« Now I've Seen Everything | Main | Romney's Big Lead » Bringing the Funny16 Jan 2008 02:16 pm I sometimes wonder why political ads are so rarely clever the way, you know, real ads are. Al Franken, naturally enough, is shaking things up: I don't really know anything about Franken's opponent in the primary, so I'd hesitate to say anything substantive about the race but I feel like this kind of innovation is a good thing. Comments (37)
"Okay, here we go!" Wow. That lady is straight outta Fargo. 
Yes, Minnesotans actually do talk like that. Although, Fargo was slightly over the top.
Yes, Minnesotans actually do talk like that. Although, Fargo was slightly over the top. A good friend of mine was born right across the river from Fargo, and he said the movie was right on the money except for the scene where Marge is questioning the guy who is shoveling snow. If the temps were warm enough to produce the melt-water in the scene, my friend says the guy would have been in shirt sleeves.
From anytime I've ever seen him, the man seems incapable of an actual smile. I'm all for more liberals in the Senate but he just seems like a bit of a turd. I remember he came across that way in an interview with Josh Marshall, probably the nicest, least threatening interviewer he could have ever asked for.
While Al's opponent has lower negatives, it's Al I fear the most, and I'll bet Norm Coleman feels the same way. MNons are going to warm up to Al in a big way, especially when he "brings the funny" and also spices it with his winning proposals.
That ad might have convinced me to visit Al Franken's pancake house...
You betcha! Smart ad. The people who wouldn't be inclined to vote for Franken because of his past and his sometimes edgy comedy will be put at ease by the archetypal nice old lady with the thick Minnesota accent.
That ad might have convinced me to visit Al Franken's pancake house... ...which means it's a pretty effective political ad.
http://www.northwoodsadvertising.com/index.asp More clever political ads from MN. This guy did stuff for the late Senator Wellstone and Jesse Ventura, among others.
http://www.northwoodsadvertising.com/index.asp More clever political ads from MN. This guy did stuff for the late Senator Wellstone and Jesse Ventura, among others.
One might guess that Franken has pals in the media business. Also, he has some experience as an actor-- not that there's anything wrong with that.
"A good friend of mine was born right across the river from Fargo, and he said the movie was right on the money except for the scene where Marge is questioning the guy who is shoveling snow. If the temps were warm enough to produce the melt-water in the scene, my friend says the guy would have been in shirt sleeves." Actually, it was the deputy who questioned the guy, not Margie. Moreover, he was sweeping, not shoveling. As one who grew up in Minnesota, I can vouch for the fact that sweeping the driveway is step 3 of 5 in the snow removal process. And no, the guy would not have been out in shirt sleeves. Say what you will about Minnesotans, they aren't dumb enough to go out in winter without being dressed warmly. You may be thinking of Cheeseheads. As for Franken, when he was in the 10th grade he transferred from SLP High School to Blake, which is a private school. (By the way, SLP is the hometown of Tom Friedman too.) Anyone who transfers from a top notch Minnesota public school to a private school like Blake (which is populated by rich snobs from Edina - or "cake eaters" as we used to call them) is a little suspect in my book.
But if he had included some monkeys .... then that would have been funny and effective!
Wow, he was one ugly kid.
Political ads are usually crappy because the people involved are completely risk averse. That is, they aim first not to alienate anybody, and secondly to persuade people. Regular ads are nearly the oposite; they aim first and last to "drum up a buzz". Persuading or alienating is almost secondary- they want to be the first company that pops into your mind when you think you need the product they sell. The only time you get creative ads is when a candidate has embraced an unorthodox reputation (Franken) or is desperate, and in need of some attention...
I have been an Al Franken fan for a very, very long time. I only wish I lived in Minnesota, so I could cast my vote for him. Okay, maybe I don't wish I lived in Minnesota, but I still wish I could vote for him...
Political ads are aimed at old people, who are frightened and confused by humor and, unlike young people, actually vote. Sorta kinda. But it's also because the people making political ads -- especially the cut-and-paste templated ones that most candidates commission because they don't have time to do it in house -- have an stranglehold on the business. Political ads are usually crappy because the people involved are completely risk averse. Absolutely. The Great Orange Satan has been encouraging Dem candidates and campaigners to go outside the institutional ad-makers. But there's an inherent conservative streak to contend with, though, especially around election time, when candidates are forgiveably scared of trying anything that veers from the template.
"Okay, maybe I don't wish I lived in Minnesota, but I still wish I could vote for him..." ~ Jason Trigger Why, is it because... it's the best place for businesses? .... Snap. Here's to hoping Franken can pull it off. Ciresi's running as a more moderate candidate, but he's still one of the good guys.
In fairness, that's Minneapolis, not all of Minnesota. While I agree, MPLS is awesome, I'd be less inclined to live in, say, St. Cloud.
