ANALYSIS
AD WATCH: HODGEPODGE EDITION 2014 commercials already? Some candidates for U.S. Congress are already up with ads online, likely presaging the intensity of the battle that will be waged in the midterm elections next year. Of course, the majority of us have only just turned our attention to this year’s general election. While the airwaves are not yet saturated with spots aimed at convincing us how to vote this November, there are still plenty of commercials to consider. And so we present this hodgepodge edition of Ad Watch. To view all the spots in their entirety and read our take on three others, check out cityandstateny.com/ad-watch. By MORGAN PEHME “NOAM BRAMSON 40% PAY RAISE”
“OUR BEST CENTURY YET”
“#ITSTIME: SERGIO FOR MAYOR”
CANDIDATE: Rob Astorino
CANDIDATE: Chris Gibson
CANDIDATE: Sergio Rodriguez
PRODUCED BY: NLO Strategies (New York City) and Digiworks Media (Brookfield, Conn.)
PRODUCED BY: Meath Media Group (Washington, D.C.)
PRODUCED BY: Shot by JD Films (Syracuse, N.Y.), conceived by the candidate and Bob Lingle
LENGTH: 30 seconds
LENGTH: 1 minute, 12 seconds
LENGTH: 1 minute, 38 seconds
DESCRIPTION: This ad is another installment in a series hammering away at Bramson, the challenger to Westchester County Executive Astorino, for giving himself a pay raise as New Rochelle’s mayor. The ad concludes with a refrain from previous spots, delivered in a testimonial from a senior citizen: “Westchester just can’t afford Noam Bramson.”
DESCRIPTION: This Web spot reintroduces viewers to Congressman Gibson, playing up his background in the armed forces and laying out some of his ideas for improving upstate New York. It concludes with a direct fundraising appeal and an invitation to connect with the campaign via social networking.
DESCRIPTION: This dramatically scored ad lists a series of depressing statistics about Buffalo and then moves to a diverse range of residents saying, “It’s time” (also the campaign’s Twitter hashtag) to turn around the city.
PROS: This ad initially caught City & State’s attention because it is the first commercial to draw footage from our fledgling Last Look video series. Bramson’s smile in that clip—which is freeze-framed, discolored and turned off-kilter, of course—is one of several well-selected shots of Bramson that make him look as loathsome and unhinged as possible. The African-American woman who gives the negative testimonial at the end of the ad comes across as stingingly credible. CONS: The stock photos of the firefighter and police officer used in this commercial are just one of the elements that give it a forgettable, by-the-numbers attack ad feel—the kind of spot that easily blurs in the mind of the viewer with a million other commercials in this vein they have seen over the years. That being said, it pounds away at a very simple, one-note concept, so even if the particulars of this ad vanish from the voter’s memory, the accusation could very well stick. EXPERT OPINION: “Though the production of this ad is not first-rate, its message is crystal clear: Bramson took a pay raise his first year in office and raised taxes at the same time. Additionally, the ad claims Bramson cut firefighters and police. It might not be pretty, but in terms of effectiveness, it hits the mark.”—Scott Levenson, President and founder, The Advance Group 6
SEPTEMBER 23, 2013 | www.cityandstateny.com
PROS: This “red meat for patriots” ad features no fewer than nine shots containing American flags in 72 seconds. It also repeats the words strong and freedom, and not so subtly works in other vocabulary that evokes Gibson’s military service, like shot, mission and fighting. The very first image of the ad—a camera motion from the blinding light of the heavens to a smiling Gibson and his wife—is another obvious touch, though not one that is necessarily ineffective. For the audience at which this spot is aiming—conservative, proud American upstate voters—this commercial comes across as comforting and hopeful. CONS: This is certainly not an all-audiences spot. To those outside of its target viewership, it could very well leave the impression of being a stream of pandering pabulum. Subtlety is not its strong point. EXPERT OPINION: “Completely generic and forgettable. Who is he? What office is he running for again? Dogcatcher in Alabama? No mention of what he’s accomplished or why he’s at all distinguishable. A shopping list—brain dump, really—of issues with zero connection to local concerns. Why isn’t he speaking to the voters? Voice-over alone isn’t effective. Way too negative, despite swelling music and patriotic theme— all problems, no solutions! Says it’s hopeful but isn’t. Might as well be a stirring but pointless commercial for a local used car lot, though at least that would have more of a connection to the community it’s trying to sell in. And unless he’s running against a Communist and it’s 1956, too much with the ‘We’re great’ theme. New century? We’re 13 years into it already.” —Political and media consultant Michael Tobman
PROS: This nicely shot ad pops with vibrant colors and strong locations. CONS: This Web spot is reminiscent of Rodriguez’s opponent Mayor Byron Brown’s brilliant ad “Progress,” but the contrast in execution between the two is humbling. The script is decidedly weaker, falling back on generalizations instead of the powerful specifics driven home in Brown’s video. The title cards over picture are a bit amateurish, and the acting is overdramatic—which is all the more glaring when viewed against Brown’s ad, where the genuineness of the nonactors’ testimonials shines through. The worst part of this ad, unfortunately, is the candidate himself, who looks depressed or overly serious, when in the context of his appearance he should come across as comforting and optimistic. Also, by having Rodriguez—who is likely unknown by the vast majority of voters—only speak the slogan “It’s time” and not identify or otherwise distinguish himself, he is easily mistaken for just another member of the chorus. Thus the whole point of the spot—selling Rodriguez—is lost. The ad never even tells us Sergio’s last name! EXPERT OPINION: “98 seconds? Really? The only thing to keep you watching is trying to guess what city it is. Good push to social at the end, but by that time they will have lost any undecided voter they convince to watch this.” —Chris Coffey, Tusk Strategies
Do you have an ad you would like to see analyzed by our experts? Contact mpehme@cityandstateny.com with your suggestions.
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