Political campaigns love copying brand logos. Here's why

"The Mamdani ad, which was broadcast during the Knicks's opening game last week, shows black-and-white footage of a pickup basketball game in a park as the narrator says, "New York, this is our year." There are shots of Mamdani campaigning interspersed with the pickup game, and the narrator says, "Things can be different. Hope is back," before the Knicks-style logo flashes on the screen over the sound of drums."

"The Knicks, whose owner donated last year to Mayor Eric Adams, weren't happy with the knockoff logo and sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Mamdani campaign asking them to knock it off, according to the New York Post, which first reported the letter. The campaign says it will comply and pulled the ads on Friday. The Mamdani campaign said it was adjusting the ad, and"

""while the Knicks might not be able to publicly support our campaign, we're proud to publicly support our NY Knicks," campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec said in a statement."

Zohran Mamdani's campaign aired a commercial using a New York Knicks-style campaign logo with "Zohran" over a basketball and footage of a pickup game. The ad played during the Knicks' opening game and featured narration promising change and hope before the knockoff logo appeared. The Knicks objected and sent a cease-and-desist letter, and the campaign complied by pulling the ad and adjusting it. A campaign spokesperson said the team still publicly supports the NY Knicks. Previous campaigns have also used brand-inspired logos and faced similar legal or corporate objections.

Read at Fast Company