Because I live in a state bordering New York, I see a lot of New York candidates’ ads on TV, and I have to say, Eliot Spitzer’s (D) commercials are really good. They’re different from traditional campaign spots, and there’s a reason — they were written by a screenwriter whose background isn’t in politics, it’s in Madison Avenue advertising. His name is [tag]Jimmy Siegel[/tag].
Mr. [tag]Spitzer[/tag] had been approached by political consultants who were hungry for business and was wary of another pitch. “He looked at me like, ‘Who the hell are you?'” Mr. Siegel said, recounting his conversation.
A half a year later, Mr. Siegel has become a crucial component of Mr. Spitzer’s election efforts. He’s the brains behind Mr. Spitzer’s $10 million ad campaign, whose stylized and poignant appeal has attracted some nationwide notice. Some of the Democratic Party’s leading lights, like Rep. Rahm Emanuel, Senator Clinton, and Governor Cuomo, have personally complimented him on his ads, Mr. Siegel said. Governors have tried to hire him, and he’s planning a political advertising business that will cater mostly to Democrats.
“Jimmy’s work is thoughtful, sharp, and different,” said Mr. Spitzer’s campaign manager, Ryan Toohey.
Frankly, “thoughtful, sharp, and different” sounds pretty good right now, especially when it comes to media consulting. I’m reminded of Amy Sullivan’s exceptional article last year about how absurd it is for Democratic candidates to keep hiring campaign advisors who lose races year after year. She highlighted a number of problems, but was particularly right about the consultants who’ve been creating Dems’ ads for years.
Siegel, with a non-political background, is approaching this from a different angle. He’s selling a product to the public — though in this case, “product” refers to a candidate, and the “public” refers to voters.
Thankfully, voters outside New York are about to see Siegel’s latest work.
This is the new ad from the [tag]September Fund[/tag], a Democratic 527 group led by Harold Ickes, which is working to help elect Dem congressional candidates.
(Sorry: I don’t yet have a transcript for people who can’t watch videos online at work.)
Kos said the ad “is good. Really, really good. Phenomenal, in fact.” Moreover, rumor has it that it tested well in focus groups.
I like it, not just the message, but the style. How about you?