Rob Sand, Democratic candidate for governor of Iowa and proud owner of Buscemi Eyes, has been running a campaign that is impressively adapted to the modern digital world. Comb through his Instagram account and you’ll see his team adopting common trends like interviews with local influencers and burrito reviews. But there’s one video in particular that is clever in a number of ways – and probably not all of them intentional. On September 28th he, or more likely his campaign, posted this video deconstructing his:30 ad.
First, let’s look at the intentional cleverness. One of the least secretive secrets of campaign ads is that the “real people” in them are often tied to the campaign in some way. Volunteers, family members, friends, etc. are all trotted out to mug for the camera, to look worried or excited, content or put-upon, to stare worriedly at bills or illuminate “open” signs on their small businesses. Sand’s original 30-second ad has groups and individuals posing in different, presumably Iowan locations. But while breaking down his own ad on Instagram, Sand stops and tells you the identity of each of the “real people” and how he’s connected to them. It’s a clever double-move. First, he’s acknowledging the insincerity of most political ads by telling you these aren’t just random Iowans or even a collection of his supporters. They’re people who he called on for a favor. But then (!) he restores that sincerity by explaining a real personal connection to each of them. It’s a neat trick. It compliments the viewer, tacitly saying, “I know you don’t fall for this crap,” but then offers a new thing for them to fall for.
But if you watch the video one or two more times, something even deeper reveals itself. It’s the kind of thing that causes one eyelid to droop and makes you suddenly need a nap. Think for just a minute about the type of political ad he’s annotating. You’ve seen a thousand of them – they depict life around the state or district while the candidate interrupts the scenes and speaks directly to you about their beliefs. The candidate usually looks right down the barrel of the lens, breaking the fourth wall, effectively stepping outside of the tableau the ad creates. But here we have Sand stepping outside of THAT format to try and make a connection and deliver additional messages. The Sand in the baseball hat interrupts the visuals of the 30-second ad to look at the camera and tell you something. Maybe bond with you. But the Sand from Instagram interrupts that other Sand to try and bond more deeply.
Post-modern campaigning? Clever social media strategy? Natural evolution? Whatever it is, it’s smart and thinking about it makes me tired.