The Best
The words may sound sexist, but for Republicans, this button, with its pinkish celebratory hue and the party emblem, signifies a historic shift.
No. 2
Few campaign logos have been so well designed and identifiable. This motif works effectively with and without words, and is likely to have a life beyond the campaign.
No. 3
Parody is a powerful weapon. This button lampoons Mr. Obama’s slogan, “Hope,” and by using the official “O” logo sends the perfect sarcastic rejoinder.
No. 4
George Bush had his “W,” Barack Obama has his “O” (a single initial does not work for John McCain). This spare oval is both elegant and unmistakable.
No. 5
Less is often more. The simple McCain logo does the best job of conveying affiliation.
Honorable Mention
If Jerry Garcia were alive, he’d probably approve.
This long 2008 presidential race has been a wellspring for button designs, some produced by the campaigns and others by entrepreneurs. The computer has made it easy to customize a design for any cause or special interest.
Producing and selling these buttons has become a fairly lucrative business (on average, small buttons sell for $2, larger ones for $10 in Union Square in Manhattan, for instance). With the campaign finally drawing to a close, buttons have been selling like blue spruce on Christmas Eve, and some designs are almost gone.
Above, a nonpartisan look at some of the best.
Steven Heller teaches at the School of Visual Arts and writes the Visuals column for the Book Review. His latest book is “Iron Fists: Branding the 20th-Century Totalitarian State.”
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