Well, the 2008 Presidential election season has barely gotten underway and already we have an ad controversy on our hands. But this time we have a new player on the scene – YouTube.
Senator Barack Obama has had to answer criticism over a parody of an Apple/Mac ad, which depicts Senator Hillary Clinton as a world dictator that has brainwashed modern society, that mysteriously appeared on YouTube recently. Some of you out there may remember the original commercial from 1984 which introduced the world to Macintosh computers. It plays off the famous Orson Wells novel 1984.
Obama’s camp denies having anything to do with the ad, and I believe him. It seems unlikely that his promoters would be willing to run the risk of copyright infringement by altering the Mac ad. It looks like something that anyone with a good set of chops in Final Cut could make on their home computer.
But this new development could very well revolutionize political advertising. With the emergence of YouTube, just about anyone could produce a commercial in support of their candidate and post it online for free. The very nature of viral networking could take that message to millions of viewers in a very short amount of time. A particularly good ad could even find itself being shown and discussed on network television, giving the candidate and the ad even more publicity. Case in point, the Obama Apple/Mac spoof.
This is no doubt an interesting development in the world of political advertising. It will be interesting to see if candidates begin to see YouTube as a powerful ally and begin viral ad campaigns geared more toward it. It will also be interesting to see if there is an emergence of more “mysterious” ads that will allow campaign managers to skirt around certain legal and ethical limitations in political advertising.
(Below are both spots. Obama’s is the first, followed by the original Apple/Mac ad.)
JoshWay
March 21, 2007
While this particular ad is kind of forgettable, I agree that this will change everything – and not necessarily for the best. It’s great that the grassroots finally have access to media tools and a global audience. But once the force of this is felt in the political realm, it will be only a matter of time before politicians become determined to regulate it.
I think the freedom of expression online will become a huge issue. Forget about people posting copyrighted clips online. If “campaign finance”-obsessed politicians have their way, you won’t be allowed to post your own ideas. I hope I’m wrong. I hope the net stays free. But I have no doubt powerful people will try to reign it in.
(On the lighter side, clowns!)
gary
March 21, 2007
Here’s another take on YouTube campaign videos…
http://www.ExpertVoter.org
Not as funny as the Hillary video, but far more informative. In reply to JoshWay, the internet is the best thing that ever happened to democracy.
gary
shanebertou
March 21, 2007
Gary, thanks for stopping by. That ExpertVoter.org website is a fascinating concept. Thanks for the heads up, I may have to post a blog about that site to let others know about it.
I share Josh’s concerns over the future of the internet. It’s a powerful tool, and a great thing for the cause of democracy like Gary stated.
It’s when the feds start doing things like asking Google for our internet search records that I get a little, shall we say… concerned.
Dana
March 24, 2007
Quick correction. The Novel “1984″ was written by George Orwell not Orson Wells.
shanebertou
March 24, 2007
Ha! Thanks a million. What a faux pas on my part!