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02.15.08:
Putting creative talents to good use |
 Unless you have been living under a rock, I am sure you are familiar that we are currently living in a landmark presidential election year. There are candidates running right now that appeal to very different corners of the American psyche. It took me some time to wrap my mind around what each of them has to offer and decide who it was I wanted to support.
The candidate I have chosen for a number of reasons I won’t get into here, is Barack Obama. Once I made that decision, for my own peace of mind, I knew I had to act. At Cactus , Joe has always said that "We are at our best when we combine our talents as advertising professionals with a cause we believe in." In this situation, I couldn't agree more. So, after being put in touch with a local Colorado affiliate for the Obama for America campaign, I decided to contribute in the only way I knew how. Creatively.
I decided to create some very utilitarian, easy to distribute, easy to
upload, easy to download and easy to email posters to help promote
Obama’s campaign. I wanted to try to capture, in a quickly communicable
and iconic way, some of the ideas I think Obama embodies, so any Joe
passing on the street might be able to absorb a sliver of those ideas
at a glance.
The end result was 10 posters, five very large 24x36 posters and five
smaller 11x17 posters. I included space for others to write in any
additional information they may need to fulfill their campaigning
purposes. Lastly, I put all of those posters up for free at my personal
website, in multiple file formats, so anyone who's interested can use
them in any way they need. They can even use the graphics to create
their own posters, stickers, t-shirts or whatever they might want to
get the word out.
We are living the old Chinese proverb, ‘May you live in interesting
times,’ and I think times like this call for action. Even if that
action is small. A stone cast in the center of a lake still causes
ripples that eventually reach the shore. I see a lot of designers only
doing what they think is ‘cool’ work these days solely to promote
themselves and their own interest. I have been guilty of it many
times myself. What we are missing though, is that we have power as image-makers
to spread messages that could in big and small ways move the culture
needle.
So, if you are one of those young people, don’t be afraid to use your
ability to voice your opinion. No matter who you may be for in this
next election, get out there, stir things up and above all take part in
the process and vote. Please encourage others to do so as well.
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, on Friday.02.15.08
these are great, chris.
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