Gov. Tony Evers for Wisconsin

In 2022, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers sought reelection in a purple state where the Republican opposition was hell-bent on using gerrymandering to push Democrats out of power and pass extremist legislation. Standing in their way was the governor’s veto power — and the 2022 election was a gritty battle over it.

In order for Gov. Evers to build on his success from 2018 and energize his campaign for the second time, he needed a new logo and brand system that would project his particular style of trustworthiness and strength. Most importantly, it needed to bring to life his genuine connection with the state and people of Wisconsin — while keeping his identity separate from the sweeping national political narratives around this race. 

Blue State Campaigns was quick to deliver. Following a deeply intentional brand assessment, landscape review, and stakeholder interview process, our final logo and brand system is personal, humble, and energetic. With a nod to the “Wisconsin Welcomes You” signs found throughout the state, it connects Gov. Evers’ background in education to his current role as a political champion for Wisconsinites.The logo and brand helped set Gov. Evers up for a successful re-election campaign, which he won with 51.2% of the vote.

“Wisconsin Welcomes You” for 2022

This was a fast-moving project, but we needed to move with intentionality and set a strong foundation for a brand that could continue to grow. This meant investing time to truly understand the race, the candidate, and the campaign. 

First, we sent a round of surveys to Gov. Evers’ staff members, and conducted in-depth stakeholder interviews to dig into those answers.

These conversations generated critical insights: stakeholders agreed that the brand should feel trustworthy, down to earth, strong, thoughtful, and hopeful. That the brand should neither feel loud and flashy, nor boring and weak. And above all, it was essential that the brand put Wisconsin first, and help convey the personal connection that Governor Evers has to his state and his constituents.

Inspired by the hand-made, humble quality of the “Wisconsin Welcomes You” signs sprinkled throughout the state, we developed three logo variations that featured different aspects of the overall brand direction. 

To go along with each variation, we created three color palettes for the governor and his team to react to. Each combination utilized classic colors and conveyed warmth, but included an additional unexpected energizing element. For all options, we ensured there was flexibility to add a future lieutenant governor’s name, as well as developed smaller, secondary variations. The Evers team requested to see variations on the first round logos, including placement of the Wisconsin outline and slightly more muted accent colors.

Combining thoughtful brand development with fast-moving political expertise

The final logo design displays Gov. Evers’s first name to signify his approachability and to allude to the personal connection he holds with his constituents. “Tony for Wisconsin” is neatly nestled into the state’s outline. 

The color palette is calm and familiar, and incorporates a green chalk accent color as a subtle allusion to the Governor’s background in education. The typeface is reminiscent of the typography found on the “Wisconsin Welcomes You” signs  — strong and determined, but with quirks that feel handmade and unpretentious.

With this work, we combined our thoughtful, considered processes with our fast-moving political expertise to develop a logo that achieved the vision we had from the start. Using strategic insights and stakeholder interviews, as well as local inspiration for a Wisconsin flair, this logo and brand identity reflects a governor that is deeply connected to his state and trusted by his constituents.

Incredibly, Gov. Evers won his re-election campaign in November 2022 by 90,000 votes. By focusing on Wisconsin and staying true to the candidate, we helped secure another 4 years of trustworthy and steady leadership to the state.