Harris-Walz

We delivered an unprecedented volume of creative assets in a remarkably short timeframe. This included:

• Three rebrands
• Over 20 impactful slogans
• 80 dynamic events, rallies, and concerts
• Three airplanes, four buses, and two food trucks.
• Two books
• 7+ state-specific sub-brands
• 10+ coalition sub-brands
• Nearly 1000 placards in 13 languages
• Countless out-of-home ads
• Hundreds of social graphics and digital ads
• A dozen posters and a viral hat

Whew! 😅 We’re sweating just thinking about it, are you? This is a small representation of a monumental effort. The Harris for President design team remarkably worked short timeframes, achieving a level of output typically associated with an 18-month campaign, encompassing a diverse range of creative deliverables. A complete list would be pretty extensive, but this concise overview captures the essence of our efforts, highlighting key historical moments and demonstrating the breadth and impact of our work while navigating the unique and dynamic environment of the campaign.

Make sure to scroll all the way through—our best work awaits at the end!

Some of our most exciting projects were designing planes and buses—taking our brand to new places, both figuratively and literally. But with excitement came challenges. Design is often imperfect, and we had to produce work under evolving circumstances. At times, constraints challenged us—whether due to unconventional surfaces or limited use of typography due to language restrictions. Sometimes, the pieces we needed weren’t fully in place, and the brand itself would have to evolve as we moved forward. This is normal, but most brands won’t end in 100 days, as we would. Launching in such a compressed timeframe required exceptional flexibility. Which meant we had to navigate evolving brand guidelines and make critical decisions with limited time for extensive research and refinement of our craft. This is one of the realities of design: good design requires time; without it, mistakes are inevitable! But they offer valuable opportunities for learning and growth. Navigating the complexities of language required careful consideration, so we leaned heavily into the visual elements of our brand while language evolved.

We found creative ways to reimagine how other visual elements could work harder and smarter. By rethinking how core elements came together, we aimed to breathe new life into the brand, but it would take a moment before that took shape. During this period, we experimented boldly—testing new variations and applications to see how these elements could become foundational parts of the system, particularly where typography alone had limitations. In many ways, this approach reflects the beauty of brand evolution. It’s a dynamic process shaped by adaptability, exploration, and a willingness to embrace imperfection. With a young team and limited time, we pushed boundaries that we worked within, the framework of familiar colors and messaging but presented in a fresh, engaging way that would reignite excitement and inspire renewed energy. By rethinking how these core elements came together, we aimed to breathe new life into the brand, creating a dynamic, forward-looking campaign experience that felt recognizable and reinvigorated, giving people a reason to feel connected and energized about politics again.

We created over a dozen posters for the campaign and more flyers than we can count! However, the poster that stands out most is the one we collaborated on with the talented Tracie Ching. She is an illustrator and graphic designer based in DC and worked on the official Kamala Harris “Freedom” poster. It pulled from the brand guidelines using stacked FREEDOM typography in Sans Plomb and our beautiful regal indigo color, Resolute. The poster used warm colors in her skin to exude the warmth of Kamala’s personality; most remarkably, it sold out immediately!

Another of our posters that sold out in minutes was the Kamala Harris “History Made”. Something interesting about that poster is that the stacked type, “HARRIS,” was the original inspiration for the official Harris-Walz branding. I must give a shoutout to one of our HFP designers, Harrison, who did an excellent job designing it! He had no idea what he was setting the stage for.

One of the most exciting things about working on a presidential campaign is the chance to build unique brands for many projects and initiatives. We created 10 distinct sub-brands for coalitions alone and had much fun creating them! Take Latinos Con Harris-Walz, for example. This group was incredibly diverse, bringing together people from all corners of the Latino community, from Cubans to Argentinians. The challenge was finding a visual identity that everyone could connect with.

After much brainstorming with the team, we settled on a stylized sun, a symbol that holds meaning across many Latino cultures. We also wanted to celebrate their language, so we used bold, stacked typography. To make it distinct, we incorporated colors that felt authentic to their group. The branding was a huge success, and their rally was one of our most celebrated.

Before this campaign, I worked as a designer on the Hillary for America presidential campaign, and so from the outset of the Harris-Walz campaign, it was clear that we’d need to shift our focus to “Get Out the Vote” efforts as soon as early voting began. To help mobilize early voters across battleground states, I moved some of our design team to work specifically on GOTV designs. We also gave our brand a small makeover—a fresh look that would signal the public that we were entering the campaign’s final stretch.

To capture the essence of this new phase, we incorporated colors inspired by local communities, added some exciting new design elements to our work, and focused heavily on localized early voting language that would resonate with people. This energy translated to our events, too. We scaled things up with bigger stages and banners, and suddenly, we were attracting tens of thousands of people. The excitement was palpable, and we needed our brand to reflect that.

