Are you planning to vote this fall? David Jones, advertising cartoonist and Chief Creative Officer at Third Street in Chicago, believes it's a great idea to do so. In fact, Jones and team remind that it's the price we must pay, if we feel like kvetching at a later date. "Our campaign celebrates complaining and explores the essential role that complaining has held in America," says Jones. The campaign …
The Ad Industry Has Lots Of Laborers, But No Unions
From the perspective or organized labor, this year's Democratic Convention in Charlotte is something of a bust. After pumping $8.5 million into the 2008 Democratic convention, unions decided against funding this year's convention because North Carolina is the most hostile state in the union to the very idea of, and practices of organized labor, as evidenced by the lowest unionization rate in America at 2.9 …
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Politics Is Marketing, So Don’t Tell Me Political Ads Don’t Work
If there’s one thing many voters of different political stripes agree on, it’s that they don’t like political ads. And ads are more pervasive than ever. That’s why politicians and Super PACs spend much of their time fundraising—they need to pay for the ads. So count me as incredibly skeptical when I see articles like this one from USA Today, which says that TV ads rarely swing Congressional elections. In the …
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When A Dislike Becomes A Like
Here in Washington State in November, we'll be voting on Initiative 502, which is designed to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana. Obviously, it's a controversial issue, although it has a lot of support. One of the pro-502 spots airing heavily on TV is this one. Note the jarring first line of the spot: "I don't like it personally, but..." Right from the start, we're supposed to feel sympathy with this …
Regardless Of Party, Voiceover Talent Get Plenty Of Green During Election Cycles
Man, if only I smoked 2 packs a day for the last 15 years, I'd have a pretty good voiceover voice. So how are voiceover artists doing? Some do very well in an election year. The Hollywood Reporter looks at the money--and the party loyalties involved. Once a voiceover artist works for one major political party, he or she is unlikely to get a call from the other. [Voiceover artist Pat] Duke says his Washington, …
Life Imitates Portlandia In The Mayoral Race
If you've ever been to Portland (or Seattle for that matter), then you know that certain sketches on IFC's Portlandia are so close to real life, it's kinda scary. This ad, for Portland mayoral candidate Eileen Brady, riffs off the TV show: I wonder how it'll play to the good citizens of Portland. David? …
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Etch A Sketch Shakes Up The Conversation, And Their Marketing
Playing off the news that one of Mitt Romney's advisors said that he would reset himself like an Etch A Sketch once the Republican primaries are over, the toymaker is having fun with some new ads: I love ads like this that can take its cues from recent events and still come out looking good. See the rest of the ads at Adweek. …
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David Esrati Markets Himself Once Again In Ohio Congressional Race
Advertising people, by and large, aren't a severely political bunch. Like the rest of the population, we have opinions, but there aren't too many advertising and marketing professionals willing to dive headfirst into politics. Not so for David Esrati, head of Dayton's The Next Wave, who once again is running for Congress as a Democrat in Ohio's 10th district. You can find out more at ElectEsrati.com. It's …
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