posted by Abby Lasaine Vazquez @ 5:05 PM
http://www.patrickruffini.com/2008/02/13/the-marketing-of-the-president-2008/
Tonight, Sen. Barack Obama will appear on a 30-minute primetime TV “advertisement” to communicate directly to voters, specifically those who are undecided. With less than a week until Election Day, this unprecedented ad will run on four major networks: CBS, NBC, Fox and Univision at 8 p.m. EST / 7 p.m. CST.
The spot will air just before the World Series baseball game on Fox. And the MLB has even agreed to delay the start of the game since it could be the one to clinch the series. The time slot was strategically chosen to reach the young male demographic known as millennials.
The estimated cost for this unprecedented primetime spot? Between three to five MILLION dollars!
The bigger question is what will this ad do for the “Obama Brand?” Suddenly, the 2008 Presidential Campaign has become a branding campaign and Obama has tapped the latest technology: text messaging, YouTube videos and a host of social networking sites. Everything promotes his messages of “Change” and “Hope.” Barack Obama has become a brand name that rivals top consumer brands like Starbucks and Apple.
Here’s an interesting article that dissects the “Obama Brand” down to the nitty gritty. What the Obama campaign has achieved by carefully managing its brand – coherent messaging, identity standards and consistent design – we do for our clients’ brands every day.
In using a primetime TV ad as his forum, Sen. Obama is able to control his message uninterrupted and reach millions. It will be interesting to see if it was money well spent. Will his “brand” gain momentum in the final days until election? While we won’t know the success of Obama’s 30-minute special until the Nielsen ratings come out, one thing is for certain – we’re all talking about it at the proverbial water cooler.
