Always leave room for milk... and the Audience

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuaUz7QUXfc] There's something quirky about this spot that I like. I really like the line "Corey may be the frontrunner in this race, but he's no progressive." There's an honesty to it that I think voters will appreciate.

Still I just can't bring myself to love this spot. It's one of those that ads that I'm ambivalent about -- those are my favorite to write about. I write abou them because when I'm ambivalent, I usually can't put my finger on what's bothering me. Thats the case here.

Could it be the spot is a little too on the nose? Could it be the opening which is distinct (the scientist from Jeopary) but somehow akward (too self promoting maybe)? I don't mind the middle issue section because those are a MacGuffin, a way for Holt to signal his values without saying he's a progressive. But then they go ahead and say Booker's not progressive and use progressive in the tag.

I guess I can see the potential of this spot (I'm a scientist, Booker's the front runner but his story doesn't match his values -- do they match yours), but it doesn't really reach it, and leave no room for the audience to put themselves in the spot, instead telling us what to think.

A blast from the past...

Doug Bailey, founder of the Hotline, died today. Reading a little about him, I discovered he was a political consultant, who worked for President Ford when he ran for re-election against Jimmy Carter. Which led me to this, never aired ad/video (alert: it's four minutes long): https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8mILEkcrHvQ

It's interesting, with some modern touches, like the person on the street interviews, and some anachronisms, like wide collars and a catchy song that's kinda awful at the same time. Beyond that, the controversy is at about 2:47 where they show Ford thrown off by a cherry bomb explosion (there were two assisnation attempts on him) and then pointedly say things have changed when a President can go to Texas in the open air -- an obvious reference to Kennedy. (There's also the mention of a university again a symbol of the discord of the 60's.)

What struck me was how the symbols we use change so rapidly. A president in Texas or a president being embraced at a University would have less meaning or certainly different meaning today then it did. It makes me wonder if part of Clinton's appeal to youth some how harkened us back to the discord of the 60's as well, did it effect voters on an unconsious level?

Symbols are powerful tools. This video didn't air because it was too controversial, even 12 years after Kennedy was killed. Symbols are powerful tools, but only in the right context.