Ad infinitum: Two Ads

Two quick notes on two ads that have been in the hopper for a couple of days: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCXu21N4afE]

Good ad. It doesn't always work, but I like that they stayed with the concept, the execution gets rough with the mirror images of Fisher, but I like the CG's on the road signs. Though, I kinda ignored the road signs, as if I was driving (if you've read Tom Vanderbilt's awesome book on traffic, called, "Traffic," you would know this is a common phenomena).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j4RF6cx0SY&feature=player_embedded]

Very similar to the last ad I looked at by Fred Davis. Fiorina looks great in the ad, but I have to say, I again question attacking Boxer for being arrogant, when Fiorina comes off as so arrogant. It's like the pot calling the kettle black.  There's even an arrogant/snide tone as she's talking about Boxer's arrogance. I don't get it.

Favorite Senate Candidate of 2010 (April Edition)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncJfk7lYR2E&playnext_from=TL&videos=OmBXZLpOamY&feature=sub] Cal Cunningham might be my new favorite candidate for congress.

So far he's 2 for 2 in my book, with another strong ad.  I like the beginning with all the CG's incorporated into the buildings.  I like how he becomes a part of his website, and I especially like the end tag: "I approve this message because North Carolina is where we fight back."

It's interesting (and effective) because he's taking the other side's rhetoric and making it his own.  I think it's also effective because it's vague enough that it let's people read their own subtext into that.  It could be "fight back" against the government, "fight back" against Wall Street, "fight back" against Republicans.  I think Cunningham also sells this spot, he's pretty good reading to camera.

My one criticism of the spot is that it's very issues heavy,  I lose some of Cunningham in that section -- I lose my connection to him.

Still, this is a very nicely done spot.

Moving on...

I suppose there are a lot of things I could be talking about today.  I was going to look at all the Scott Brown ads and all the Martha Coakley ads and do my campaign post-mortem that way, but I'm jet lagged and cold, so that plan went out the window.  There are a lot of things I could say about  the MA Senate race, it's result, and the aftermath, but none of them are particularly germane to this point of this blog, so it's time to move on. Two ads from Kay Bailey Hutchinson who's running for Governor of Texas:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6CgFJlR5Xc&feature=sub]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4lATf5OcYc&feature=sub]

Maybe this is a Texas issue -- meaning maybe it resonates with Texans, it kinda falls flat on my Yankee ears.  But the first ad is actually a clever way of presenting the message, flat or not.  The sound design is nicely done too, as some of those images are actually stills, but the sounds make you feel the motion of the cars.  I like this style of presentation, I'm not really sure what it's called, but it's interesting and gets your attention.  You get the point even if you think it's ridiculous.

The second ad is the same message, but it's just more blah, blah, blah. And while I try not to be too partisan on the site, the image at the end with Hutchinson & Cheney, the guy really looks all hunched over and troll like than ever.