Grand Boulevard of the Americas banner  Can we please stop killing Gotham? Made especially famous during the 2008 election cycle as the Obama campaign’s typeface of choice, this easy-to-read sans serif from Hoefler & Frere-Jones has become ubiquitous as designers across the nation saw the success of Obama’s campaign and thought, “I can do that!” The only problem is that every time I see Gotham now, I think about the times that I just want to change the station because Smashmouth’s “All Star” has come on the radio again (and now it’s in your head…you’re welcome). It’s unfortunate, too, because Gotham is so fantastic, particularly set in uppercase as it is here on these banners that run down Grand (this one actually hangs on the bridge that crosses the North side of the downtown loop). I just don’t want to see Gotham go the way of those pop songs that got so played out that we lost sight of how brilliant they were in the first place. So please, I beg of you graphic designers: give Gotham a rest.

Grand Boulevard of the Americas banner 

Can we please stop killing Gotham? Made especially famous during the 2008 election cycle as the Obama campaign’s typeface of choice, this easy-to-read sans serif from Hoefler & Frere-Jones has become ubiquitous as designers across the nation saw the success of Obama’s campaign and thought, “I can do that!”

The only problem is that every time I see Gotham now, I think about the times that I just want to change the station because Smashmouth’s “All Star” has come on the radio again (and now it’s in your head…you’re welcome).

It’s unfortunate, too, because Gotham is so fantastic, particularly set in uppercase as it is here on these banners that run down Grand (this one actually hangs on the bridge that crosses the North side of the downtown loop). I just don’t want to see Gotham go the way of those pop songs that got so played out that we lost sight of how brilliant they were in the first place.

So please, I beg of you graphic designers: give Gotham a rest.

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