Ad-makers say Democratic candidates need to stop being boring

[brooklynite]

Politico

From solemn candidates speaking straight into a camera to deep-voiced narrators talking as American flags wave in a light breeze, the TV spots aired so far by 10 Democratic White House hopefuls are heavy on earnest presentations and omnipresent tropes, looking and sounding like the ads candidates have been running for decades.

The onslaught of uber-traditional advertising has surprised observers and ad-makers watching the record number of Democratic candidates navigating the presidential race in an era of massive political change. They say it has left open a major opportunity for a creative campaign to break through amid the hundreds of millions of dollars of advertising still to come before the party picks a nominee.

Candidates don’t want to risk appearing unpresidential or make themselves the subject of talk-show mockery, but they may need to try something more original to break open a static 2020 campaign that has featured little polling movement and an ultra-crowded media environment.

“If you just do these ads that could have anyone else’s name stamped on them, that’s the really risky path to take,” said Owen Brennan, a Los Angeles-based ad-maker who made advertisements for Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2016 campaign, which — like competitor and now-President Donald Trump — steered away from straightforward biographical ads during the race.

By comparison, think of the ads for MJ Hegar, Valerie Plame, Amy Mcgrath...

[dsc]

1. sweet God

this is literally everything wrong with modern political coverage in one article. God for fing bid we actually learn what it is that a candidate has done or wants to do with power, Instead let us see a woman drive a car and tell us not one whit about what she may or may not do with power. I am so sick of Tiger Beat on the Potomac covering irrelevant crapola.

[monmouth4]

2. You wrote what ran through my mind as I was reading that. I don't want to be entertained, I want to

be informed. Easy peasy, tell the truth and be honest about it.

[brooklynite]

3. Absolutely disagree

20 seconds of screen time (after "I'm [candidate name] and I approve this message" ) isn't going to tell you about a health care policy, gun reform plan or economic goals. That information is available at a campaign website IF you draw the voter in. Campaign ads at this point need to establish a campaign's tone and a candidate's character.

I didn't support Bernie in 2016 but he had by far the most compelling campaign ad, which said nothing about MFA or free college tuition.

[Uncle Joe]

9. I loved that ad!

Thanks for posting it brooklynite.

[zentrum]

4. Agree. We need high

...energy ads to reach the benumbed American middle.

The old approach will doom us.

[PatrickforO]

5. My tendency here is to criticize the media idiots, NOT our candidates.

They are out there trying to talk about real issues that affect all of us, not the pabulum the media likes because it raises ratings.

What bullshit!

[crazytown]

6. "Owen Brennan ...who made advertisements for Sen. Ted Cruz"

A creative for a loathsome ratfucker doesn't think Dem ads are interesting enough. Good.

[BlueMississippi]

7. There is some truth to that

Humor, chutzpah, personality and soundbites are far more memorable as far as advertisements go.

e.g. Geico commercials

[asiliveandbreathe]

8. Now that Speaker OR-DAH Bercow will be available after the 31stOct., I would hire him

to appear in all my ads....he is charismatic, has a great command of the English language, funny, and totally believe he could get anyone's attention....and keep it...

[SCVDem]

10. We can run a thousand ads based on tRumps

lies, cheats, and negative impact on farmers, native Americans and America's stance on the global stage.

tRump talks national security on the border, we point out the spies' outed by Republicans. Plame fired a nice broadside which we follow up with the spy we pulled from Putins inner circle.

The Taliban coming before 9-11?

tRump turning away Bahamian disaster victims turns thoughts to the 1939 incident with the MS St. Louis. We turned away a ship of Jewish refugees. Here we are with the 2019 version.

Abortion, the 2nd, hell, the 1st and 25th. Moscow Mitch, Leningrad Lindsey, cover ups

Let's put some real reality in those ads. Run source notes for fact checking so they can't say fake.

ATTACK!