Campaigns & Elections - August 2007 - (Page 12)

letters to the editor ISSUE 254 ® 06.07 US/C ANAD A $6.95 WWW.CA M PA I G N SANDEL ECTIONS .COM Rising Sta rs of Politic s The top tale nt of 2007, p. 34 Dollars and Cents It takes mon ey money, p. 58 to make BARACK OBA MA In my role as political director for Joe Slade White, I was very happy to see in your June issue, that Joe Trippi was a fan of our work. Many people, including myself, agree with Mr. Trippi that the “Bodyguard” spot Joe Slade White created is the funniest political spot of all time. The fact that he remembers the spot at all is a testament to its power and impact. However, Mr. Trippi did get a couple of things wrong in his quote describing the spot. In your article, “10 Questions for Joe Trippi,” when asked what he thinks is the funniest political TV spot of all time, Mr. Trippi said, “I think Joe Slade White did a Federico Peña ad against Keith Bane and did a really funny commercial about Peña’s security detail. It was like this flamenco dancing music. Everywhere he went there’d be guys talking into their handcuffs like Secret Service, letting him out of the limo. It was funny, but didn’t do anything. Everyone laughs at the plot, but they don’t remember what they laugh at.” Actually, the reality is that the spot was done for Don Bain, who was running against the incumbent mayor of Denver, Federico Peña. The spot took a piece of research—that the mayor had spent $250,000 tax dollars on a squadron of six bodyguards, at a time when there had been a crime wave of gang violence against everyday citizens in Denver—and turned it into a devastatingly funny series of opposition ads. But instead of producing a standard, run-of-the-mill negative political spot, with a mean voice and scary music that turns voters off, Joe start- The Backstory C&E.06'07.01 COVER.indd 1 Early Lessons of Today’s Pre sidential Con tenders 5/16/07 10:26:5 7 AM SPECIA L SERI ES: ed from a creative premise of “What would a normal person’s life be like, if they were surrounded by six bodyguards all the time?” and then combined hilarious visuals with music to get the responsive chord effect he wanted. Using “silent movie” vignettes, Joe filmed segments of a man surrounded by six hulking bodyguards, in everyday situations: the mayor goes shopping, the mayor goes jogging, the mayor plays second base in a softball game, etc. Joe married these visuals to a soundtrack of opera music from the “Barber of Seville,” not flamenco music as Mr. Trippi mistakenly recalled. Not a single word is spoken in the entire spot—everything occurs as a reaction by the audience, in a classic Joe Slade White use of the responsive chord technique. Lastly, Mr. Trippi was most wrong when he said the spot didn’t do anything. In fact, just the opposite is true. Before the ad aired, the unknown Don Bain was dead last in a crowded field of six to eight candidates who were running against the mayor in a nonpartisan race. After only two weeks of two bodyguard ads, Bain skyrocketed 35 points, pole-vaulting ahead of better-known candidates to make it into a run-off with Mayor Peña. The spot became such a phenom- ena that the late night news played it as part of a news story—and when the camera cut back to the news anchors, they were both laughing. It was devastatingly effective. Years later, the BBC did a television documentary solely on the “Bodyguards” spot, as the most effective example of television advertising in American politics. One day, the State Department brought a delegation of politicians from one of the republics of the former Soviet Union to our Washington office. Our staff showed them some spots. As soon as the “Bodyguard” spot began to play, a member of the delegation immediately spoke up, “Oh, we know that spot very well!” I just want to say again, that we appreciate Mr. Trippi’s admiration for Joe’s work, and he can surely be forgiven for having gotten some of the facts wrong about a spot that played so many years ago. The fact that he remembers it is a testament to its power and effectiveness. In recognition of Mr. Trippi’s compliment, we have decided to bring “Bodyguards” out of retirement so that everyone can have the chance to see it. So, if you want to see how humor can be used effectively and see Joe Trippi’s funniest spot of all time, go to www.joetrippifunniestspoliticalspotofalltime.com and you can see that spot, and a companion “Bodyguard” spot from the same campaign, for yourselves. Sincerely, Doug Dodson Political Director, Joe Slade White & Company Inc. 12 CAMPAIGNS & ELECTIONS 08.07 http://www.joetrippifunniestspoliticalspotofalltime.com http://www.joetrippifunniestspoliticalspotofalltime.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Campaigns & Elections - August 2007

Cover Contents Editor’s Note Ames Straw Poll Cavalcade; Last Candidate Standing; The New Dollar-A-Year Guy; Web Videos That Can Change the Election Across State Lines: Campaign News from Around the Country People and Organizations Movers and Shakers: Ten Questions for Matthew Taylor and Philip de Vellis Campaign Consultant Sign-Ups Reel Time Cover Story: Building Blocks From Madison Avenue to K Street Money Can’t Buy Votes Dick Cheney: Roll Model for Millions Ames: Still Weird, Still Important How to Do Tougher, Quicker Crisis Management Online Cause-Based SocNets Lure Issue Voters The Great Exaggeration Why Primetime TV is Alive and Well, Politically Speaking Buyer’s Guide Tips for Toeing the Fine Line Between Employment, Friendship Managing Your Friend’s Campaign? Think ‘Consigliore’ Off The Record

Campaigns & Elections - August 2007

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