It’s generally not a good idea to mix politics and business conversations, but there was a really interesting thing to note in our recent presidential election.

The media in Chicago was, of course, very excited about this election. TV cameras showed countless shots of the ebullient crowd at the Obama celebration in Grant Park.

A quick comment from one newscaster provides a great example of how design thinking (in the largest sense, planning and thinking at every level) can impact (positively or negatively) brand perceptions. After showing images of the Grant Park crowd, the camera cut back to the newscaster, and he explained that the reason they were not showing images from a McCain gathering too was because they did not have access to the candidate and his team “at the exclusive Arizona Biltmore Resort.”

The contrast drawn between the two election night venues was so vast. Ebullient, diverse, and open to the public vs. inaccessible and exclusive. And (fair or not, intentional or not) it drew corresponding contrasts between the candidates themselves. Regardless of who you supported in the election, this is a good reminder that everything you do reflects your brand values. (And also: a picture really is worth a thousand words.)