Apple used this frequently used literary allusion to convey to consumers that they should break outside the norm to use Apple. DeVellis wanted to convey the same message to voters and encourage them first to imply Clinton was another talking head who wanted to create a world of drones - and Obama was the way people could break out of that norm.

There have been two responses to this ad - One camp is talking about what a scandal it is that Obama threw the first punch and lied about being responsible for the ad (despite the fact that his camp wasn't exactly responsible and this guy did the ad not on company time but just because he was using company resources to feed his out of the office Obama support). Two - The other camp is going batty about what an awesome ad this is and how true it is. The news media is all over it because there is nothing else really going on except the scandal in the justice department.

I've just been talking about how it really isn't that original nor is it that creative. Not bad - anyone who goes after HRC is cool - I'm just saying its not all that exciting for me. As a result of this - conversations have sprung up on many lists I belong to about advertising, communications, and the way communications are changing and what exactly is a good ad, a creative ad, an appropriate ad? Yes, we've reached a whole new level of political nerd-dom.

I have no intention of talking about the Obama ad so if you here to read about that I'd encourage you to move on.

I noticed a huge movement in 2006's election with YouTube when I found myself addicted to watching weird videos, odd animations, clips from movies I loved, news casts I'd missed... I knew it was just a matter of time before campaigns learned that they could save their bandwidth and upload commercials, policy stances, speeches, and a slew of other ways to directly communicate with voters all through YouTube.

In 2004 the new thing to do was to follow Howard Dean in making DVD's with these policy stances and mail them and pass them around to supporters for house parties and to recruit. Republicans jumped on this bandwagon too in 2006 when I saw my first High Priced and well produced Republican video done for Dawn Gibbins' (NV-02) campaign for the Primary. I love these videos - I collect them - I have probably 20 different DVD's from presidential campaigns, congressionals, senate races... I love them because they all look the same and they all sound the same and they're all done the same.

What is fun - is to compare them with the way organizations use the same technology to talk about their organization. If you - for example - compare Dawn's video to say... The Oregon Bus Project - what you see is the same "interview style" where you talk about what you do - but you also show what you're up to. It's not simply a person dictating to a camera "I'm a leader... and I believe in America" rather it's a group of people who have bypassed saying to the camera "this is what we're doing and why we're doing it" and it just shows them working for change and shows the viewer why its great.

I think I join the plethora of voters out there who hate those awful black and white slam ads. These kinds of ads:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXCT_EMxV38
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkahqAy0FEE

Let's be clear - this didn't take a lot of thought and talent - it took a really smart opposition research person who toiled through voting records but taking a picture and putting it on against a black screen and putting the ominous voice-over saying whatever... yeah does anyone think this moves votes? Really, if it did - it was ten years ago when this was a new idea.

And the sad thing is that ads like that allow for ads like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7wjJyMDUH0

I knew for certain if ad firms continued to do the baby slapping, puppy hating, terrorist, baby killer, whatever ads that eventually a candidate would come along that did an ad like this.

Campaigns and Elections magazine has already done their favorite picks and biggest slams of the ads that ran this year that were the most influential, most wacky, etc.. But in true addiction to YouTube I've decided to throw in my picks of actually creative ads that campaigns used - please notice that you will not find any instances of those awful black and white dark daunting - he slaps babies ads here.

My list of last year's creative ads:

Lets just get this one out of the way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joQi27QG7Cs

Tester comparative ad - distracts from the fact he's slamming his opponent - bring back the whimsy! - loved it.

Harold Ford Dog Kicker ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap2ruN_xHhY

I put this on there because it's a response ad and an attack ad but it doesn't look like an attack ad. He makes a joke out of Corker - "If I had a dog he'd probably kick him too!" Dude - Ford just called Corker a dog kicker - Corker likes to kick dogs - (i realize this is a joke) but he did it chuckling, with a big smile, and he faces voters to attack Corker. I like this ad because it manages to attack without going back and white and its clever. It shows Ford's personality and it puts him in the home talking about his family and ours. Wouldn't believe this is by the same ad company that did the black and white ad against Heather Wilson would you??? Yep, it is.

