Branding the Stimulus

The stimulus has a new logo! Pres. Obama said at the Dept. of Transportation yesterday that the administration will begin stamping an emblem on stimulus projects to clearly denote that they are being funded by the recovery program.

"We’re also making it easier for Americans to see what projects are being funded with their money as part of our recovery. So in the weeks to come, the signs denoting these projects are going to bear the new emblem of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” Obama said. “These emblems are symbols of our commitment to you, the American people -- a commitment to investing your tax dollars wisely, to put Americans to work doing the work that needs to be done. So when you see them on projects that your tax dollars made possible, let it be a reminder that our government -- your government -- is doing its part to put the economy back on the road of recovery.”

Now I'm not entirely sure how you can put an emblem on a project -- does it go on a sign outside the construction site? on the contract itself? just on the websites? -- but it's clear someone put a lot of time and thought into the emblem's imagery. What do you think of it? A good transparency measure? Gimmicky? A little of both?

(Hat tip: ABC News, The Cato Institute)