Challenge #4:

Election Season

It’s an election year, and fiercely-contested political battles are hitting their stride. Can branded apparel make the difference in who wins and who loses? We tasked our competitors to create a “cool” shirt to be sold or given out by a politician on the campaign trail. It had to feature a jumbo or oversized print. The name of the politician and imagery was up to their discretion. (The politician can be real or hypothetical in this scenario.)

The shirts were judged on these criteria:

• Creative Design: Is the design creative yet still appropriate for a political venue? Does it grab your attention? Does it spread a positive message about the politician?
• T-Shirt Printing: Is the print precise and technically sound? Does it showcase a good grasp of printing jumbo or oversized prints?

Winner

Visual Impressions

Circle 95 on Free Info Card

This shirt champions the political run of popular TV antihero Frank Underwood from the hit TV series House of Cards. It features a full-front print with oversized script on top that was printed without a press.

+ Great concept with its “over the top” design elements which falls right along with the fictional Frank Underwood. The shirt would be a hit with fans of the show.
+ Very good technically, especially printing halftone dots for shading and color variation.
+ Soft hand given the amount of ink coverage on the shirt.
– Not enough squeegee pressure left print voids on the collar and sleeve seams.
– For a political candidate, white shirts don’t sell well and don’t create good crowd visuals. An effective political shirt creates a mass of identifiable color in support of a candidate.

Runner-Up

A&P Master Images

(asi/702505)

Circle 109 on Free Info Card

This jumbo print envisions a 2016 run by the former senator and First Lady. Halftones were printed on a manual press in black and red ink mixed with silver luster.

+ Graphic was bold and easy to understand.
+ Good execution in creating a jumbo print; overall printing is technically sound
– Glitter in the red ink was a nice touch, though too dull and could have been bolder.
– Picture of Hillary Clinton could have been more flattering; judges deemed it too archaic and stylized.

Finalist

The Art Department

Circle 144 on Free Info Card

This oversized print is a creative concept for David Hadley, who successfully ran for election to the State Assembly in California.

+ Candidate’s name is large and easy to see, and positive imagery is perfectly suited for political venue.
+ Blue shirts would make a cluster of them stand out in a crowd.
– To get the bright white of the name, too much ink was applied to the shirt, creating a heavy hand.
– Graphic is too busy for a dark shirt, particularly with all the nature-inspired trees and natural landscapes.

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