Clinton Replies To Remade iPod/Mac Commercial
03.21.07 - 12:06pm
The YouTube video, which remains anonymous, is mustering an incredible amount of press and is fast becoming one extremely powerful weapon for Obama in his campaign for presidency.
The video has already received over a million hits as well as being a top news topic. It is not only a plug for Obama, but is also showing just how powerful the internet and the third screen can be.
The YouTube video is a remake of the powerful 1984 controversial Apple commercial, directed by Ridley Scott. It showcases an athlete running with a sledgehammer to break the monotony of Clinton droning on to a brainwashed, spellbound audience as they sit in prison garb in front of a huge video screen.
In 1984 the video was done as a commercial introducing Apple’s Mac computers to the world. It was such a famous commercial that it was redone by Apple to premiere the iPod, and now shows the the athlete wearing the Obama logo with the tagline “On January 14th the Democratic primary will begin. You’ll see why 2008 won’t be like 1984.”
Regarding the video Larry Sabato a university of Virginia politics professer and political comentator said, “Real events matter … and this ad isn’t one.”
Perhaps not, but it shows a lot about the feelings of the American public over the monotony of politics at the moment and how many feel a change has to take place. It also shows that winning an election is no longer just about who has the most money to place the most TV ads. The internet is allowing video and regular people to speak out in a way that has never been possible before.
Mark Mellman a Democratic pollster who has not backed a candidate said “There’s no question that YouTube, in general, the Internet, in general … has become a major player. There’s no question that the impact is there and if anything, it’s going to accelerate.”
Mellman also pointed out that George Allen lost his senate seat just last year because of a disparaging comment in which he used an African-origined epithet to describe the American of Indian descent. It’s subsequent broadcast over the internet killed his campaign.
John Edwards has also been showcased on a YouTube video. In the video he is shown combing his hair and looking in the mirror to “I Feel Pretty”. While the video was most likely taken in preparation for a TV spot, tweeked in such a way and run over the internet to millions of laughing viewers was devastating to his campaign.
Peter Leyden, director of the New Politics Institute, a San Francisco-based think tank on politics and new media said, “The compelling “Hillary 1984″ video recently introduced on YouTube represents “a new era, a new wave of politics . . . because it’s not about Obama. It’s about the end of the broadcast era.”
Clinton in a local news Channel NY1 interview said in response, “I think anything that drives interest in these campaigns and get people who otherwise are not at all interested in politics, I think that’s pretty good… I might quibble a little bit about the content, but if we get more people, especially young people, thinking about politics, I’m happy about that.”
This may seem a light response, but her campaign is also stepping up the Internet activism and has struck back online with a new video called “Barack 1984″ depicting Obama on the Big Brother screen, confident yet loosing like his favorite football team. The ad ends saying “The Bears lost so will Obama.”
While the video certainly does not have the same impact as the one for Obama it shows that this election will not be won on television (especially with everyone skipping the commercials via Tibo) but will instead be won on the “third screen” via the internet, the iPod and anything with a third screen. Politics are being played out by not only the big players, but by anyone with a little know how in video, who can now post their views and perhaps turn the tide of an election.
This can be good and bad in that currently their is no consequenses for anyone “tweeking” a video and putting it on YouTube and if taken too far there is bound to be lawsuits over slander. However, until regulatory laws are put in place this election is one that will be won more by the people than any election in the past. The political game has new rules - mostly noted by no rules, with the voice of the American public overtaking the traditional campaigning.
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