McCain’s Campaign: Design Analysis

It never fails – design choices always reflect a candidate’s politics.

Six or seven months ago, you could never have told me, or anyone, probably, that Primary season would come to a head with John McCain on top of the Republican pile. But here we are, with McCain the uncontested leader despite Huckabee’s Chuck Norris endorsement, and all of Ron Paul’s supporter-funded full color printing.

The question is, what’s McCain planning to impress us with in the coming months? His performance thusfar hasn’t filled me with the sense that he’s going to be able to put on an exciting contest in the race against the Dem nom. Whether it’s Clinton or Obama when the dust settles, you at least know that they’re going to be pulling out all the stops.

I’ve been thinking back, and remembering how the McCain run seemed to be falling apart early on. It was obvious from day one that he had taken a difference approach to his campaign printing and advertising, opting for a severe, militaristic black, white, and gold color scheme. The designs were stylistically attractive, but far from the classic, confidence-inspiring red, white, and blue...

AIGA Poster Printing Campaign

Design election campaign printing that focuses on the importance of voting!

Well, Super Tuesday has come and gone, and the results were predictably inconclusive. We now come to the shaky point in election season where the average voter starts to get a little tired of all the rigmarole. So what can campaigns and independent supporters do to keep folks excited?

The Obama Direct Mailer Debate

When full color printing goes up against spam…

The Democratic Primary in South Carolina is coming up fast, and candidates are racing to cover as much ground as possible this week in an effort to disprove the old adage that “You can’t please all the people, all the time.”

Obama, who’s picked as an SC favorite, still appears to be struggling a bit in the polls amongst white voters. Supporters are placing the blame on a piece of spam circulating throughout South Carolina, in which Obama is accused of being secretly Muslim, and secretly anti-American. Unfortunately, certain venomous minds in our country tend to see those two things as synonymous.

Fighting back against these spam emails, the SC Obama camp has begun to send out direct mailers declaring Obama as a “Committed Christian.” The mailer – another nice example of full color printing from Obama – tells readers about the day he was, “Called to Christ, Called to Bring Change, Called to Serve.”

No one is arguing whether or not the mailer is well designed, because it is (besides being a bit copy-heavy), but was it a sharp move, strategy-wise?

A Caucus-Race and a Direct Mail Tale

For better or worse, friends, it begins today.

The much-hyped Iowa caucus has a debatably significant impact, but there is no doubt that it is our first step towards nominating our Presidential candidates.

Clearly, the frontrunners, particularly for the Dem nomination, are feeling the power of Iowa’s caucus-goers. The New York Post reports that approximately 50 million dollars have been shelled out for advertising by campaigns in Iowa. That averages out to just about $200 per caucus voter. Whew!

While the majority of campaign coinage goes to TV advertising, print campaigning is also in heavy use, with $10 million being spent on direct mail campaigning alone.

Iowans have spent the last month drowning under postcards, brochures, booklets, and other mailers (even some including stickers!), with many receiving fifteen pieces of mail from one campaign alone, vs. some 50, 000 televised campaign ads.

This certainly begs the question: is there such a thing as too many points of voter contact? If we expect too much voters pre-election day, will they burn out before they get a chance to vote?

Republican candidates like Rudi Giuliani and Fred Thompson have foregone TV ads altogether in favor of glossy, full color political printing that moves between scathing critiques of rival candidates, and promises of CONSISTENCY like the public has never seen before.

Anti-Huckabee Political Printing on the Rise

Flyers, mailers, TV ads, and, of course, Chuck Norris

In recent weeks, Republican Primary candidate Mike Huckabee has started to receive some media attention for his rise in the polls.Huckabee has come out of absolutely Nowheresville to beat out both Mitt Romney and John McCain in early states, even rivaling Rudy Giuliani for top spot in the Republican race.

All this means that a candidate none of us knew anything about a few weeks ago is now under the lens. Both Dems and rival Republicans are working their butts off to dredge up every scrap of negative press they can on Huckabee in an effort to slow his rise. Concomitantly, some very anti-Huckabee political printing and advertising has been popping up, ranging from the scathing to the hilarious.

Political Holiday Card Design Choices

The good, the bad, and the unforgivably ugly.

Ever since British Queen Victoria sent out the first ‘official’ Christmas card in the 1840s, holiday cards have been an essential part of the political printing arsenal. But as the years have passed, the design of those holiday greetings has become increasingly contentious. Developing the right print design of your Christmas card has become as much a piece of political maneuvering as sign and booklet design.

