Commentary

Putting Color on the Ballot

FTR-Primary Concerns/Putting Color on the BalletWhen Steve Pougnet ran for mayor of Palm Springs, Calif., last November, he turned to color and branding strategist Paul Haft to help him win the election with visually compelling graphics that would support his platform and forge an emotional link with voters.

Haft, founder of Toronto's Haft2 agency, brainstormed and experimented with various shades of blue. The challenge: Pick a shade of blue that complemented Pougnet's image of an outgoing, upbeat, engaging, positive candidate seeking new solutions to the problems that plagued the city. "We researched color combos historically used in elections - e.g., red/blue, yellow/blue - plus the color we chose had to reflect naturally with the intense Palm Springs sun for outdoor media," says Haft, who experimented with a navy-blue banner that seemed almost black when placed outdoors, not a good image for a mayoral hopeful.

Finally, the perfect shade evolved: indigo blue, with Granny Smith apple-green as an accent color and as a reference to Pougnet's environmental campaign promises. The combo stood up to the pressure of the bright Palm Springs sunlight, a crucial factor since one of Pougnet's platforms included ramping up Palm Springs's image as a tourist mecca.

Starting in September, indigo-blue and apple-green accented banners, tagged "Steve Pougnet for Mayor. Committed to Excellence," were splashed across residential lawns, found on parade floats and on the Web, at fundraisers and in print ads in The Desert Sun, the local newspaper.

And Pougnet? He won the election by a landslide, capturing more than 71 percent of the vote.

What part did color play in his win? It's hard to say, says Haft, who is also a part-time resident of Palm Springs. "But the color combo wasn't boring and, most importantly, it signaled a new and fresh chapter in the politics of Palm Springs," says Haft.
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