Last week, the Trump administration unveiled a controversial new logo for Space Force, the newest branch of the U.S. military. An arrowhead set against an interstellar backdrop, it was widely mocked for its uncanny similarity to Star Trek’s logo. “Way to boldly go where others have clearly gone before, Trump,” my colleague KC Ifeanyi wrote Friday.
But it was just the latest in a long line of logo design crimes from the Trump family. Remember Melania Trump’s childlike “Be Best” branding? Or the unintentionally filthy Trump-Pence logo from 2016? Here are the Trump family’s biggest branding disasters, ranked from very bad to gouge-out-your-eyeballs awful.
5. The MAGA Hat
Sure, Trump’s red trucker hat emblazoned with “Make America Great Again” was effective political propaganda. But don’t give it too much credit; for all we know, Trump could’ve browbeat his constituents into wearing Sharpie-scribbled propeller beanies. The most offensive thing about the MAGA hat is its complete lack of effort. It’s just one type treatment in all caps, no grammar, and nothing emphasized, not even “America” (so much for patriotic flair). The MAGA hat may be ubiquitous, but all it really says is that Trump doesn’t give a crap about his supporters.
4. Space Force
Space Force officials claim that the new logo was an homage to early American space emblems. As they wrote on Facebook, “The delta symbol, the central design element in the seal, was first used as early as 1942 by the U.S. Army Air Forces; and was used in early Air Force space organization emblems dating back to 1961. Since then, the delta symbol has been a prominent feature in military space community emblems.” Okay. But they could’ve done a million different things with a delta symbol. Imitating the past when they’re supposedly defending U.S. citizens from the space wars of the future isn’t just lazy; it turns the entire enterprise into a joke. And let’s be clear. We’re talking about the militarization of space, a violation of long-standing agreements between nations. That’s no laughing matter.
3. Be Best
https://twitter.com/michaelbierut/status/993679242406912000
This is the logo of First Lady Melania Trump’s Be Best campaign, a fuzzy initiative to promote children’s well-being, and she designed it herself! Probably in KidPix! But let’s give her a break. Melania Trump is not a professional designer. And I’m not sure she even knows what her campaign is about, beyond something having to do with children. The logo fits perfectly.
2. The Trump Organization
Again with the capital letters. And what’s going on with the kerning? Is Trump hiding kickbacks in all that empty space? Trump’s corporate branding is so vexing because, unlike most the logos on this list, it’s something you might encounter in daily life—at resorts, on wine bottles, on the side of a building. In some cities, it cannot be avoided. I really feel for you, Chicago.
1.Trump-Pence 2016
[Image: Trump 2016]
After Trump announced Mike Pence as his running mate in the 2016 presidential election, the pair released a modified flag logo in which the “T” for Trump literally penetrates Pence’s “P.” Let the aptness of that metaphor sink in. Pence is all of us.
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
