From stylized text to abstract swirls, does your logo reflect your company and brand? Customers should be able to get a sense of what you do just by looking at your logo. The best corporate logos are unique, easy to read and often include subliminal messages (FedEx, Amazon), while the worst are jumbled, tacky and forgettable.

With campaign season heading into full swing, it’s been more than interesting to watch as candidates unveil their logo. From red, white and blue color schemes to no-frills fonts, presidential candidate logos tend to play it safe. Although many of the 2016 offerings are yawn-inducing, a few bucked the trend with logos that were either surprisingly slick or downright amateurish.

THE GOOD

	Hillary Clinton: Not to be outdone by Hilton or Holiday Inn, Hillary Clinton enters the fray with her take on the solitary “H” logo, incorporating a forward-progress arrow into the design. Too minimal for some, the Democratic Party frontrunner is perhaps the only politician in this election cycle prominent enough to pull off a single letter logo. Clean and efficient, Hillary’s logo looks great on t-shirts, business cards and just about anything else (tattoos?).
	Rand Paul: Although the Kentucky senator is a longshot for the Republican nomination, his logo is shoo-in material. Bold, sans-serif and all-caps, “Rand” grabs attention and distinguishes Paul from his illustrious father. However, the magnum opus of Paul’s logo is the torch design. The flame is tidy, while the italicized “A” and “N” achieve the graphic designer’s holy grail: creating the torch’s base using negative space. Traditionally, the torch symbolizes enlightenment and hope. Here’s to hoping Paul’s logo will enlighten campaign designers in the future.
THE MEDIOCRE
	Jeb Bush: The former governor of Florida aims to evoke strong emotion and shouting with his logo’s use of bright red and an exclamation point. Like Clinton and Paul, Bush’s is wise to use his unique first name to escape the shadow of his brother and father. Although the bold “Jeb” contrasts well with the understated “2016,” the offering is uninspiring. Perhaps the Republican should learn from Writing 101: convey excitement through content, not through a tacked-on exclamation point.

	Donald Trump: Not great, not hideous, Trump’s logo is white, brash and uncompromising—much like the billionaire businessman himself. While the all-caps “Trump” really pops and can be read from a mile away, the Republican’s logo loses points for its hackneyed slogan, “Make America Great Again!” Barack Obama’s “Hope and Change” notwithstanding, most campaign slogans are largely forgettable. Not exactly a logo to trump the competition.
THE UGLY
	Rick Perry: Although the Texas governor scores a point with his Oakland Athletics-style circular design, the rest of the Republican’s logo is an emphatic strikeout. While the font is fine, the letters spelling out “Perry” are far too spaced out. The worst offense, however, is the tacky clip art star sucking the life out of the red “P.” The star is about five sizes too large, while its trail and the lighter shades of blue are completely unnecessary.

While each of these campaigns set out to create a logo that captures the attention of voters, some clearly do a better job than others. Does your logo reflect your company brand and image?

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