My friends in advertising tell me branding is the key to selling anything. If that’s true, then the Obama administration must have some great sales gurus on staff. The president mandated today that all stimulus projects carry the snazzy seal you see below.
It seems President Obama wants this emblem to be his seal of approval, showing government’s accountability to taxpayers for the billions being spent on projects to stimulate the economy. Here is what he had to say at the Transportation Department today:
These emblems are symbols of our commitment to you, the American people — a commitment to investing your tax dollars wisely, to put Americans to work doing the work that needs to be done. So when you see them on projects that your tax dollars made possible, let it be a reminder that our government — your government — is doing its part to put the economy back on the road of recovery.
Obama, of course, is not the first president to use logos to spur confidence in policy, especially in tough economic times. During the New Deal, the blue eagle of the National Recovery Administration adorned store fronts and packages of businesses that had adopted fair competition practices, such as minimum wage.