For The Love Of Type (& Politics)

Being President of the United States is a big task, but first you have to convince people you're fit for the job of being their leader. Candidates spend millions on their presidential campaigns, and a very important part of it are their signs. Although it won't even pass through the minds of most voters, the typefaces the candidates use to display their name and slogans suggest something about the candidates themselves. Let's take a look at the typefaces used by the top 3 candidates and how effective (or ineffective) they are.

Senator Hillary Clinton
Typeface: New Baskerville
Designed in 1757 by John Baskerville, the typeface for Clinton's campaign is one commonly used by book publishers, law firms and universities. It doesn't make much of a statement, and comes off old.


Senator John McCain
Typeface: Optima
Described by Microsoft as "classic, quirky, elite and just a bit old-fashioned", the description seems fitting for McCain's maverick status. This typeface was designed in 1958 by Hermann Zapf, who was once a POW. The typeface is commonly used in pharmaceutical packaging and hospital signage, and is also the one used to engrave the names into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Senator Barack Obama
Typeface: Gotham, Requiem
From Hoefler & Frere-Jones and designed in 2001, Gotham is described as the hot font of 2008 by John D. Berry, author of a series of books on typography. Requiem is from the same typography group, garnering them a lot of press for this presidential campaign. Gotham is praised for it's classy and clean look and a favourite of many bloggers, including myself.