Visual culture: Posters and Iconic Symbol, presidential campaign
Writing
President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign has been hailed as a great achievement in political branding and the ground-breaking use of social media in campaign effectiveness. Beginning with this poster and iconic symbol, deconstruct (explain) this integrated use of typography and artistic rendering technique. Include screen shots (grabs) to illustrate the points in your paper. Embed these images in your paper. Consider these questions as you mine for details: What is the specific name of this font? Who created this font? Was it used exclusively for this iconic poster or was it used elsewhere in the campaign? Is the font effective in its purpose? Has this font been the subject of writings or discussions in the typographic community? Who specifically created this poster? Is Obama’s pose derived from the visual memory of the artist or does it copy an existing photographic reference? If so, what is this photograph and who made it? Is any controversy associated with this poster image? If so, please develop fully. Does another poster exist historically that may have inspired the creation of this image? If so, fully identify it, the artist who created it and the circumstances around its creation. You must include citations for your research. Your research may include primary and secondary sources. Beware of Wikipedia. A general reference from Wikipedia is not acceptable unless you use its references to a published article from a reputable media source.
Requirements: Printing the assignment: Use the 8.5” x 11” paper (letter size) format. Double space. Staple pages. No PDFs will be accepted! Minimum: 800 words. Due: Beginning of class on Tuesday, March 5. Late papers lose 7 points per day. Illustrations: Include embedded images in your report. This is a requirement. References: Cite your sources on the final page. Use the format of your choice. Minimum 5 sources. Writing stye: Associated Press (optional).
