From the beginning of President Obama's election, he was an underdog. His campaign staff knew that they had to mold his image into an electable candidate. The team was trying to give him a "timeless... he's already president feel" for his brand image. They moved to a sleek design that would differentiate President Obama from the rest of the presidential candidates. The team used a strategy that entitled a sense of patriotism and typography that resembled historical documents to create a strong subliminal effect among voters.
The symbol that was created for President Obama's campaign became synonymous with his campaign, allowing for this symbol to be used in standalone instances. This means that the that the small circle was only needed for visual communication. The team managed to create a strong brand image for President Obama's campaign that could be tailored to fit whatever demographic they needed.