Obama, the brand, was launched into the spotlight during the 2008 presidential election. The Yes We Can music video, created by will.i.am and a group of dedicated collaborators including Fred Goldring, Mike Jurkovac and Jesse Dylan, has more than 25 million views and was recently named the 6th most important YouTube video of all time. The video brought the Obama brand to life, and set the stage for his time in the oval.

Jump ahead to 2012. With one term under his belt, came new experiences and shifting perceptions. The Obama brand was in need of a fresh start. A new campaign to instill a vision of hope among voters. To move Obama – Forward. Neyo, Herbie Hancock, Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, Delta Rae and Natasha Bedingfield, released a music video titled “Forward.” Hosted on the Noisey YouTube page, Forward set the stage for a grass-roots-style campaign for four more years.

As the campaign’s creative agency, we helped to visually breath new life into the Obama brand. We developed the identity system, responsive website, and social pieces throughout the campaign. All while keeping the hardworking, word of mouth values of the campaign in mind.

With creative elements in place, web traffic shot up and media coverage was wide spread. The campaign also received backing by hundreds of celebrities including Eva Longoria, Ben Affleck & Will Smith. Forward is widely known as the most socially savvy campaign in history.