Ithaca College

Dr. Steven Seidman, associate professor and chair of the Department of Strategic Communication, presented a paper, "The Obama Poster Explosion," on October 9, at the  41st annual conference of the International Visual Literacy Association (IVLA). http://www.ivla.org/ in Chicago.

The paper explores the visual design of posters, primarily by independent artists and graphic designers, created to promote the candidacy of Barack Obama for president of the United States in 2008. These posters helped reinforce the Obama brand, which was unique and recognizable, as well as aiding in making it credible and emotionally resonant for many voters. 

Dr. Seidman also received two awards at the conference: the President's Award for Outstanding Service to IVLA and the Editor's Choice Award for his paper, "The Visual Design of Election Campaign Posters," which was published in the Selected Readings of papers presented at last year's conference in Blacksburg, VIrginia.