Campaign_yard_sign

Living in a battleground
state, I’ve been subject to a long and noisy 2012 election season that
started in May. Attack ads saturating every media channel are seemingly in
concert with an incessant rhythm of autobot phone calls and other campaign
techniques. The din is bringing
people to tears. But only two different yard signs, for a single candidate, have stood out for me this election season.**

And it’s all due to the impact of font and color choice – and perhaps my
profession.

One Candidate, Two Signs
The only race discussed locally as frequently as the Presidential election is
the race for an Ohio U.S. Senate seat. The Republican candidate, while 35 years
old, looks very young. And
I initially assumed the red yard sign on the right was a shift in his campaign
strategy. It’s actually from a special interest group and the white yard sign
on the left is from the campaign team. The white yard sign is consistent with
the candidate’s overall branding and communication efforts.

Less Really is More
The sign on the right has tighter copy. As a result, it doesn’t mention his
more youthful first name. Less copy also allows for a bigger font size, which
pops as white on a dark red background. The color choice is a reminder of the
candidate’s party and even the font looks more credible. The white yard sign on
the left’s italicized font has an almost Comic Sans look to it. It conveys
youth more than it conveys credibility.

It’s in the Details
Can a single yard sign make or break a candidate’s election campaign? At the
end of the day, getting elected requires the most votes. But the above example
would have definitely helped address a specific issue for this candidate. And it’s a reminder of how the subtle details behind our content work together to achieve a larger goal.

**This is a post about how font and color choice can make a big impact on
communication devices. This is NOT a political post

Resources
Post Your Resume to 65+ Job Sites
Resume Service

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post