Our Handy Guide To The Presidential Candidates' Ad Makers
So here's a handy guide for you on the picks the Presidential candidates have made to do their ads for them -- obviously a crucial task in modern campaigns. The trade publication Advertising Age has compiled a list of confirmed and likely consultants to head the advertising teams of the burdgeoning '08 contenders, both Democratic and Republican. The most interesting hire thus far? Barack Obama's acqusition of David Axelrod of AKP Media & Message, Chicago. Though Mr. Axelrod worked on Obama's Senate campaign, he might have been expected to enlist with John Edwards, since he headed up the former Veep candidate's ad team in 2004 -- and Edwards is expected to be running again. Check out our full Election Central list of who's hiring whom after the jump.
Republicans
Sen. John McCain: Mark McKinnon, who headed the Bush Maverick Media ad team, and Greg Stevens of Stevens Reed Curacio & Potholm, Alexandria, Va., which handled Mr. McCain's 2000 campaign.
MA Gov. Mitt Romney: Alex Castellanos of National Media, who was a part of the Bush Maverick Media ad team and has done numerous ads for the Republican National Committee and the GOP.
Sen. Sam Brownback: Wilson Grand Communications, an Alexandria-based GOP ad firm who's chairman-CEO Paul Wilson has worked on previous campaigns for Sen. Brownback.
AR Gov. Mike Huckabee: His gubernatorial campaigns were done through a collaboration between Dempsey Film Group in Little Rock, Ark.; Dresner, Wickers & Associates of New York and California; and Albright Ideas, Little Rock. But Clint Albright, founder of Albright Ideas, said he doesn't expect to be involved in any presidential effort.
Aides for Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, and Rep. Duncan Hunter did not return Advertising Age's calls.
Democrats
Sen. Hillary Clinton: Mandy Grunwald of Grunwald Communications, who handled Ms. Clinton's Senate campaign this year as well as Bill Clinton's 1992 Presidential campaign.
Sen. Barack Obama: David Axelrod's AKP Media & Message, Chicago. Axelrod, who handled Mr. Obama's Senate campaigns, also orchestrated former Sen. John Edwards' 2004 presidential campaign. He's done work for several other Democratic senators who could yet get into the race as well as for Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.
Sen. Evan Bayh: Anita Dunn of Squier Knapp & Dunn has been hired as a senior strategist and Bayh will hire another media consultant. Ms. Dunn handled Bill Bradley's race for President in 2000, and her agency handled advertising for President Clinton.
Sen. Joe Biden: Joe Slade White, who has coordinated Sen. Biden's Senate races in the past. Mr. White handled retired Gen. Wesley Clark's 2004 race.
Aides for former Sen. John Edwards said no choice was immediately apparent and would be made if he decides to run.
The Dems need the Eliot Spitzer team. His ads blew away all the rest in the last cycle. Watch 'em. They are awesome.
http://www.spitzerpaterson.com/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=cmpTVAdvertisements&s=spitzer3
They were made by Jimmy Siegel of Moxie Pictures, formerly of big Madison Avenue ad firm BBDO, who appears to be interested in working for Hillary.
From the NYT:
While Mr. Spitzer's election last week never seemed in doubt given his steady lead in the polls and fund-raising, Mr. Siegel is nevertheless getting credit as an unseen phenomenon in New York politics for humanizing the governor-elect and for creating highly memorable ads in other races. Beyond his dozen spots for Mr. Spitzer, he also helped shape advertisements for Andrew M. Cuomo (attorney general-elect), Kirsten Gillibrand (congresswoman-elect) and Andrea Stewart-Cousins (who seems poised to win her State Senate race). He worked on a couple of losing races, too.
Mr. Siegel, 52, is now hoping to jump to the national stage with a presidential candidate and with ads about issues like stem cell research.
With presidential campaigns gearing up for 2008, Mr. Siegel has been making the rounds in the Washington area since the Nov. 7 election, and he and his partners say they are talking to advisers of prospective candidates. He is coy about saying which ones, but it is not hard to tell who is on his mind, simply by asking him to assess the field of possible contenders.
''I obviously think Hillary is a terrific senator,'' Mr. Siegel said right off the bat. ''I also think there are things I could do to be helpful to her.''
While he ticks off names like Edwards, Dodd, Bayh and Obama as well, it is the junior senator from his home state to whom Mr. Siegel quickly returns.
''I think Hillary's smart, hard-working, 100 percent qualified,'' Mr. Siegel said. ''Where advertising could help her is, she could create a little more emotional bond with voters. People say there's a lot of warmth, sense of humor, and wit there. That humanity has got to come out for her to win.''
Mr. Siegel, who is partner with a production company, Moxie Pictures, in their issue advocacy group, a-political, said, ''So many people are turned off by typical political ads -- negative, cynical -- so we're trying to reward voters for spending 30 seconds of their time with the candidate.''
http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F00E11FF3C5A0C778DDDA80994DE404482
Also discussed here:
http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/3/16/115417/379
December 14, 2006 6:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I say advantage Obama. Axelrod, though benefitting from no serious competition to Obama after scandals, turned him into a star. Without Axelrod the last time, I'm not sure everyone would have the crush on Obama that they do now. Good pick up for the second year senator.
December 14, 2006 7:53 PM | Reply | Permalink