Political Ad

Dominant Framework: The Obama campaign’s biggest push is always to go after younger voters. Through the use of social media he has been able to attract our generation in a way that Romney hasn’t bothered with. Because the campaign is so youth savvy, it’s aware the easiest way to get people to pay attention to videos on the Internet is to make something short and funny. That is where this ad succeeds. This ad stars Lena Dunham who is a rising star who’s work appeals to our generation. Her work on the HBO show “Girls” makes her a voice for our generation. The joke is a double entendre about voting that sounds like losing your virginity. It’s cute and clever and she brings up the hot button social issues that people my age are most interested in. Topics like gay marriage and birth control are brought up.  Lena also makes politics more accessible by talking directly to the camera as if she’s talking to a friend. It feels like any other popular youtube video only it’s one that is actually sponsored by the Obama campaign. The ad relies heavily on emotional appeal instead of political facts and that makes it more accessible to anyone watching it. You don’t have to keep up with politics to understand this video and that makes it appeal to a wider demographic. It’s a smart move on Obama’s part to create many different ads all trying to appeal to different kinds of people. This one is clearly made for the college age to early 30’s age bracket. The video is done in one of the most popular mediums of our time (online video) and it succeeds in peaking the interest of it’s intended demographic.

Oppositional Framework: Ever since the advent of television, political campaigns has become less about the actual issues and ideas a candidate supports and more about how hip their personality is or how attractive they are to the nation. Candidates are more interested in appealing to voters on an emotional level than on a serious intellectual level. What kind of political credentials does Lena Dunham have to endorse the Obama campaign? She is a celebrity and her opinions should not be what is driving people’s notions on who to vote for. This ad is frivolous and silly. It doesn’t really address any solid facts or present any of Obama’s plans on how to fix the economy or what to do about the environment. Instead it makes a bunch of dumb jokes about losing your virginity. It’s trivial and quite honestly it makes one believe that maybe Obama isn’t taking this campaign very seriously at all. This ad is just a mixture of elements that are deemed as “cool” for this generation. It involves a risqué joke, a celebrity endorsement, and a hand held interview style.  Most of this ad is just fluff with Lena talking about her previous voting experience. This ad should be showing Obama and it should be filled with actual facts. It shouldn’t be an elaborate joke.