Nick Nitta
Digital Notebook
Political Art
Shepard Fairey, "Obama Hope," 2008
This poster of Barack Obama would became synonymous with his 2008 presidential campagin. The image went viral shortly after its creation and eventually was used officially by Obama campaign. The bold letters of "hope" and the patriotic colors help bolster Obama's public image and campaign message. The combination also appeals to the emotions of the viewer as it gives the impression of a strong leader who could lead America to a brighter future.
We see that this is a poster of Republican presidential candidate for the 2016 election, Donald Trump. Trump's presidential campaign has been met with no shortage of disapproval from potential voters. We see resemblences to the poster of Obama on the left, but color schemes have been flipped and the word "Hope" has been replaced with "Nope". While the attempt and message is obvious, I don't believe it achieves it's goals. The negative connatation isn't nearly as impactful as it is trying to be. I think the reaction of most people is that the piece is amusing but it doesn't have any lasting impact on Trump's image.