With the year 2010 coming to a close, and a truly raucous election season behind us (and another set to begin), let’s take a look at a real highlight of the cycle: A sampling, even just a small one, of some great campaign ads we got to see over the past year.
Unlike some of our other lists, we’re not talking about a mix of great ads and awful ones that took on a kitsch value. (I’m looking in your direction, “I’m not a witch. I’m you,” and also at you, “Aqua Buddha.”)
No, here we’re talking about truly great ads that applied ingenuity, creativity and pure guts to an election. We’re talking about the ones whose creators deserve accolades and good spots on campaigns for 2012 — and might just get them.
So get out your popcorn and your New Year’s alcohol, and watch our five picks.
Lisa Murkowski: Spell My Name
When Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) narrowly lost her Republican primary in a stunning upset to Tea Party-backed (and Sarah Palin-backed) attorney Joe Miller, all seemed lost for her. But in an amazing turn, she survived the odds and was able to win re-election, only the second person to do so in a Senate race in U.S. history — by teaching voters how to write in “Murkowski.”
A constant theme of her ads was, of course, teaching voters how to spell her ethnic Polish surname. Out of quite a few TV and Web spots, this one employing the theatrical device of a children’s spelling bee is probably the single most well known:
Jerry Brown Ad: Meg Whitman Loved California When I Was Governor
Republican businesswoman Meg Whitman spent a lot of money — nearly $150 million — in her bid to become governor of California. As part of her effort, she blanketed the airwaves with ads that touted her own qualifications, and spots that attacked Democratic nominee Jerry Brown, who previously served as governor from 1975-1983, as a washed-up establishment politician.
But Brown turned her own words right back at her with this ad, which showed video of her reminiscing about the great days of California’s past: “You know, 30 years ago anything was possible in this state.”
The screen then cuts to black, with on-screen text: “Who was Governor 30 years ago? Jerry Brown.” The announcer then touts all of Brown’s past accomplishments, and then the ad cuts back to another section of that same Whitman video: “I mean, it’s why I came to California so many years ago.”
Sestak Sinks Specter With Bush — And His Own Words About Being ‘Re-Elected‘
Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) was trailing in his Democratic primary challenge against incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter — who had switched parties from Republican to Democrat — and was written off by many observers until the home stretch of the primary, which he ultimately won in a huge upset.
And this ad is widely believed to have helped make the difference. Specter is shown at a time shortly after his switch, which was done in order to avoid certain defeat from the right in the Republican primary. “My change in party will enable me to be re-elected,” Specter says, followed by video from 2004 of George W. Bush campaigning for him — and praising him as a firm ally that he can count on.
GOP Sen. Richard Burr: Those Old Men From Dem Ad Have Switched Parties
Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) is a man who didn’t make much of a mark with the state’s voters during his first term. Polls consistently showed that he was neither popular nor unpopular, and as such would rise or fall with the overall partisan tide of 2010 — and of course, he won re-election this year by a margin of 55%-43%. And in this amazing spot, he made the Republican swing very easy to understand.
You see, back in the 2008 cycle, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ran ads that featured two folksy old men on a porch, talking to each other about how useless Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole was. Democrat Kay Hagan went on to defeat Dole by 53%-44%, and Barack Obama carried the state against John McCain by a margin of less than one percent — the first Dem to carry the state for president since Jimmy Carter in 1976.
So Burr’s campaign brought back those same two old man actors — only this time, they’re talking about how “we sure got it wrong last election.” Now that’s some serious audacity.
Charlie Melancon Airs Out David Vitter’s ‘Forgotten Crimes’
Back in 2007, when Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) was publicly revealed to be a family values conservative who also happened to have patronized prostitutes, Democrats were chomping at the bit to use this flagrant hypocrisy against him. Unfortunately for them, however, the year 2010 proved to be a good time for Vitter to be seeking re-election, and he thumped his Democratic rival, Rep. Charlie Melancon, by a margin of 57%-38%.
But along the way, Melancon gave Vitter-haters everything they would want to see, with a two-minute ad done in a parody style of a news program, detailing Vitter’s “Forgotten Crimes.” Really, the only thing missing was Chris Hansen.
But as we said, Vitter won anyway — so even if his crimes aren’t forgotten, Louisiana voters didn’t really remember them either. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
