Few people who upload their drawing to the internet expect their work to be picked up by a Donald Trump fundraising committee.
The Trump Card is presented to supporters who donate at least $US45 to Trump's fundraising efforts. Photo: Screenshot
But that's exactly what happened to one Wellington-based graphic designer, whose illustration of a golden eagle has become the logo of the official "Trump Card".
The card is presented to supporters who donate at least $US45 ($NZ64) to Trump's fundraising efforts.
Designer David Peters had downloaded the image to Shutterstock.
He said the first he knew about the Trump campaign using the image was when he was contacted by the Insider media organisation asking him for comment.
"At the time I wanted to keep a really low profile and I didn't want to talk about it publicly, I wanted to keep it quiet but I think it's such a funny story that it's worth telling."
The image was picked up by the Trump campaign after Wellington designer David Peters put it on Shutterstock. Photo: Screenshot / Shutterstock
Peters said that was because he could not see "any good" coming from being associated with Trump.
He said he designed the logo about seven years ago when he was approached by a man who wanted "a massive eagle emblazoned on the bonnet of his car".
"So we did the design, coordinated the print and had it stuck to his car and he drove away happy."
Peters said he retained the rights to the drawing and put it on Shutterstock and over the course of about seven years it earned about $US224.
"So I think that boiled down to about 56 US cents per download and Trump will have paid something like, or his campaign would've paid something like $US3."
He said the Trump campaign may have even got the design for free since it is possible to get an initial free credit if you have just opened a Shutterstock account.
Peters was dismissive of how cheap this is in terms of a public marketing campaign.
"I just think it really highlights his disdain for even his own supporters, like just how cheap this is and he hasn't employed a real person to design something special for his official card, like he has to find it on Shutterstock and that's the way he goes about it."
Peters said the whole incident is surreal but it also tracks everything we know about Trump.
He said there were four designs that went out to voters for use on the Trump Card and his supporters chose the eagle.
Peters rejects criticism that the eagle looks like a Nazi representation saying extreme groups from both the left and the right will have "ridiculous spins on things".
"This is one from the left, where grasping at straws they're likening it to iconography from the Third Reich and yup it looks very very similar, but it's also an American Eagle."
He said it was designed for a car hood and is an American Eagle and that's as far as it goes.
