A deeper look at Brand Obama, and how advertising works (you foolish, starstruck ones…

Well, once I was a graphic designer so I know a bit about it…

Like I said, he really has had a landslide in the web, hasn’t he?  It kind of puts the other campaigns to shame because they did not use his logo morphing techniques to target market a hungry populace.  Those who want to know what kind of techniques his campaign has been using can start here at Advertising Age:

http://adage.com/campaigntrail/post?article_id=125377

It’s an excellent article by Joe Erwin called “How They Grew Brand Obama” — look at how he got all that money, with that matching funds scheme.  Hmmm…I guess that’s grassroots, but it also plays to all those lonely people out there looking for a messiah too doesn’t it?  It’s that ol’ just reach out and touch someone — or is it?

It’s interesting to me that donors to the campaign got instant emails telling them other donors had matching funds for them, and could they then match those too. You can read all about that in the link above.  I asked my husband is that what you call a Ponzi thing?  And he said no, but then I decided to look that up and I came up with this article from our own fab government so I could learn what that was, and you can read about that here on Pyramids from the FTC by Debra Valentine:

http://www.ftc.gov/speeches/other/dvimf16.shtm

So, how might a marketer use the internet to raise funds in such huge ways? Hmmm… I found this, from “Silicon Alley Insider” today with links to the people behind the brand.

http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/2/clinton__obama_spend_little_on_web_ads

It turns out that a guy named Joe Rospars is behind Barack Obama’s marketing strategy.  And Rospars is on leave from here,  “Blue State Digital” — isn’t that interesting, SenatorTed Kennedy

http://www.bluestatedigital.com/

http://www.tedkennedy.com/page/-/splash/splash.html

is one of their clients! Wow.  Take a look down that left sidebar and you can get an insider’s view of Blue State Digital and some of the cutting edge methods they are using to promote their clients.  Obama’s fonts are close to Kennedy’s aren’t they?  Not quite the same, but close.  What is also interesting is something they have called “Party Builder.”

Well whatever Party Builder is, it seems to have been working in Obama’s favor, huh?  But what about the other members of the Democratic Party, like Hillary Clinton?  Is it helping build the Party as a whole, or just Obama?  I think the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times should do some articles on internet marketing and the Democratic Party.  Soon.

Now, remember how we talked about morphing logos in the Obama campaign?  Talk about fool the eye!  I have proof!

Right here from “Bad Ass Ideas” — you’ll love to see the way that logo morphs around depending who the target market is.  Why, it seems to adapt itself to all his core target markets, including little kids, huh?  It’s what you call a “launch” — like when you are launching something.  Look at that logo change!

http://www.badassideas.com/blog/2008/02/03/evolving-design-in-politics-the-brand-of-obama/

Look at that logo morphing!  And watch that logo get all animated too in the web!  The other candidates didn’t make use of animations on their sites in the same way.  I can’t stand the fact he has split up the Democratic party into branded segments.  It’s like a cheap shot, in a way.  Non-Democratic!

Here’s a little piece by Mark Walsh from “Online Media Daily” on who spent what…so far…in the web…

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=77360

And then, this read is interesting about Obama’s relationship to the blogoshere big bloggers!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/07/opinion/main3801686.shtml

The last read of the day comes my way via Riverdaughter, and it’s from “The New Republic“

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=aa0cd21b-0ff2-4329-88a1-69c6c268b304

So how does all of this add up?

I think we need to have the press take a much deeper look at the marketing, the money,  the FEC shutdown, and so forth so that the American People aren’t being hoodwinked by a splashy brand.

It’s not really about he who has the best target marketing wins THE PRESIDENCY, or is it?

Brand Obama-rama.  It just doesn’t work for me.