AN EMPTY VESSEL

In my 30-plus-year career in marketing communications, I've designed many corporate and organizational logos. Among the challenges of those assignments is the expectation by some clients that their logo somehow tell their entire story.

This expectation ranks right up there with design by committee as a creative kiss of death for any design project.

My advice to such clients is this: A logo starts out as an empty vessel. My job is to create one that's unique, attractive and memorable, one that distinguishes the organization in its field. 

The client's job, then, is to start filling the urn with positive customer/client impressions: the quality of their product or service, their pricing, advertising, community involvement...even the way employees answer the phone.

Those who best carry out that process are those with the "fullest," the most iconic, logos—think Nike, McDonald's, Apple. To the point where, in some cases, the symbol comes to do the entire job of identifying the company—no need to even mention its actual name.

POURING IT IN
So far, empty is where we are with the Un-T,™ new Symbol of the American Resistance. We have a simple, unique, easily-recognizable graphic, one that takes Donald Trump's precious brand and turns it on its head. One that, in the mathematical field of logic, represents a proposition that's always false.* And one that boldly expresses decent Americans' outrage, embar- rassment and (legal) defiance of this morally bankrupt wannabe dictator's agenda.

As we introduce it around the country and in cyber space, folks won't begin to grasp all that meaning at a glance. So that's our job. To let them know that:

• This is nothing at all like MAGAts' treasonous attempts to overturn the well-verified election of Joe Biden; we accept that the reality-show president won fair and square. But we oppose—we defy—his clearly-stated objective of destroying democratic institutions in favor of a self-serving oligarchy.
  
  
• We call out the mass delusion among about half our countrymen that this charlatan is a heaven-sent hit man to act out for them their worst instincts.
  
  
• We hold to the fire the feet of those who have bet our children's and grand- children's future on this incredibly corrupt, shallow, vindictive man. Remind them each time he betrays that trust to sate his lust for wealth and power.
  
  
  
  
  
• We declare our embarrassment that the freely-elected leader of the United States of America is a man of such emotional immaturity, such abysmally poor character, such willful ignorance. Not to mention a convicted felon.
  
  
• We will not break the law. What we will do is doggedly express our resistance, leaving our mark in so many places around the country that no politician, no commentator or influencer, no voter can possibly doubt our resolve.
  

These are the thoughts, feelings and qualities with which we'll imbue the Un-T, this arresting new Symbol of the American Resistance.

ACTION STEPS
So won't you please lend a hand? Encourage folks who might feel overwhelmed by Trump's rantings and reckless behavior to symbolically dump all their fears, frustrations and fury into this one eloquent letter. And then show it, share it and promote it nationwide.

For specific action steps, check out the Call to Action in the post below. ▼

* In logic the ⊥, representing a proposition that's always false, is called a falsum or absurdum.
   (Isn't that just perfect?)

Many thanks for your curiosity about the Un-T™. It’s the initial that takes the Orange Ego’s precious brand and turns it on its head, the new Symbol of the American Resistance.

Now that I have your attention, here’s what we need to do.

Very simply, the goal is to see the Un-T popping up all across our great country, reminding thoughtful folks everywhere of our solidarity in standing up to the con man of our age, the would-be dictator who is Donald J. Trump.

Just imagine the emblem appearing in so many real and virtual places that no politician, no political reporter or influencer, no voter can possibly miss it.

WHAT TO DO RIGHT NOW

A. Copy the Un-T image below and make letter-size color prints to display in a window at home, or in your car or work cubby. Be sure to include the QR code so other folks can access the information here.


B. Resize and/or laminate the image to make your own lawn sign, bumper sticker, t-shirt, protest placard…whatever. If you have a printer friend who owes you a favor, get a bunch printed and hand them out to like-minded friends.

C. Take pictures of your Un-T displays and share them on social media.

D. If you know any NFL, NBA or WNBA stars who embrace the Resistance, ask them to put the Un-T on their shoes. (Too much? Hm-m-m, I'm not so sure.)

That’s it. Happy Resisting! Thank you.

If you still need encouragement check out my blog post, OUTRAGE TO ACTION – Ten Acts of Resistance to the Dismantling of Democracy, with more ideas on how to, in the words of the late great Congressman John Lewis, get into good trouble defending America’s honor.

For the fascinating origins of the Un-T concept, including the meaning of an upside-down T, see The Un-T, New Symbol of the American Resistance.