AARP's Don't Vote Camp "come have some pie with me":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rG4S92Sn6I

When you think of the AARP the first thing that comes to mind I can almost guarantee is not the world "cool" or "funny" - this ad is both. I laughed my ass off. The AARP essentially attacked every stereo-type of a politician by playing into the people with the perfect white family, perfect blond wife, baby kissing, flag waving, tractor riding, bible thumping, democrat or republican who is the same old tireless politician. Thank you AARP for encouraging people to actually figure out who they are voting for before the vote. Cause this election it helped us. But further it encouraged people to ignore the traditional candidates and look for people who were just a little bit different. Plus it advocated the use of pie - and one thing I can agree with old people on its pie.

Nick Lampson's Bullhorn Ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcSo9he0nJg

Even my mom loved this ad - hey WASHINGTON can't hear us!? WE'LL JUST TALK A LITTLE LOUDER!

State Auditor ad from Oklahoma (hypnotism gone bad): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekYs9-kNPeQ

Yes its a republican ad. The thing about this ad is that it was taken from one of those funny events where a hypnotist is there and they do something that makes you look like an idiot. Someone clearly filmed it - and used it for an ad. While this is obvious to anyone who saw the ad, it is creative and it looks just enough like public access to make you think its for someone who isn't a politician - I doubt it was all that effective but it was a good use of an innocent funny event. Makes you never want to do anything without checking if there are cameras around, huh?

WVWV's My First Time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8FxZTQ8lsc

Any time you use sex to encourage young people to do something you're going to get a response. Its true! What better way to get a rise out of people than by saying "I did a lot of research on ... different positions." And saying that you wanted to "do it" for JFK in the Summer of Love. This was funny and creative. Not sure how you take it further from here but I'm eager to see.

One Breath Campaign Ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6yeUYBIbGU

I continue to say that the best way to slam someone is by doing it in a different way. What better than to offer people $100 if they can say the name every Republican who is under indictment, being investigated, or already convicted in one breath. The sheer fact that there are so many that you can't say it all in one breath gets people to think that there are tons. It allows you to attack republicans on a whole while also attacking specific people with people who are laughing and giggling because of the "one breath." Creative - well done.

Lt Gov. of Oklahoma slam ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqTlpxMTnyw

My mother came running into my room when this ad came on (I was staying with her in the last few months of the campaign because I was working in that area). Mom isn't partisan - she just votes for women - believe me this is progress since most women running tend to be Democrats - Except Hillary, mom hates Hillary. So, when a woman slams her counter point and does so in a way that doesn't make her look like a bitch Mom gets excited. I do too. When I saw this ad I shouted outright - OHHHHHHH OUCH! Her opponent Tod had been trying to pretend he was aligned with the popular governor and had been slamming her on all kinds of stuff. She responded as a true BlueDog in a conservative district would, with grace, honesty, and poise. This is a form of a "Shame on you" ad that I can get behind. Watching this race was the highlight of my 2006.

Nancy Boyda KS-02 - indirect slam biking ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqC5yib18ZM

This ad was actually done in 2004 but I saw it on Boyda's MySpace page and wondered why it never made it to re-air. This ad was as true in 2006 as it was in 2004 and it showed one of those great personalities about Boyda that I enjoyed. She is an avid cyclist and rides in the Bike Across Kansas ride every year - and has for I think the past 10 years. What she says is this ad is really what she said on the campaign trail - Kansas has changed noticeably. The bike ride takes people through cute downtowns of small cities and Kansas towns and every year you see giant corporations come in across town and suck all the old hardware stores, drug stores, and charm right out of a town. This is on the local level - on the national level the same thing is happening - giant corporations are moving to Mexico and sucking our business out of America leaving little work for people at home who want to make a living wage. This was the cornerstone of her campaign in 2004 and in the rematch of 2006 and nothing conveys this better than her Biking Ad. It does go black and white - but it doesn't slap the opponent directly - and the music, message, and imagery makes you feel something. Truly beautiful and moving - pardon the pun. Probably my number 2 ad of the year.

