Ad Wars: Funny money
Updated on 23 October 2008
As the race enters the final stages Barack Obama is putting humour as well as cash into his campaign, writes James von Leyden.
In September Barack Obama raised a record monthly sum of
over $150m.
It brings his overall total to more than $600 million, almost as much as the total raised by every presidential candidate in 2004 combined.
With money no object Obama is taking the fight to the Republican heartlands. He is advertising in normally solid GOP states like Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Indiana, Montana and West Virginia.
In North Carolina, which hasn't voted for a Democrat president since 1976, a steady stream of ads is airing with the aim of persuading Obama volunters to join the effort.
'James Taylor for Obama'
Even James Taylor is getting in on the act. In James Taylor for Obama the songwriter strums Carolina in my mind while urging supporters to "knock on doors, make phone calls, talk to friends and neighbours. Let's get Carolina in everyone's mind."
Meanwhile, with just $47 million to spend until polling day, John McCain has dropped all advertising on national network TV and national cable TV.
On Tuesday he stopped advertising in New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Colorado, Maine and Minnesota to concentrate on Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania.
Obama's poll dominance and cash superiority mean there are fewer states left for McCain to fight for, and fewer weapons to do it with.
'McCain's Robocalls: An All Out Assault'
This might explain the notorious (and cheap) Robocalls he's running alongside the Republican National Committee in Virginia.
McCain's Robocalls uses a recording of a Robocall accompanied by images of dots proliferating on a map to encourage Obama supporters to fight back' by visiting www.fightthesmears.com
With 12 days to go John McCain faces huge dilemmas.
He has to wage war on two opponents: Barack Obama and (in effect) the Bush administration.
As for Sarah Palin, she is now a liability. Her image has disappeared from McCain ads, along with the line 'The Original Mavericks' - it was mavericks in Wall Street who got America into the economic mess.
If McCain talks about the economy 'he will lose'. On the other hand, he risks alienating voters if he uses negative tactics like Robocalls.
'Robocall' will undoubtedly take its place in the lexicon of Election 2008, alongside 'palling around', 'lipstick on a pig' and 'Joe the Plumber'.
'Sweaty equity'
Joe the Plumber was one of McCain's few recent bright spots. At last he had found a readily-identifiable image that would strike a chord with blue collar voters. Sweat equity is McCain's attempt to leverage the eponymous plumber.
It zeroes in on Obama's comment to Joe the Plumber about 'spreading the wealth around' (another phrase for the lexicon).
The commercial features men and women looking to camera and defiantly declaring 'I'm Joe the Plumber'... 'I'm Joe the Plumber'.
The refrain has echoes of the line from the Kirk Douglas film 'I am Spartacus', 'I am Spartacus', though it's a moot point whether this is an advantage or a disadvantage.
The commercial ends with an attack on Barack Obama - "higher taxes, more spending, not ready" - pithily condensing three key McCain messages into just six words.
With his opponent bogged down in broad-based messaging, Obama has the poll advantage - and the cash - to do exactly what he wants.
A favoured activity is courting the youth vote. Spots have appeared in video games like Guitar Hero.
'Natalie Portman Wants You to Have "The Talk" '
In Natalie Portman Wants You to Have "The Talk" the actress urges young supporters to persuade their parents and grandparents to vote for Obama.
The dog-eat-dog approach which characterised Obama's previous attacks and counter-attacks against John McCain has given way to upbeat - even offbeat - advertising.
'Early Vote, Florida!'
Early Vote, Florida! uses retro footage and animation to ask Floridans if they remember "those days when you had to spend hours baking in the kitchen or had only one day to vote? Well, thanks to progress", the voice-over chirps, "those inconvenient days are over!"
'Al the Shoesalesman Gets a Tax Cut'
Al the Shoesalesman Gets a Tax Cut introduces Obama's answer to Joe the Plumber - 'Al the Shoesalesman'.
Featuring Al Bundy from the TV hit Married with Children the ad shows Al sitting at a computer working out if he will benefit from the Obama tax cut. It's sure to raise laughs.
'90 Percent'
90 percent, another serious message pitched in a light-hearted way, was released just hours after last week's presidential debate.
It takes the second of McCain's sound-bites - that he's not President Bush, and that if Obama wanted to run against Bush he should have run four years ago - and throws it right back.
Facts about the McCain voting record (90% in support of George W. Bush) are juxtaposed with shots of John McCain's facial expressions during the debate.
The effect is telling - and hilarious.
If Obama keeps using humour in this way, McCain is a shoo-in for the sympathy vote.
It's perhaps not quite what the Republican candidate had in mind.
James von Leyden is a copywriter and brand strategist
