(Editor’s Note: I am not going to get political on this blog. I don’t have the time to actually have long debates in the comment section and I do not want my thoughts and ideas to be taken out of context. I do write about marketing a lot though, so when I saw this advertisement for the public option – featuring actress Heather Graham – I wanted to post it here.)
There are a lot of subtleties to this ad that make it very effective. The closing message: “Some people say this is unfair competition, but competition is as American as Apple Pie” is the type of simple line that can be repeated in debates centering around one of the central arguments that people have over the public option.
The entire video seems to try to target the white conservative male voters. Start with the casting – the Insurance companies that get the most screen time are played by minorities. The public option, is of course, Heather Graham – who is a beautiful blonde white woman. The contrast is subtle – unless you’re looking for it, you don’t see it – but it definitely is a play to those white male voters. Even in the scripting, there are things meant to prey on those white males. There’s a bit of phallic symbolism (and an attempt to conjure up homophobia?) with the champagne bottle. All of this is done purposefully and, together with the simple tagline, creates a well constructed piece of political advertising that garners attention without creating much controversy.
(Editor’s Note: Again – this isn’t a political statement or a pledge to support certain beliefs. If you do ever want to get into a political discussion with me, feel free. I love debates if both parties are open minded and respect the opinions of the other person.)
