| Abstract | Red, white, and blue has long dominated American politics. Its meaning is clear- the American flag, patriotism, liberty- and political candidates have drawn on these collective associations to sway voters. Yet, candidates have begun to shift away from these traditional colors, opting for more unique tricolor palettes that, while not associated with these shared American values, are also not connected to the exclusionary history of the nation and its political structures. This study examines the logo color combinations from the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, which saw the most diverse field of candidates ever in a presidential election. By pairing logos with biographical information, this study seeks to build upon prior research in political communication and political branding by exploring the relationship between a candidate's identity and their logo colors, particularly the use of color combinations other than red, white, and blue. While there is much more research to be done in this area, this study sheds light on previously unstudied potential influences on candidate branding. |