Political Printing Gets Serious

As the primaries loom, campaigns are changing their design tactics.

Ron Paul supporters may be on the way to launching the biggest campaign advertisement of this election season, but this past weekend, Barack Obama drew the largest crowds we’ve ever seen at a primary candidate rally – with a little help from Oprah Winfrey, of course.

Iowa and New Hampshire saw Obama rally crowds of 18, 000 and 29, 000, respectively – ridiculously huge numbers, considering that some candidates draw a few hundred supporters at a go. You’d think it would be almost impossible for an Oprah-hosted rally of this magnitude not to take on a festive mood, but the days of light-hearted campaigning are over. The tone set by these rallies came across loud and clear: enthusiasm is great, but our purpose is mightily serious.

That the time for giggling and fence-sitting is through was made apparent this weekend by a distinctive shift in the style of political printing on display at the Obama/Oprah rallies. The rally sign of choice is now dark blue, the dominant feature being the words, “Change We Can Believe In.”

Smearfest 2008 Begins

Websites reserved exclusively for opponent-bashing come into vogue this week.

Those heady days of Dems campaigning based on principles of fair-minded togetherness are officially at an end. Not only have democratic primary candidates begun to tear each other to pieces, they’re keeping score in the form of detailed blow-by-blow websites dedicated exclusively to chronicling each other’s slights and failings.

But it’s not fair to say that all candidates are getting fierce. So far, I’ve only seen sludge-shoveling URLs from the Clinton and Obama camps. I guess strategists have decided it’s time that at least one of these front-runners takes a serious dive. After all, if one succeeds in seriously ousting the other, the champion will come out of the primaries that much stronger, right?

Print Campaigning vs. Telemarketing

During the height of election season, is it possible for a candidate to overshare?

Things are heating up for Presidential election candidates campaigning in Iowa. The media is abuzz over Clinton’s admission that she is prepared to go on the attack, and the Obama campaign has even put together a news aggregation site covering all of her less-than-gracious behavior.

But voters have yet to express distaste for their favorite candidate’s willingness to go for the jugular. What Iowans are really getting sick of is the candidates’ aggressive direct marketing techniques.

Glossy Booklet Printing a Must on Campaign Trail

An analysis of Obama’s Iowa campaign booklet.

After looking at Ron Paul’s New Hampshire booklet direct mailer a few weeks ago, it seemed like it would fun, and only fair, to look over the candidate booklets that are turning glossy, full color printing into a necessity for candidates this campaign season.

Since it seems to have had such a big impact in Iowa, I decided to take a look over the Obama campaign’s Iowa direct mailer. The booklet has 19 pages of content, PLUS an attached DVD. The DVD basically does the same thing as the booklet, while adding enough unique content to keep things interesting.

Obama Outdoes Clinton in Iowa

Change your political printing, change the world.

During Barack Obama’s recent stint in Iowa, the theme of the day was “Change We Can Believe In.” Apparently, this was just the right strategy to take with Iowans, because the last week found Obama pulling ahead of Clinton by four points in this pivotal state.

The “Change We Can Believe In” campaign is a point-on case study of how political printing can act as both an engine for ideas, and a reflection of the election climate.

NYT Offers Design Critique of Primary Candidate Logos

Not exactly insightful, but an interesting perspective nonetheless…

Today (with the help of the Digging machine), I came across a fun cartoon on NYTimes.com, assessing the logo designs of various Presidential Primary candidates. Of course, we’ve seen, and have been doing, quite a bit of this type of analysis around here, but there’s nothing like a fresh perspective to generate new ideas.

Ron Paul NH Mailer Print Design Analysis

Too much copy is the equivalent of no copy at all.

Whether or not New Hampshire will hold its primary in December has yet to be determined, but at least one Presidential hopeful is wasting no time in getting down to some serious full color print campaigning in the Granite State.

Today, excellent prez election campaign tracker, New Hampshire Presidential Watch, posted a photo series depicting a massive 12-page pamphlet mailer that the Ron Paul camp will be sending to every registered Republican voter in the state.

Stephen Colbert Holds Print Design Clinic for Campaigners

Newly declared Presidential candidate Stephen Colbert knows good full color print design when he creates it.

We’ve followed Hillary Clinton from “Let the Conversation Begin,” all the way to “Rebuilding the Road to the Middle Class.” We’ve experienced the essence of succinct copywriting with McCain campaign slogans such as “Ready to Lead,” and “No Surrender.” And now, surprise Presidential candidate Stephen Colbert has burrowed into the heart of election campaign sloganism by kicking of his candidacy with these immortal words: “Truthiness and Justice for all.”

