Most of the anti-Trump ads I’ve seen miss the mark, for me anyway. As I watch, I never think, “Now THIS will sway the people who really hate Hillary, and make them vote for her despite their objections.” And this spot, made by the founders of ad agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein, doesn’t either. But it comes close.
That’s because the words, which never reference Trump, combine with the images to administer the viewer a figurative slap back to reality. For the record, Trump was imitating Florida’s Republican Sen. Marco Rubio’s infamous water bottle moment in his 2013 State of the Union response.
We need more of this, especially with the almost certain spectacle of the Republican convention looming.
As former Obama advisors Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer point out on their excellent podcast, Keepin’ It 1600, the convention will likely shock and awe viewers, boosting Trump. Republicans who have tuned out a lot of the campaigning will tune in, Favreau and Pfeiffer say, and hear Trump give a reasonable speech to adoring applause. They’ll think, “OK, I can vote for this guy after all.”
The polls taken in those moments will be released the following week, right in the middle of the Democratic convention, which will probably be a little less shall we say, entertaining. America is not as likely to fall in love with Chelsea Clinton as it is with Ivanka Trump.
So keep this spot handy. Share it with Republicans you know, or post it as a response when they note how presidential Trump is becoming. And if that doesn’t do the trick, make them read this story about why Independent Maine Sen. Angus King just can’t vote for Trump.