My sister is a Minnesotan. Mildly democratic, but otherwise pretty apolitical. And she loves Al Franken
Hey Yep, Is MN really as great as you say, or do the frigid winters and mosquito-filled summers just weed out the competition? (Ha Ha just kiddin') Maybe if he saw how PERFECT the weather and terrain is here, Al Franken would move here to New Mexico and run for Domenici's seat.
haha ... yeah, it's the midwestern inferiority complex on full display. st. cloud is pretty bad. it's this awful confluence of an awful college that exists solely for hockey, a horrible town, and a tiny band of hate-mongers. i think it's referenced in juno as "west jesus land."
"From anytime I've ever seen him, the man seems incapable of an actual smile."
Franken's opponent is Mike Ciresi, who is a really rich lawyer. His firm is the one that won the huge tobacco settlement a few years back. Ciresi comes off as a really smart guy, but he's managed to run some of the worst campaigns, for both Senator and Governor, I've ever seen. He's also really abrasive and, at one time or another, has made an enemy out of almost everyone in the local Democratic Party. Honestly, I'm really disappointed in the Democratic Senate candidates this year. I'm probably going to vote for the comedian, but it's without any real enthusiasm.
Please stop using the phrase "bringing the funny" and variations thereof. You sound like a promo for a terrible TBS sitcom.
I'd totally favor him over Coleman, but just looking at the guy makes it hard to take him seriously. He has a face for comedy.
"just looking at the guy makes it hard to take him seriously. He has a face for comedy." I'd rather have a face for comedy than a face for crime - which is what most politicians look like. They look like Mafia kingpins, most of them (which is not surprising considering that most of them have some sort of Mob connection somewhere in their past, like Nixon.) I give Bill Clinton some credit. That was his best feature - the "homespun but not stupid" "laid back but sharp" JFK-like rep he had. Unfortunately he was tag-teamed with Hillary, who isn't nearly as likable, no matter how "motherly" she tries to be. She can't do sexy, she can't do motherly, and she's abrasive when she does "lawyer".
Great ad! Gotta love that!
What are you talking about? I don't hear a Minnesota accent at all.
Good Lord, shouldn't the Democrats be spending this sort of Juice on places where seats are really up for grabs? You know, where Pete Dominici is retiring? Nevermind...
Great ad, but does anyone else see a"Playground Monitors for Truth" 527 in the near future? Al was good buddies with Paul Wellstone and has had it in for Norm Coleman for a while. I think one of the big challenges this ads deals with is establishing his MN bona fides. To a lot of people he's either unknown or an out-of-town, big-city, show business guy.
Why, is it because... It's because the four seasons in MN are Cold, Very Cold, Still Cold, and Mosquitos.
Why do people seem to think that only somebody with national recognition (i.e., someone they've heard of, which, in New Mexico, consists of one guy, Bill Richardson) can win Domenici's seat? Richardson has said flat out that he's not going to run for the Senate, and he's backing Congressman Tom Udall for the job. I live in California and don't personally know anything about Udall, but I'm sure the people of New Mexico know him well.
"ben" above has it just right. The main purpose of the ad is to clarify that Franken is actually a native Minnesotan, and not a carpetbagging comedian from New York. I think it communicates that message in an effective way. And his teacher eerily reminds me of Radner's Emily Litella. Cute as a button.
I want Franken to win, but I'm wondering, is this ad really that unusual? It's not bad, but it doesn't seem all that different from, say, Slick Willy's sax-playing appearances, or Huckabee's weight-loss and guitar performances.
http://www.northwoodsadvertising.com/index.asp Franken is not using Bill Hillsman to do his ads. Neither has anybody in Minnesota since 2000, since Wellstone in '90 and Ventura in '98 are the only wins Hillsman has ever managed out of 20 or so campaigns. All his work now comes from outside Minnesota, from people who don't know any better. Everyone who's ever dealt with Hillsman will tell you that he's a total egomaniacal jackass. He worked briefly on Wellstone's '96 reelection campaign, but came into an intense personality conflict with Mandy Grunwald, who was also brought in to work on ads. When Wellstone chose one of Grunwald's spots over Hillsman's to explain his vote against the welfare "reform" bill in August, Hillsman quit the campaign in a fury, and thereafter would eagerly trash Wellstone as a phony and a sellout to any journalist who would listen for the next six years. NB: Not over any actual policy dispute, but over an ad explaining a very politically courageous vote, btw. Here was Hillsman's work in the 2006 election cycle. Candidates who hired Hillsman in bold. CT Senate Lieberman (CFL) 50%; Lamont (D) 40%; Schlesinger (R) 10% MA Governor Patrick (D) 56%; Healy (R) 35%; Mihos (I) 7% TX Governor Perry (R) 39%; Bell (D) 30%; Strayhorn (I) 18%; Friedman (I) 12% CA Prop 89 (Public Financing for Campaigns) No 74%; Yes 26% Heck of a job, Billy! You managed to lose every race in one of the best elections for progressives in modern memory.
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Heads in the Sand
I sometimes wonder why political ads are so rarely clever the way, you know, real ads are.
Real ads are aimed at young people, whose buying habits aren't set in stone and make purchases based on television commercials. Political ads are aimed at old people, who are frightened and confused by humor and, unlike young people, actually vote.
Posted by Gabriel | January 16, 2008 2:31 PM