At 7 p.m. on Friday, the longest day of the year, the golden-hour light spilled over a block-long line of people outside of an indie bookstore in Manhattan’s East Village. It was the kind of queue typically reserved for Instagrammable pop-ups, the opening of a Stussy store, or a celebrity meet-and-greet. “Is he in there?” a few pedestrians murmured, craning their necks towards the storefront.
The “he” in question was 33-year-old New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. And to the dismay of the people asking, he wasn’t inside the bookstore, where a free campaign screenprinting event was taking place. At that moment, Mamdani was busy walking the length of Manhattan, meeting voters face to face, one block at a time. On Astor Place, though, the scene was bustling. Devoted volunteers—teachers, retail workers, college kids, and even high-school students—signed people up to vote while churning out Zohran-stamped T-shirts, tote bags, and other garments for the hundreds of supporters in attendance.
The merch was all free. Mamdani hasn’t been allowed to sell any since hitting his fundraising goal early in the campaign. And so he’s opted to give it away at volunteer events and host DIY gatherings like this one, where supporters can have their own items decorated with his logo.
Courtesy of Harrison Morgan / Zohran Mamdani Campaign
On my way from Flatbush to the screenprinting event, I couldn’t go more than two blocks without spotting those vivid, yellow-and-blue Mamdani posters on halal carts, bodegas, small businesses, and apartment windows. The design stands out in a sea of familiar campaign signage. Many progressive candidates have adopted a look for their logos and signage that has become known as the “AOC slant”; Mamdani’s team intentionally avoided this look in favor of a bolder and more summery design.
“It’s not the classic Dem blue, Republican red. We wanted [the logo to feel like] a yellow taxi cab, something that really represents New York City,” said Katie Riley, Mamdani’s deputy campaign manager. The wordmark was hand-drawn by graphic designer Aneesh Bhoopathy, a former member of the Queens DSA who is now based in Philadelphia. According to Riley, the design also took inspiration from city street signs and old Bollywood movie posters. “It’s bright and colorful and joyful,” she said.
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