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Library/Campaign/Obama “Hope” poster
Grade B23 sourcesHIS-01573

Obama “Hope” poster

Campaign · 2008 · Niche

36Editable slideCertificate

Obey said it distributed over 300,000 posters of Fairey’s Obama portrait.

Clip · National Portrait Gallery on YouTube
Official HOPE poster image on Obey Giant’s post-election sale page.
Shepard Fairey / Obey Giant
HOPE posters at a San Francisco rally, February 2, 2008; Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0.
Steve Rhodes
Obama "Hope" poster artist receives probation
Associated Press via CBS News
Barack Obama by Shepard Fairey
National Portrait Gallery on YouTube

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagion35Breadth40Velocity0Longevity6636

Numbers

Seed to milestone
10 months
Jan 25 ’08 to Nov 10 ’08
Platforms
3
Started on Open web
Origin
Mixed
Politics & civic

Mechanics

  • Scarcity drop
  • Visible in use
  • Controversy
  • Platform jumpPrimary

How it spread

Trace the origin

Fairey posted the portrait online and sold prints to finance street distribution. Supporters printed copies and makers produced parodies. Obey’s distribution report anchors the milestone; AP’s photo-rights dispute continued after the election.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.

Google searchesNov ’07Feb ’08MarJulNovFeb ’09JunNovAug ’10May ’11Mar ’12OctMilestoneOpen webPressRetail
Open webPressRetail

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. January 2008

    Shepard Fairey / Obey Giant seed · Jan 25 ’08

    Fairey posted his Obama portrait with the word PROGRESS on Obey Giant.[1][2]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. Creativity / Jeff Beer platform jump · Jan 30 ’08

    Creativity interviewed Fairey about using print sales to fund street posters.[2][1]

  3. February 2008

    Steve Rhodes platform jump · Feb 3 ’08

    Rhodes uploaded his photo of HOPE posters given out at an Obama rally in San Francisco.[3]

  1. backlash · Feb 12 ’08

  2. owner response · Feb 22 ’08

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Why it worked

Do this

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Politics & civic
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

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