The Democratic National Convention announced this week it’ll feature a little slice of Chicago.
Well, the badges will at least.
The Democratic National Convention Committee, which oversees the formal nominating event for Democratic candidates for president and vice president, announced that it has chosen Chicago-based firm AgencyEA to design the credential badges. And Chicago-based digital printer Sunrise Hitek Group will be one of two companies that produce them.
Both are minority-owned businesses.
AgencyEA, which has worked on events for the Obama administration as well as companies including Twitter and LinkedIn, will design the credentials worn by delegates, alternates, staffers, volunteers and media at the event.
Sunrise Hitek, based on Chicago’s Northwest Side, will die-cut the badges after another company prints them, said owner Jimmy Sun. He said the company also worked with DNCC in 2012 to print convention badges.
The DNCC would not say how many companies presented proposals, or how many credentials the designs will appear on, but the organization said the convention will draw 50,000 attendees.
The convention will be July 25-28 in Philadelphia.
Details on the design are scant so far, save for a bright, high-contrast rendition of Philly’s statue of fist-pumping Rocky Balboa that the DNCC posted on Instagram. AgencyEA managing partner Gabrielle Martinez said that image nods to the badge design scheme but isn’t exactly it. The designs will reflect values of the Democratic Party and the significance of holding the convention in Philadelphia, a DNCC spokesman said.
Martinez said AgencyEA, which has had a team of employees working on the project, tried to balance the history and magnitude of the event with a “fresh, modern” look. Of the two looks presented to the committee, she said the one chosen is a bit more unconventional.
“We kind of just take all that into consideration — we’re used to diving deep and really making sure we’re bringing to life the true intent and goals of any client on any project,” she said.
The DNCC said it made a request for proposals in January and chose the firm because “the quality of work that AgencyEA is known for, combined with AgencyEA being a Latina-owned business, make them an ideal choice to design our credentials,” a spokesman said in an email to Blue Sky.
And long after the convention, the groups hope the badges become keepsakes and pieces of history.
“It quickly became a true passion project here around the office because (we) recognized the reach and impact these pieces will have,” Martinez said.
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