StyleSpy with Katrina Szish

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April 29, 2008

Just Asking: Does Obama Heart Chanel?!

I'm not stumping, but I am stumped...or at least fascinated.

Chanel's Classic No. 5Senator Barack Obama calls for CHANGE...CHANEL style

Senator Barack Obama calls for CHANGE...CHANEL styleChanel's Classic No. 5


The typeface used for Senator Barack Obama's CHANGE campaign signs has been widely discussed by design blogs and news magazines, but no one has yet to point out the remarkable similarity the CHANGE logo bears to the iconic CHANEL typeface.  So let me be the first...


Obama's Vision of CHANGE

CHANEL's Vision of a Classic

 

I'm not referring to the trademarked interlocking C's, of course, but rather to the typeface used by the fashion house when the Chanel name is spelled out. 

As mentioned, I'm not the first to put the font discussion out there.  Back in February, Newsweek.com identified Obama's font as Gotham and delved into the finer points of campaign branding.  In their May issue, GQ magazine proudly quoted the Newsweek.com article and reiterated the claim that the Gotham typeface was first created for their men's monthly.  Simple, uncontrived and classic, the Gotham aesthetic has understandably become popular. 

Yet every time I see Obama's "CHAN.."  my pulse quickens.

This has nothing to do with my political views; it's purely Pavlovian.  When a fashionphile sees a Chanel logo (or a Chanel-esque logo), her drool reflex kicks in.  Or she at least does a double take, particularly when said logo isn't attached to a quilted handbag but to a podium. 

I sent an email query to Senator Obama's campaign headquarters, but as of post time I had not received a response.   I'm pretty sure they're busy with more pressing matters, so I'll let them off the hook.

What are your thoughts?  Do other fashion-loving voters have such visceral reactions?!  Fashionable voters want to know!


Screenshots: NiemanMarcus.com and Barack Obama's MySpace page



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Regarding peps comment, I agree, if we look at the sample images provided here. However, look again, at these 2 provided by Joanna Hadawar (Design Within Reach, LA):
Chanel:
http://data.fen-om.com/tests/chanelobama/01.jpg
Obama:
http://data.fen-om.com/tests/chanelobama/02.jpg

Quite much more similar here, especially in the relationship between the H and A horizontals, + overall thickness.

Posted by: Sandro Alberti | September 08, 2008

Sorry- As a graphic designer, I can see how different these fonts are, even though they'd fall into a similar san-serif category. Look at the capital As and Cs, and the fact that the Chanel logo is a thicker weight.

Posted by: peps | May 25, 2008

Yes! The Obama logo has always appealed to me... I thought it was because I appreciated the idea of change and the Audacity of Hope (Obama's autobiography, it's really good, available as ebooks here: http://www.booksonboard.com/index.php?BODY=viewbook&BOOK=93209), but you're right... it was probably just my subconscious wafting Chanel No. 5 across my nose...

Posted by: Saira | May 05, 2008

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