City Over Flag: How Zohran Mamdani’s Visual System Rewrote NYC Politics
Image credit: Zohran Mamdani
For decades, political campaigns in America have looked the same: the same red, white, and blue palette, the same serif fonts, and the same slogans about change and unity. It’s a visual language so overused that it lost meaning a long time ago.
Then came Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old from Queens who completely changed how political branding can look and feel. His campaign didn’t look like politics. It looked like New York: bold, local, energetic, and real.
The City as the Brand
The visual identity of Mamdani’s campaign was a statement of defiance. The colors were electric blue, metro yellow, and a warm orange with subtle red shadows. No flags, no gradients, no stars. The palette didn’t come from Washington; it came from the street, from taxi cabs, MetroCards, bodega awnings, halal carts, and even vintage Knicks uniforms. Every color felt like it belonged to the city’s everyday life.
The designers at Forge, a Philadelphia-based co-op, understood something most political campaigns miss: identity is geography. By building a visual world that looked and felt like New York, the campaign connected instantly with people. For once, a political brand didn’t tell voters what to believe. It showed them who it was for.
Design That Felt Human
Mamdani’s visuals stood out because they were imperfect. The typography was hand-drawn, uneven, and warm. It looked more like a storefront sign in Queens than a politician’s banner. That human touch made it trustworthy. In a political world that often feels distant and polished, the hand-made aesthetic made the campaign feel honest and personal. Forge called it “vernacular design,” design that speaks the language of everyday life. It worked because it didn’t pretend.
Visual Identity Backed by Strong Promises
What made this campaign powerful wasn’t just how it looked, but what it stood for. The visuals carried meaning because they were rooted in clear, simple promises: freeze rent, make buses fast and free, and offer universal childcare. These weren’t abstract ideas. They were real solutions to everyday problems. The colors and textures felt like the neighborhoods he was fighting for. The hand-drawn typography echoed the small businesses and food carts that shaped the campaign’s stories. The design wasn’t decoration; it was proof.
From Campaign to Culture
The design became more than branding; it became culture. Supporters began creating their own posters, T-shirts, and videos inspired by the campaign’s look. It wasn’t directed or planned; people simply wanted to wear what the campaign stood for. The visuals started showing up across social media, from murals to digital edits and handmade prints. The campaign didn’t chase virality; it created a visual system people wanted to be part of. When people feel ownership of your visual identity, you’ve built something much stronger than awareness. You’ve built belonging.
When Power Copies Rebellion
Midway through the race, something remarkable happened. Andrew Cuomo, Mamdani’s opponent, rebranded his campaign using almost the same blue and orange color palette. It was a clear sign that the visual narrative had shifted. The establishment was now following the challenger. In brand terms, that’s when a new story replaces the old one. It was validation that the campaign’s visual system didn’t just stand out; it set the standard.
A System, Not a Campaign
Behind the creativity was structure. Forge built a visual system that worked everywhere: posters, social media, street murals, and merchandise. It was consistent but flexible. It had rules but left room for people to make it their own. That’s what good brand governance looks like. It’s not about control. It’s about direction. The campaign balanced freedom with consistency, which made it feel everywhere at once, even without massive ad budgets.
Authenticity by Design
Mamdani’s campaign proved that authenticity isn’t about minimalism or tone of voice. It’s about alignment between who you are, what you stand for, and how you show up. Every color, every visual element, every design decision was consistent with his message of inclusion and affordability. It’s what made it believable. In a time when political branding often feels disconnected from reality, this campaign felt human, accessible, and real.
What Brands Can Learn
For anyone building a brand today, there are lessons in how Mamdani’s campaign used design as a bridge between people and purpose.
Design from the ground up. Let your inspiration come from the world of your audience, not the conventions of your industry.
Embrace imperfection. Real texture feels human. People connect with what feels familiar, not flawless.
Anchor creativity in clarity. Strong ideas make experimentation easier. Discipline gives creativity room to breathe.
Invite participation. When people can remix your identity, they carry it further than any ad campaign can.
Don’t be afraid of rebellion. Sometimes the smartest design decision is simply refusing to look like everyone else.
City Over Flag
By rejecting the visual symbols of Washington, Mamdani’s campaign didn’t just build a new aesthetic. It built a new sense of belonging. He didn’t use national colors to borrow authority; he used city colors to build community. He didn’t brand himself as a politician. He branded the feeling of being seen.
And that’s the real power of design: when it doesn’t just represent people, but reflects them.
