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2020 campaign websites, color palettes and logos are more colorful and dynamic than ever before.
Why it matters: "In the past, the national colors of red, white and blue have always been safe," says acclaimed graphic designer Michael Bierut, who created the infamous "H" logo for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.
Colors embody policy principles: Candidates with priorities around climate change, like Jay Inslee and Amy Klobuchar, are using greens.
Younger candidates take boldest approaches: Beto O'Rouke has chosen to avoid all colors, opting solely for an authoritative black and white logo, while Pete Buttigeieg's color scheme is much more modern, featuring yellow, blue, orange and tan hues.
New hues, traditional colors: Even though many of the campaigns have introduced new color schemes into their electoral palettes, most haven't ditched red, white and blue entirely.
The blue factor: Different variations of the color blue definitely stand out amongst the 2020 field, despite a wave of new color choices.
Yes, but: "One concern for picking such a daring and bold color choice is when we look out over the blue sea of Democratic supporters, perception of support for some candidates will be in the number of green or pink signs," says Chris Delia, Group Creative Director of Code and Theory, a design agency.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
In a world where there's so much content to chose from, media companies are building up popular franchises with name recognition to lure consumers.
Driving the news: Disney's mega-success at the box office this weekend stems from its focus on franchises.
Digital companies are starting to mimic this strategy.
Between the lines: Some of the strongest media franchises in history haven't come from media companies themselves, but rather sports leagues.
Disney's 3-hour-long presentation of Marvel’s "Avengers: Endgame" has obliterated box office records, bringing in a whopping $350 million in North America and $1.2 billion worldwide during its opening weekend.
Why it matters: Disney's success can largely be attributed to the three franchises that it has cultivated or acquired over the past few years: Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars.
The big picture: Disney has had the No. 1 grossing movie every year since 2012 and been the top grossing studio since 2016, Axios Markets Reporter Dion Rabouin writes.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau's annual Digital Content "NewFronts" begin this week.
Some of the big trends we're watching:
Here's what's been announced so far.
Yes, but: These presentations, born out of the TV "UpFronts" tradition of networks showcasing programming in the spring to sell more ad inventory upfront, are less necessary in the digital sphere for actually selling ads.
What's next: NewFronts and Upfronts ahead:
Illustration: Axios/Sarah Grillo
Deal activity in the media and entertainment sector is way down in 2019, according to the latest technology, media and telecom deals report from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, but that doesn't mean a few big moves aren't on the horizon.
Here's what we're watching:
Go deeper: Media merger mayhem
If this is what Facebook looks like when it's back on its heels, it's hard to imagine how dominant the social networking giant would be if it were, say, leaning in.
Why it matters: That's all after the company's two-year cascade of controversy, criticism by lawmakers, and negative coverage over privacy lapses, allegations of bias, failures to rein in hate speech, charges of monopolistic behavior, and fears of Facebook-fueled digital addiction, Axios tech editor Scott Rosenberg writes.
Meanwhile, Google is showing signs of slowing down ... Google parent company Alphabet Inc. in the first quarter posted its slowest revenue growth since 2015, per The Wall Street Journal.
An alligator suns near a fairway on a Florida golf course. Photo: Michael Cohen/Getty Images.
Sports media and entertainment is growing fast in the region that has long been known for theme parks and tourism, Axios' Kim Hart writes from Orlando.
Why it matters: The sizable presence of sports media and video game industry signals a hub growing outside of the New York/Connecticut and California regions.
The big picture: In Central Florida, there’s a fairly large pool of creative workers fostered by Disney World, as well as simulation talent coming out of defense-focused companies who are finding new applications for augmented reality, including video games. The optimum sports-playing weather brings plenty of tournaments and players for training.
Be smart: "Orlando has lived under the shadow of the mouse," said Carlos Carbonell, CEO of Echo Interaction Group who is active the area's economic development efforts, referring to Disney's dominance as the main attraction in the area.