Political designs

The great thing about being a graphic designer is that it offers opportunity for political debate [from the point of view of impact, engagement and iconography] even if one is otherwise utterly unqualified to talk about the subject. In this, the year of the street pole poster, we are seeing many of the usual candidates displaying their colours for all to comment, and hopefully, act, on.

Currently high up on the poles, the ANC logo is what is known in the industry as a sacred cow, a marketing term used to describe a motif so laden with emotional and historic equity that it could never, ever be changed. How anybody ever agreed on it in the first place is a thought worth pondering, but if it was my party, I might start toying with the idea of questioning the relevance of a military industrial platform to a 2009 target audience.

From a messaging point of view the ANC's street poles proclaim that "Working together we can do more", demonstrating the finesse of meaning and potential in a slogan - for example the line "We work for you" would have left us no option but to succumb.

Nail salon?

You may not have noticed that the ID has a new logo! What at a distance looks like a peach lozenge, at the traffic lights is revealed as an orange fingerprint, under the medium italic CAP lettering. Is it only me, or does the new identity leave them looking a little less like a political party and a little more like a nail salon?

I must say I'm a bit sorry that after the acquisition of its gorgeously witty African X motif in November last year, to date COPE's colours have been noticeably absent from the promotional party. Perhaps they haven't got to Cape Town yet?

One party that has is the DA. You can't miss it. Aside for being criticised for for its resemblance to Obama's campaign logo and the lack of the colour black in the design, when it was launched last year, the new DA identity raised barely a blip on the radar. Now, with its [security] blanket media coverage, we are perhaps in a better position to evaluate what this more organic symbol might come to represent in the contemporary political landscape.

Of course, ideologically, best value for its global brand potential and its wear the t-shirt cred, the Pan-African Party has still got to be my favourite; unfortunately, this year also sadly absent from my suburb. Come on guys!

Marketing street party Loerie

However, the Loerie in the category of marketing street party, and the one that ensured I laughed happily all the way from Hospital bend to Edinburgh Drive, was the one that even in light of all the above, had the guts to take a "no logo" positioning - foregoing its customary elephant park imagery and opting instead for the unmistakable and unbranded visage of Mangosutho Buthelezi - wearing only a payoff line: THE TRIED AND TRUSTED ALTERNATIVE!

I'm betting most of you don't even remember what IFP stands for.

Overall from a styling point of view a much, much better effort than 2005, when, if you recall, most of the candidates just blew up their passport photos and hoped for the best.