Presidential Hopefuls Launch Ads
2008 Candidates Air You Tube Videos Aimed At Young Voters
Commercials have begun to air for the presidential candidates of 2008 clearly aiming to attract new voters, particularly young ones, to particular campaigns
We have arrived at the somewhat hopeful, somewhat depressing time of year in which presidential hopefuls begin their televised messages to the general audience, hoping to curry favor in voters’ minds. This is especially important, of course, for candidates who are not as well known to voters, as this gives them a chance to speak about what is important to them, and their values and beliefs.
In many cases, early presidential commercials have little to do with wooing over voters from the other side of the political spectrum. Independents, of course, are valuable, but the real focus is on your loyal base.
The current crop of hopefuls for the White House is similar to the usual crowd in that commercials are aimed at attracting those voters whom are still ‘up for grabs’ in both the Republic and Democratic camp. Even candidates that are as well known as Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani feel the need to put out early campaign commercials in order to better express their views in this current race.
What is particularly interesting in the 2008 campaign is that You Tube is becoming an increasingly viable source to use in order to get one’s message across. Both so-called first tier candidates and second tier candidates are using this medium to reach younger audiences. This first contact with youth will prove important at November 2008 draws nearer.
Eccentric Mike Gravel from Alaska is indicative of the trend to youth-oriented advertising: his current political ad on You Tube shows the long-shot standing relatively close to a video camera and silently staring at the viewer. After about 90 seconds, Gravel turns around and walks away, but stops to pick up a stone and throw it in the water; then he continues walking. The ad is utterly bizarre, and yet somehow, seems totally in line with the Generation Y voter to whom this ad is supposed to appeal. There is some talk of it being the first presidential commercial for stoners ever, which is interesting when one looks at Gravel’s anti-war on drugs stance.
Bill Richardson’s ads, which show the candidate in a job interview with a rather annoying interviewer, are supposed to indicate a sense of humor on the part of Richardson himself, while also highlighting his record. While they may seem too self-effacing at times, adequate camera time by the candidate ensure that voters unfamiliar with Richardson will at least get a sense of who the man truly is. Also, the humorous angle taken by the ad is a popular one with the audience it is intended for and comes across as relatively genuine.
Mitt Romney’s campaign, on the other hand, clearly has no idea of the power of internet as a medium, or just how different online commercials really should look. Romney’s ad that portrays him as a savior of Massachusetts, with his wife offering a corny quote about how great he is, further portray the Republican front-runner as nothing new. The swelling music, excessive clapping, and all-round wholesome appeal that Romney aims for in this commercial simply do not work.
Without a doubt, You Tube is not going to be the only medium that young voters (or any voters for that matter) look at; however, having broad cross appeal will be extremely important as this campaign matures, and having made a good first impression with younger audiences is never a bad thing.
