Ashleigh Axios worked as President Obama's creative director. She was in-charge of managing the online presence of the White House and the man in the country's highest position.
Digital Arts reported that the creative director's role included engaging the American public on President Obama's policies. She also needed to present him in a favorable light which, as she said, entailed showing the people that the president is a human being with values and emotions.
One of Ashleigh Axios' projects was lighting up the White House with the rainbow flag, in support of gay marriage. Part of her role was to create visuals to support the president's yearly State of the Union address to Congress.
Last month, President Obama's creative director spoke at the D&AD Festival in London. There, she shared her tips on how she successfully did her job.
As mentioned earlier, Axios needed to show the public that President Obama is human. When she was tasked to win the public over for the extensive changes to the country's healthcare system, instead of going the traditional route, they decided to go to Funny or Die's YouTube show.
In doing that, Obama was able to talk about the benefits of the updated system. He was also able to provide basic information on how to access it.
Ashleigh Axios also believes that people should be empowered to lead their own projects. This encourages them to develop their own ideas.
"Diversity breeds integration," she said. Apparently, the Obama administration is the first to take interns from the opposing party because it is important that the staff represent all of the American people.
Oftentimes, when a brand is too serious about keeping its image, it may lose its appeal to people. It is important to have fun and present a genuine image.
According to PR Newswire, Axios admitted that working in the government as a designer is not easy. However, she hoped that people will be inspired and motivated with her career.
