Alumni Profiles: Aimee Brodbeck, Kansas City Art Institute

Graphic Design Alumna Aimee Brodbeck is passionate about social impact work. She volunteered her time to design the iconic, patriotic red, white and blue logo for the Biden campaign and went on to create a complete marketing suite of SWAG, GIFs, yard signs, emails and other materials that helped to position Biden for the win. The campaign used the brand from April 2019 until Kamala Harris joined the ticket in September 2019.

How did you get involved with the Biden campaign?

I was working for the ad agency Mekanism, and I received a text from Tom Lyons during a meeting asking me, “How do you feel about politics?” The opportunity came through the agency’s relationship with Creative Alliance, a foundation that donates creative efforts to social impact work.

Tell me a little about the design strategy behind this project.

The strategy for the brand was simple – how do we reunite the country again? There was already talk from the media about how Biden was too old to run, and our goal was creating work that made him feel relatable, ready, and invested in America. The logo is a nod to the American flag — the three stripes represent the branches of government and the potential unity Biden offered to the country.

How did the Art Institute prepare you for the work you’re doing now?

I went through Foundation with Brett Reif, and he helped broaden my perspective and think more freely about finding solutions. At the end of the semester, he would tell each student which department they should be in. But he didn’t know where I should go. His honesty did more for me than he realized. It gave me the opportunity to think I could be anything and do anything.

What advice would give students?

If it’s meaningful to you, don’t be afraid to do free work. If I followed that advice, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work on the Biden campaign. Some of the biggest clients that have knocked on my door come from free work. If it’s a meaningful piece of work, don’t write it off. Give your heart to it, give your talent to it and give your time to it.

Aimee is still pursuing her passion for volunteering at Allyship & Action and The Avail List. She freelances on brands like Samsung, eBay, GoodRx and Alaska Airlines as a creative.

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