The Impact of Color & Font on Messages

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

Comments

[DanielLally]

In such a high-profile campaign, yard signs aren't for awareness or even for persuasion. Both contestants in this election already hold statewide office so name recognition isn't the issue. It's all about social proof. If your neighbors support that candidate -- if the people you admire smoke that brand -- it must be okay. Why a PAC spends money on yard signs ... a puzzle. But they have to be markedly different in design lest they be accused of "coordination."

[Alison L.]

Interesting post, Kevin! I'm with Diane. I also think that for Mandel, who needs to combat the age/inexperience issue, yard signs & "social proof" are even more important.

[Kevin Dugan]

Clearly, it takes more than a yard sign to win a campaign. And, imho, I think some candidates are victims of calendar marketing...everyone else did it last election, so...

But the approach taken by the PAC fueled sign seemed to address the age issue so well, it inspired my post. I think my footnote to the article should have been at the top. You both raise great points. But they aren't necessarily builds on my exact premise.

Just sayin'!

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