Deciding to throw your hat in the ring for political office is a daunting choice. Even more so when you start to consider that you’ll instantly need everything, from an image and position to a logo and campaign materials.

When we approach any body of work for a client, we start with the brand position and logo. Business or politician, both need a clear and identifiable position and iconography.

When we began creating a logo for Herb Farber who is running for Jackson County Surveyor, we wanted to be sure to use both his first and last name in a prominent position because, while he might be the only “Herb” in the race, his business name, Farber Surveying, is well known and has a good reputation. So combined the first and last name help to make Herb identifiable.

We took the rough shape of the surveyor’s tool from the Farber Surveying logo and applied it as a visual element in the logo for Herb’s candidacy. Our reasoning here is similar to that above, his business is identifiable and has been a known commodity in this county. We needed to capitalize on that reputation, without putting Herb’s candidacy so close to the business it that it’s inseparable. When Herb wins, he won’t be able to be as involved in Farber Surveying as he is at present. For this reason, while it’s reminiscent, it’s not an identical match. We also applied the logo configuration differently than it appears in Herb’s business logo to keep it somewhat separate.

Of course we stayed in the blue/red zone — this is, after all, an election. Combined, the elements of the logo create an identifiable image that stands out from other campaigns taking place in Jackson County during the primary season.