Our platform teams recognized the value of localized content that truly spoke to the people in each state and coalition. We then quickly responded by capturing the unique essence of each region through illustration, pulling from local landscapes, rich history, vibrant culture, and iconic landmarks. This approach quickly resonated with local communities.

We even noticed states starting to reference these illustrations in their own communications! It was a heartwarming reminder that even something as simple as a thoughtful or well-placed illustration can foster a strong sense of community, as evidenced by Wisconsin’s great appreciation for cheese!

As our campaign journey came to a close, we were handed one last thrilling challenge, the kind of brief every designer dreams of. The ask? Create a bright, joyful, and entirely fresh brand for our final rallies and concerts—something full of life, high energy, and fun, a fresh extension of the identity we had built. From this, “When We Vote We Win” was born. What started as an idea quickly grew into the Vote for Freedom Concerts, which would have surrogates and celebrities participate in a 1-day, 8-city tour across America.

Some events drew up to 1.5 million signups for massive, arena-sized experiences. At the time, we couldn’t have predicted what it would grow into. All we had was a creative brief, 48 hours, and the excitement of an in-house design sprint. It was a whirlwind, but with focus, energy, and creativity, a brand that exceeded every expectation emerged. The moment people saw it, they embraced it. What began as a special project for concerts evolved into a defining brand identity that became the heartbeat of our final work.

The When We Vote, We Win branding was mainly inspired by the 90s Americana vibe. Think vintage basketball posters, those old concert flyers—that whole aesthetic. Back then, everyone was so proud to be American. Stars and stripes were everywhere, from our clothes to our graphics. We were rocking those USA Olympic tracksuits and Tommy Hilfiger. Red, white, and blue are timeless and powerful combinations when executed effectively. We sought to channel that energy while infusing it, but we wanted to give it a modern edge. In the “VOTE” graphics, you can see the bold font that bleeds off the edges, while the motion graphics seemed to spin and dance, which we felt was perfect for concert screens.

We explored these concepts a lot. The stars presented a unique challenge, and they were trickier to use. We explored turning them to the side, making them big and bold, or treating them as decoration. I was determined to retain their presence but wanted to avoid an overly patriotic or kitschy feel. The vision was to incorporate them subtly as delicate embellishments that added a touch of refinement without overwhelming the design, as I felt the work had done in the past.

We also knew that we needed a font that could balance the boldness we were going for. That’s where Denton came in. It added a touch of sophistication, something we hadn’t really explored before, and we used it as a supporting font for Fearless (originally Sans Plomb). We also knew we’d be working with celebrity photos and needed a way to make them all feel like they belonged together. We toyed with the idea of clean backgrounds, but then we thought, ‘Why not minimize the photos themselves?’ We could use our typography as the centerpiece so people don’t notice the photos as much.

And then there was the white. We hardly ever used white before, mostly for technical reasons. But for this project, it just clicked. It really brought out that Americana feel, and it broke up all the blue perfectly. We also decided to embrace the red. Instead of seeing it as the opposing party color, we saw it as a unifying force and leaned into our country over party stance. After all, red is as American as apple pie! Finally, we implemented our final slogan and came up with a new slogan: “A President for All. “It perfectly captured the spirit of this final chapter.

Our final rally mirrored the excitement of our initial campaign launch, which featured the debut of Harris-Walz at the Liacouras Center. Now, we were back at square one, this time culminating at the iconic Philadelphia Museum of Art, on the very steps immortalized in the film “Rocky.” Just as with the initial launch, meticulous planning was vital. Every detail was carefully examined – every word and placement, the number of stars, the color palette, and the animation treatments.

The anticipation leading up to this final event was palpable. It was a star-studded affair, graced by the presence of Oprah, Lady Gaga, The Roots, Ricky Martin, and many other luminaries. Witnessing the event unfold in person was an awe-inspiring experience. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen with my own eyes. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough to win America and secure a victory.

This case study serves as a testament to what could have been, a reminder of the groundbreaking campaign we almost achieved. Our final design featured a logo embodying the vision of our would-be President, Kamala Harris: a simple ’47,’ rendered in our bold Denton typeface. Her name was presented with increased tracking, flanked by two stars – a subtle nod to her ambition to reach for the highest office in the land. Kamala, you were a force of nature.

Your qualifications were undeniable, and your campaign was an unprecedented feat. You brought us closer to a future where women hold the highest office, and I firmly believe this was the final step on that journey. This case study is dedicated to the hope that we will witness this historic milestone in our lifetimes. Thank you, VP Kamala Harris, for inspiring us all and reminding America that a brighter future is within reach