Thoughts
Time for a Change…in Political Advertising.
By Todd Brashear
Setting aside the politics, promises and partisanship of the 2008 presidential campaign, from a marketing communications perspective, the campaign of Barack Obama was truly something to behold. [In the interest of disclosure, I should make clear that I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I am, however, a partisan supporter of great marketing.]
Normally consisting of lowest-common-denominator advertising techniques, political advertising is hardly the place for marketers to seek cutting-edge communications advice. But the Obama campaign was different, not so much in its content – it contained its “fair” share of inaccuracies and unrealistic promises – but in its branding strategy and its adoption of unprecedented media vehicles to further the Obama brand.
From the very beginning, in February 2007, the campaign was clearly forging a new path in political campaigns. Speaking behind a podium emblazoned with the now-famous logo (a solar “O” rising over the red-and-white-striped horizon,) Obama launched his product…errrr…campaign with the pomp and circumstance of an international auto show.
Described by PRINT Magazine’s Steven Heller as “the most memorable political logo in the past 50 years,” the rising “O” logo was designed by a collaboration between Chicago firms Sender LLC and MO/DE. The project, as given to the designers, was simple: convey "a new sense of hope." And did they ever stay true to the brand?
Another remarkable point, one that Republicans in particular should note, was Obama’s use of new media. Compared to McCain’s heavy reliance on old-fashioned print, direct mail and television, Obama forged his new-kid-on-the-block image with an extraordinarily sophisticated website, a continually updated Facebook page, a never-before-seen texting campaign and even an impressive custom application for Apple’s iPhone, on which supporters could view speeches from Obama and running mate Joe Biden or donate money with the click of a button. All this in addition to the traditional advertising that pummeled us for the last…what…18 months? Obama used all of these tools not only to communicate directly to the recipients and raise money but to organize his supporters and to use them as advocates who would forward his messages to their networks of friends. The Obama campaign should serve as the most remarkable case study of social marketing to date.
An important thing for all marketers to remember is that it’s not just about offering the right message in the right vehicles. You’ve got to entertain people in addition to informing them about your brand. You’ve got to make them laugh or cry, or you need to appeal to their egos. For example, back in February and March 2007, when most campaigns were just trying to find their footing, the Obama Web team was already getting creative. For sale in the online merchandise shop were green shirts with shamrocks and the name “O’Bama.” And during the Democratic primaries, the campaign customized its logo for every state in the country. When a supporter in Texas, for example, visited the Obama website and entered his ZIP code, he saw Texas imagery integrated into the logo along with instructions for voting in the primary titled “Texas Two Step.”
The point is the Obama campaign left no stone unturned to win supporters then convert those supporters into fans who would passionately advocate for the candidate.
To be fair, Obama had several advantages in his corner besides creative marketing. One was the overall mood of the country. He (and his opponent John McCain) inherited that environment. For Obama, that was advantageous. For McCain, not so much. Another critical point was sheer dollars and cents. Barack Obama’s campaign raised a ridiculous amount of money, and that translated into lots and lots of traditional advertising, not to mention the 30-minute infomercial that ran simultaneously on seven different networks in the last days of the campaign. But the fascinating thing is that the most inventive and interactive marketing communications employed by the Obama campaign were the ones that cost the least. Like the Facebook page. And the Twitter presence. And the texting campaigns. And the iPhone app. Compared to bigtime TV spots running during the Olympics, those marketing efforts cost pennies on the dollar.
Don’t get me wrong. The Obama campaign had its miscues. Like the faux presidential seal that it created for an Obama speech in June 2008. Placed on the face of the podium at a Democratic governors’ conference, the cheesy eagle provided the McCain campaign with an easy target. That said, the Obama campaign had many more hits than misses.
Ultimately, the measure of any campaign’s effectiveness is whether it achieved its objectives. Obviously, in Obama’s case, the answer is affirmative.
After all, he was voted Marketer of the Year by “Advertising Age” magazine.
E-mail the author: Todd Brashear
