I avoided writing about the American elections for a long while. Mainly because I don't live in the US but, more importantly, because I don't really get the enormous branding debate that everyone wants to tack on to the candidates (ratio vs emo, capturing an audience vs a communication territory,...).
Which doesn't mean that the analysis isn't bringing anything worthwhile to branding and communication territory, but it still feels really fabricated. Having worked for a political party myself for the past years, I never got the impression that we were making much of a difference. And I don't want to insinuate that we were the only ones to bring that expertise either...
Lots of people in politics seem innate marketeers, but they tend to suppress that instinct in favour of politics in general, party guidelines, political mandates, other people, press influence, short term election results,... I think the latest crisis we're going through is a pretty good illustration (take your pick: the flanders vs wallonia debate or the financial breakdown... guess what I think is the most important).
If there's anything marketing needs to be more today it's genuine, and all the party-guided blather couldn't be more fake if it wore fake glasses, a bobble hat and a mustache. Which is why I find stuff like this much more interesting. It's kind of hard to figure out who funds what initiative in the US but I am led to believe that this in an independent effort (even though the Jewish Council for Education and Research funds it, but don't they support the other camp in general?).
The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.
Kudos to Droga5 for producing something that is clearly orchestrated but looks more full of life than all the Obama-girls and other bandwagonjumpers on YouTube combined.
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