It remains to be seen how far Colbert is actually going to take his mock run at the Presidency. With campaign sponsors like Comedy Central and Doritos, observers are saying he won’t get far with the notoriously humorless Federal Election Commission breathing down his neck. However, it’s sure going to be funny for as long as he can keep it going, and personally, I’m hoping to see some hilarious full color printing campaigns coming out of it.

Winning Campaigns Use Giant Full Color Printing

"Size does matter."

There comes a time in every election season when campaigning comes down to a contest over who has the biggest…signs. In the case of election campaign signage, the old adage holds true: size does matter. Right or wrong, the larger a campaign sign, the more support a candidate appears to have. And we all know that appearing to have support, creates support. To throw a few more favorite maxims at you: there’s no point in beating around the proverbial bush. Go big, or go home.

Director Rob Reiner Gives Snaps to Political Sign Printing

Clinton campaign video points to signage as key to the democratic voting process! Nice endorsement!

The Hilary Clinton campaign has been making good use of its supporters amongst the rich and famous over the last few weeks. First, John Grisham wrote an email that was sent to everyone on the campaign mailing list, reminding us to donate, donate, donate!

Republican National Committee Unveils Hot New Logo Design, or Something

The words “well thought out” don’t exactly spring to mind. But maybe they should…

In anticipation of the 2008 Republican National Convention, to be held in St. Paul’s, Minnesota from September 1- 4, 2008, the GOP’s arsenal of graphic design geniuses has put together this little gem:

Election Campaign Political Printing: Great Examples of Good Ideas

You might be running a small campaign, but you can still use the same techniques as the big shots!

Campaigning under a small budget? That doesn’t mean your political printing can’t have a big impact. With full color printing less expensive than ever, and increasing numbers of enthusiastic supporters participating in the election process, the only thing restraining the visibility of your campaign is imagination.

Election Campaigning with Comedy

What’s so funny about political printing? Nothing…yet.

I don’t think it’s particularly contentious to state that this has been the funniest Presidential election to date. I mean, Bill Clinton was fun, with the sax and charisma and all, but he was hardly ROTFLMAO. And as for George W., he’s gotten a lot of laughs over the last six years or so, but we weren’t exactly laughing WITH him, were we?

Iowa Sign Wars!

These people are serious about their political printing!

As the Presidential candidates have been making the rounds through Iowa over the last several weeks, sign wars have been breaking out on college campuses and rally sites the state over.

Mitt Romney Political Flyer Has a Big Impact, 5 Years Later

Be Careful What You Put on Your Political Printing?

Advertising copy can be the key to campaign success; it can also ensure accountability, whether you like it or not!

I love my Obama Os!

As political printing evolves, it begins to take on some interesting shapes…

Lately, a lot of pretty cool political printing has been showing up on the Presidential campaign trail. I’m particularly impressed by the Obama Os that I’ve been seeing in Iowa. The beauty of the sign is that it’s just a simple circle of paper, but the impact is dramatic, to say the least.

Using Election Campaign Advertising to Connect

Political printing creates valuable emotional bonds with voters.

The other day, I came across an interesting little tidbit about the influence of political printing and other ads in the outcome of a campaign. It seems that market research done by Harris Interactive in 2004 found that voting results can be better predicted by how voters feel about election campaign advertising than about how they respond to polls asking them to pick the candidate they will vote for.

Brochure Printing for Dark Horse Candidates

Signs, check. Stickers, check. Don’t forget brochures!

Nicely designed brochures are a key component of any election campaign’s print advertising strategy, but never more so than when a little-known candidate needs to catch up to the frontrunners. Take the Ron Paul campaign, for example…

Criticism by Design

Make an impact by stepping out of your comfort zone.

Whether you’re advertising bubble gum, or the next President of the United States, a little self-criticism might be one of the only ways left to make an ad campaign worth paying attention to.

Election Campaign Sticker Printing Falls Flat?

Sticker design should be fun.

Election campaigns have to play it safe, but boring print designs may not be the way into the White House. (Plus I talk about some cool die-cutting tips!)

Proud to be a Union Printer

Represent.

Union support is crucial to the success of an election campaign, just as print collateral support is crucial to the visibility of a union. Either way, the key is spreading awareness/advertising in order to educate on/promote the issues that are most important to us. In other words, the key is representation.