Gov. Sebelius I'm good for the troops ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPfxOtq5AIg

Going along with the Kansas theme - I must say that this ad - the starter ad of the 2006 Gov. season gave me chills and made me want to cry all at the same time. Sebelius managed to take a federal issue and show how its impacted people at the state level. With like 30 military bases in the state of Kansas Sebelius had to show that she supported the troops - while also showing that the war sucked and republicans started the war. The sound effects are haunting in places and beautiful in others. But if you were watching and not listening you'd still get the message. I must say the perfect impact was by putting a longer pause before the phrase "from the heart." I bow my head to whoever created this. It gets my vote for best Heart Strings Ad of the year - and I bet it cost close to nothing to put together.

I think those last few were all Murphy Putnam Shorr ads if I'm not
Mistaken - people generally refer to their media firm by calling them Murphy Putnam Beautiful - because they look so beautiful - generally they do look beautiful but don't say anything - but I think these show that they're getting better at that - or maybe its that those candidates that pay more money get better ads. Hey, get what you pay for, right?

DCCC's Make a Difference ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaporFgSyKQ

I LOVE this ad. There is not a lot to say here - think of your children, dude. Our kids are the ones dying in Iraq, our kids will pay for the deficit, our kids are paying the insane tuition loans, our kids will suffer form the climate crisis, this election was all about how much we are screwing our kids out of a decent future - and nothing said this more than this ad. How are you going to explain this to your kids? What will you say you did to stop it? What a perfect message for the DCCC to have used.

Vote Vet's Body Armor Ad (slam ad against George Allen):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4-r6rY7oPY

This was certainly a different way to talk about the war and how our troops are suffering. Instead of talking about body bags, flags over coffins, they went right to the gut by showing you what its like to have a bullet hit you while fighting - and how insufficient body armor is NOT an ok place to make military cuts to fill Halliburton's coffers. This honestly made me feel like George Allen himself was taking away the body armor and with Webb's kid over there - it certainly highlighted Webb's concern and the reason he was running.

DCCC: He's a Jolly Good Fellow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ34yJf-qqk

I just love it when people are snarky. This one makes me smirk - its different and I encourage more singing in ads. What a way of saying that someone is in the pocket of the Lobbyists.

Republican Ad for Vernon Robinson:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaSQ-LNp9Nk

I'm not really sure who this is attacking - it seems like its attacking republicans who are reactionary, psychotic, fearmongers, but he's a republican... so I'm confused. Anyway - it seemed to go along more with our bashes on republicans so I liked it particularly because if you look at all the scary stuff out there I don't know how you could be a conservative and not have already had half a dozen anxiety attacks.

Richardson Western Ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0juSJ-y9xg

Outside the Norm. "I'll have a milk" - sure you will Bill... sure you will. Funny.

(Good Use of Animation) DCCC IE against Joy Padgett:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXpeCAVgCcg

Other great 3rd Party or Fan Ads:

BraveNewFilms: Arnold in his Own Words:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDkITCw0QKo
(It's the dollar that makes it art.)

Vote Corker - cause he's white:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByroxPasRO4
(no way the RNCC did this but it's a pretty funny - those republicans sure love their old white dudes - that said democrats seem to too... they're just MUCh better at it than we are)

AND the best Post 2006 YouTube Film!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TdAbVqFgU0
Just makes you smile.

Here's my point - there are tons of ads that are the black and white slam ads - they are easy and cost nothing to do - many candidates can't afford to pay a firm enough to come up with creative ads that break out of the norm. This is sad - but it's a fact of the campaign world.

But, I think people are becoming aware that those ads don't move as many votes as the more creative ones. At least I hope so.

2008 is coming up and the Presidential candidates are clamoring to get us to notice them - but in a year or so we'll start to hear Congressionals and US Senate candidates again and I encourage you to advocate for good ads. I mean, we're entitled to it, right? If you want to move some votes - if you want to inspire people, convince them that your opponent is a loser - just do it well.

I have a mind to start an online effort - Voters Against Bad Political Ads and run Offenders and People Who Get It. that might be my project for next weekend - at which point I will post on here and let ya'll know.