Skip to main content

Lessons from Political Ads


Friends,
As a political battleground state, Colorado has the joy of being bombarded with political ads. I’ve noticed a few genres. There is the ‘tell so-and-so not to kill baby seals’ (or some other terrible act). There’s the ‘she’s out of touch/dangerous for Colorado’. There’s also the rare ‘vote for me because I’m awesome’. My favorite, though, is the casual conversation ad, often used to support or oppose a ballot proposition. You’ve probably seen them. Two people engaged in a conversation, one of whom has a strong opinion about a measure while the other listens, agrees and states they will vote the same way. Hundreds of thousands (often millions) of dollars spent to model a conversation I can’t relate to or imagine ever having. Makes me wonder if they’ve ever worked. They must, otherwise why would special interests spend so much money? Let’s try one.

[Setting: two people standing next to a break room table].
[Person 1]: Hey Pat, those donuts look delicious, mind if I have one?
[Person 2]: Be my guest! You should have two, heck, have three!
[Person 1]: I shouldn’t, I’m watching my health
[Person 2]: I’m glad you mentioned your health. Did you know the average donut has 160 calories? That means that on a 2,000 calorie diet you could have 13 donuts a day. That’s three donuts for breakfast, five for lunch and five for dinner!
[Person 1]: Wow! I did not realize that. So, why the stigma on donuts?
[Person 2]: Big Agra would like you to eat more fruits and vegetables, so they’ve engaged in a smear campaign against the donut industry
[Person 1]: Good to know, I’m gonna buy a dozen right now!
[Person 2]: Don’t you mean a baker’s dozen?
[Person 1]: Nah, I’m trying to lose some weight.
[Sound of conversation dims with both smiling and having a good time]
[Narrator]: Paid for citizens for the decriminalization of donuts

Let me know if this ad worked on you.
Happy Friday!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Donut Doodle Dandy

Dear Members and Constituents, In trying to figure-out Wednesday’s cool-looking Google Doodle ( Jorge Luis Borges’ 112 th birthday ), I stumbled across a list of Google Doodles you’ll never see. This, and a Rockies game later that day, were sufficient inspiration to get my head spinning around what other doodles Google might never noodle? I’m sure you’ll probably have a few ideas of your own, but I was able to come-up with a couple. How about a former Colorado Rockies player whose unfortunate encounter with a moth put him in the news this week? The Matt Holliday doodle might look something like this… Another item which, surprisingly enough, has not been made into a doodle are donuts. Although I was slightly taken aback to find this delicious pastry has not been featured, after the initial disappointment, I decided to take matters into my own hands and take a stab at one (perhaps Google can use it next year for national donut day )… or to celebrate Greek police having “ blown a ho...

Donut Hole Alignment

Friends, My predawn attempts to watch the planetary alignment have thus far been met with cloudy skies. The weather forecast through the end of the cosmic event suggests I shall not witness it. And yet, my futile attempts have been rewarded in other ways. The chorus of birds, frogs and insects singing in anticipation of the sun’s glorious rising complement the river’s steady churning. The crisp, fresh air in a desolate town whose citizens are still bidding Morpheus “adieu” caresses my skin while the sweet aroma of petrichor fills my lounges. Deep shadows of centenarian eucalyptus trees slowly recede and give way to the imperceptible progress of the brightening skies. Sure, witnessing those tiny bright spots lined-up in the sky would be pretty cool —like sprinkles on a donut. Speaking of donuts, if you’re ever in Cuenca around the feast of Corpus Christi (which ended yesterday) you need to try the Huevos Chilenos (Chilean Eggs) —think of them as less sweet donut holes. And, if like me t...

Donuts Without Borders

Friends, I believe going anywhere in the world (so long as you abide by the local laws) should be a human right. People should be allowed to wander freely (or vote with their feet whenever a government alienates them). In this, I fully support Doctors Without Borders’ decision to no longer accept funding from the EU due to their immigration policies. Good for them! That said borders can be useful. Take, for instance national sports teams. If there were no borders, events like the summer and winter Olympiads would not exist. Closer to home, those of you who follow soccer are probably tuning-in to the hundredth edition of Copa America , currently under way. Last night the quarter final opener featured both of the teams for which I've been rooting. Who do you cheer for when you know only one of your teams will advance? You can't root for both or you risk becoming a dispassionate observer, so, you either pick one or choose to narrate the game in English (i.e. no 100 MPH narra...