Election Campaign Sign Printing Snags Voter Enthusiasm

Print advertising is key for campaigns that want to connect with voters

Online campaigning is a great way to raise money, but when it comes to winning votes, signs, stickers, palm cards, and direct mail printing remain the best way to connect.

Design Critique of the YouTube/CNN Dem Debate

When design and politics get into bed together…

When good design becomes a must in the political process, that process becomes increasingly accessible for the voter. But does the expense and savvy required for good design also equal decreased access to a fair electoral process for candidates?

Election Campaign Print Advertising Renaissance?

Are more campaign dollars going to printers and publishers?

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal weighed in on the subject, and I had to respond…

The YouTube/CNN Democratic Debate

It’s no print campaign, but…

Ah, televised political debates! Without them, we'd still be electing Presidents based on ideas rather than hairstyles. Imagine!

Hot on the Campaign Printing Trail

Election campaign printing is on the rise even as summer heats things up…

We’re getting close to the middle of this hot, rainy summer season. If we were kids, we’d probably all be lazing around in the backyard, haunting friend’s pools or the mall to beat the humidity. But now that we’re all grown up, every summer we get to relearn the tough lesson that business doesn’t stop for the heat!

Campaign for Congress with Print Advertising

Don’t wait for a website to launch, start print campaigning now!

Something tells me the first President of the U.S. didn’t have to deal with the pressures of running campaign websites and managing shoestring budgets, but today, anyone who dreams of someday having their heads carved in granite has to find a way to go big on a small budget.

Marketing Tips From Coulter vs. Edwards

Effective Storytelling Techniques are Key for Campaign Advertising

Narrative-based marketing is the best way to send a message, but it can turn scary if you don't do it right.

Using Multimedia Storytelling to Beat Election Season Ennui

Are you bored, tired, disinterested, ready for a snack? If so, you may be one of the millions of Americans suffering from…CAMPAIGN FATIGUE!

Reuters reported last week that only six months into this election’s two-year long campaign trail, we’re already experiencing the common human phenomena of getting tired of something that drags on too long, and is, essentially, kinda boring. But why is our country's most important political event so boring, and what can campaigners do to spice things up for the average voter?

The Fine Print: Why Ron Paul and Mike Gravel Don’t Stand a Chance

Does the web have the power to elect the next President? Or are online politics all bark and no bite?

First Mike Gravel, now Ron Paul. The internet is showing its support for its favorite underdogs. And of course, it would. That’s the nature of web culture, to make the voice of the little guy heard. In this way, the web seems to have the potential, in a sense, to bring a semblance of true democracy to the voting process.

Who Would Actually Support Mike Gravel to Win This Election?

Does the internet have the political heft it lays claim to?

Gravel seems to have developed a following online, but what would it take for him to actually become a serious contender for the Democratic nomination? In other words, can anybody become the President?

John McCain: Vehicle Wrapping for Votes!

The fifth and final campaigner in our series, John McCain strikes a balance between the stylish and the sinister with print designed to send an uncompromising message.

John McCain’s design campaign started out pretty shaky. Online, he had that whole monochrome, militaristic style going on, and his print signs were just a navy blue version of this same grim approach. A controller? A conqueror? Maybe. A nice guy? Definitely not. Unfortunately, America’s looking for the next Bill Clinton, not the next evil overlord. The whole thing was just too intense.

Rudy Giuliani: Print Design That Keeps the Message Simple

Next in our review series, we turn our penetrating analytical lens on the designs of the Rudy Giuliani print campaign.

Ah, Rudy. Rudy’s a guy that likes to keep it simple. He doesn’t have a logo, he doesn’t have a slogan, he doesn’t even have a last name, according to his print designs. Nope, his message, his meaning, and his style are all summed up in four little letters: RUDY.

John Edwards: Good Politics, Shaky Print Designs

Third up in our review series: the Edwards campaign.

Edwards is a great candidate. He’s not afraid to make a bold move or stand apart from the crowd, but is his print design campaign standing apart in a good way, or a bad way?

Barack Obama, Friend to Print Designers

Half super-cool, half folksy grassroots, the print designs of Barack Obama’s campaign are next under the lens in our review series.

You can blame it on the internet, on customize-your-life reality shows, or just on the changing times, but it's a fact that we, as a country, are becoming increasingly design-conscious. Everything's gotta look good, and that includes our President. With this in mind, it's interesting to note that out of all the candidate's running for a shot at the White House, Obama seems to be the only one that's not just message-concious, not just building-the-culture-conscious, but actively design-conscious.

