Hoefler & Frere-Jones

Typeface: Gotham Extra Narrow Bold

This summer, the Obama campaign asked me to design a typographic poster for the Artists for Obama series. It’s now available sold out at the Obama for America website, in a numbered edition of 5,000. —JH

POSSIBLE. A limited edition poster by Jonathan Hoefler for Obama for America.

Typeface: Gotham Medium

Veteran campaigners know that the best way to gain someone's vote is to be photographed holding their baby. It seems that the same goes for fonts: it's hard to take a non-partisan stance when one of the candidates looks so good standing in front of your typeface. Helvetica director Gary Hustwit shared this image with us, along with a hopeful observation about both the candidate and the typeface behind him:

"I think it’s interesting that the design of Gotham was influenced by early Modernism, another movement that was about change and social idealism. And I like that the design aesthetic that may help move Obama into the White House was inspired by the humble NY Port Authority Bus Terminal sign."

A Font We Can Believe In, from the Helvetica Film Blog. —JH

Typeface: Knockout No. 48

Not all political typography has to be set in Gotham (though it seems that way) — here for example are some calls to action by Shepherd Fairey that don't use any Gotham at all. They use Knockout No. 48.

Designers in Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington, and Maine have primaries this weekend; Virginia, Maryland and DC, you're up Tuesday. This means you. —JH

Downloadable Progress poster by Shepherd Fairey

Typeface: Gotham Bold

Literally: that's our Gotham typeface, as used by Senator Barack Obama. Curiously, John Edwards is also using Gotham, giving the font a combined 68% of the vote in Iowa! —JH

Change.