Graphic designer Steven Heller has been posting about campaign related design issues as part of the Campaign Stops blog on the NY Times. His post today is an interview with Obama logo creator, Sol Sender.

Times are tough. Many are underwater on mortgages, many more are unemployed, and many, despite steady jobs and regular paychecks are slicing spending habits that were well-honed during the greatest and longest economic boom we have ever experienced. The bling, if it hasn’t been hocked at the local pawnshop, is looking more tarnished and outdated by the hour. So what are we, the advertisers, doing now that luxury and aspirational buying are so suddenly out and consumers’ buying power is skidding swiftly through the guardrail and off the cliff? Why, coupon ads of course! And selling life insurance as the most meaningful Christmas present you could ever give. Here’s the article. The good news? Ad spending for many brands actually increased during the Great Depression.