Assessing the Print Designs of the Presidential Frontrunners

The first in this series of reviews will assess the print strategies of the Hillary Clinton campaign monster.

Waaaaaay back in the early legs of the presidential primary campaign trail, most of the print advertising being done for candidates was fairly generic. Now that this election season is all grown up, though, campaigns are beginning to define their culture. It seems like the perfect time to have a look at the print design decisions being made by the frontrunning candidates.

Voting Trials and Paper Trails

Efforts to eliminate ballot printing from the voting process fall flat. Why? Because all legitimate business and government dealings need a paper trail.

There’s something special about paper, and I’m not saying that just because I work in the printing industry. Paper proves things, it makes contracts legitimate, and in a world of ever-shifting digitized information, it can be an anchor, just as it was when it was first invented and it played a major role in anchoring the human mind to the written word.

Low Cost Printing is a Cornerstone of Democracy

The creation of liberal democracy as we know it today is, at least in part, a result of the invention and spread of printing. As such, we may consider printing to be – by it’s very nature – a tool of the democratic system.

Last week, my colleague Ms. Stewart brought up the topic of using the power of low cost printing to advertise voter support of the current election race. She called this, I believe, “the future of democracy.”

100% Made in America Printing

The labor we use and the paper we choose all say something about the role that printing has to play in the politics of this country.

Printing is a funny business when it comes to political matters. On the one hand, we work for political campaigns, printing signs, posters, and flyers, running direct mail campaigns, and at Hotcards, even designing print ads and websites.

Full Color Printing: Political From Way Back in the Day

If you want to throw your voice into the political ring, low cost printing can be the best way to take the word to the street, at a cost suited to the independent activist.

In what’s shaping up as the most voter-driven election race in recent history, low cost printing may prove to be as influential as the internet in spreading the ideas and positions of the average person. After all, we can’t all be computer geniuses just yet. Sometimes shouting from the rooftops and rousing the masses requires the services of a low cost printer.

Campaigning to a Design-Conscious Nation

As election campaigning evolves, it’s becoming increasingly important to design campaign materials for style as much as for message.

There are more people jumping into the race for presidential candidacy every day, but all you ever hear about is Clinton and Obama. Why? Because they’re not just running campaigns, they are actively campaigning to a design-conscious nation.

8 Ways to Use Print Campaigning to Win the Youth Vote

Although most people my age consider themselves political, few of them get it together to actually get out there and vote on Election Day. What can your campaign do to appeal to younger demographics?

For most Democrats, the 2004 Federal Election was a wee bit disappointing, to say the least. Those of us in the printing industry were particularly disillusioned, as we knew that the electronic voting trend was trouble from the start.

Signs for Climate Change

When it comes to outdoor election campaign advertising, the best design and the brightest colors can’t make up for choosing print materials that can’t weather the storm.

Around here at Hotcards, we, like most of you out there in webland, are getting pretty excited about the ’08 elections. Man, they are a long way away, but it’s obvious that more than a few of us are ready to start seeing some change, um…now!

Don’t Waste the Power of Print on Boring Campaign Ads

Never underestimate the ability of print to win voters over with moving, inspiring design. Campaign ad veteran Marcus Roscoe weighs in on online campaigning, issues management, and using print campaigning to do anything but play it safe.

Last week, one of my fellow bloggers here at Hotcards was talking about the wave of online political campaigning we’re seeing grow in a full-fledged tsunami this campaign season. She rightly pointed out that campaign managers would do well to continue to dedicate time and energy to improving their print advertising. However, she was way off base in her reasoning for doing so.

Print Advertising: Simple, Effective, Irreplaceable

As political campaigning evolves online, don’t forget that political printing needs to evolve along with it. Failing to cover all your bases can leave you between a blog and a hard place.

Political campaigns have always relied on print advertising to get a candidate’s name and message out to the voters. Over the years, radio, TV, and now the internet have all had their chance to step in and contribute. However, time and time again, print advertising has proven itself to be the most effective form of voter contact involving the least amount of potential for embarrassment.

State of the (Printing) Union

We begin our foray into political blogging by revisiting the roots of union printing and finding out that it has a lot more to do with the political buzz of the day than you might expect.

The interweb has been jumping over the last few days with reviews and opinions on the State of the Union Address. Politicos on both sides of the playing field were quick to point out that the only thing left un-addressed by the decider-in-chief was the actual state of our much-loved, much-maligned, oft-times rhetorically misrepresented union.