Ad Analysis
Marisa Pauly & Heather Davis, University of Maryland
DNC "On the Road"
To watch the ad in Windows Media, click here.
- Ad Title: “On the Road”
- Ad Sponsor: DNC
- Issue of Focus: Economy and character of President Bush
- Type of Advertisement: Negative Advertisement
- Broadcast locations: The ad ran during NBC's Saturday Night Live in 13 battleground states, New York City, and Washington, DC. It was also aired for a one-week run during Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and on VH1.
- Release Date: October 10, 2004
- Length: 30 seconds
"On the Road" Script
NARRATOR: “We're on the road asking folks, what makes George Bush tick? Like, why does he support corporate tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas?”
MAN: “He just doesn't care.”
WOMAN: “He doesn't get it.”
NARRATOR: “We've lost a million jobs to other countries and George Bush thinks outsourcing is a good idea.”
MAN: “He sure isn't on my side.”
NARRATOR: “Log on to whatmakesgeorgetick.com and vote: He doesn't get it, he doesn't care or he's not on your side. You could win a backwards-running watch.”
CHYRON: www.WhatMakesGeorgeTick.com; Why Does He Support Corporate Tax Breaks for Shipping Jobs Overseas? Source: National Journal's Congress Daily, 4/13/04 ; We've Lost a Million Jobs; Source Economy.com 2/04; Thinks Outsourcing is a Good Idea; Source: Economic Report of the President, 2/04; John Kerry for President.
Analysis of "On the Road"
Ad Context
This DNC ad arrives on the broadcast scene one month before Election Day. The economy has been a prominent campaign issue and both candidates have vehemently argued over the airwaves for many months now.
"On the Road" breaks with all of the other DNC's political spots aired to this point because it presents a new look and feel. Previous ads on the economy have been characteristically grave, and they have communicated the domestic issue with formal posture. “On the Road” inverts that formula. The spot plays with bright colors and a lively pace. It goes beyond a comparison of candidates to ridicule President Bush. The DNC promotes John Kerry in a fresh, catchy way by flagrantly exposing/calling into question the commercial promotion of (Bush) politics.
Ad Assumptions
The premise of this ad is that President Bush is out of touch with the American people regarding the economy. Corporate tax breaks and outsourcing jobs are offered as evidence to this state of affairs. The logic is that the American people are at a loss; they simply cannot understand Bush because he does not/will not acknowledge the (apparently obvious) economic state of affairs in this country. To ask the simple, colloquial question “what makes George Bush tick?” is to suggest that the man is ridiculous and complicated. Note that the spot explicitly challenges President Bush instead of his policies. The conclusion here is that Bush is unfit for the presidency.
Ad Content
“On the Road” jabs President Bush for being disconnected with the American public. The point of ridicule gets constructed and substantiated with both visual and aural cues. These signs cleverly “expose” a culture of commodity/politics of consumerism. In so doing, the spot ultimately leaves the viewer attuned to irony and with a general sense of cynicism regarding President Bush and politics.
Visual Components
The basic colorization in this spot is significant because it offers a trendy take on the process of campaigning. Vibrant orange and yellow graphics seem to signify a contrived consumer product more than an authentic political candidate. These hot colors help “On the Road” construct a hyper-real image where reality and image converge; it openly exposes the very notion of the packaged image that it simultaneously employs.
Camera editing also works to keep a bustling pace. The images flash by quickly. The viewer watches the recreation vehicle travel from right to left, and then the camera jerks this motion so that the RV goes from left to right. The images are always moving to signal unrelenting investigation around the country to get at “what makes George Bush tick.”
The camera zooms in and out in an abrupt manner to expose the commercial editing techniques, and also to show how blatantly President Bush is (apparently) disconnected. The black and white shot that appears next to the RV/DNC indicates just how passé the president really seems.
Meanwhile, the display and sequence of visual images construct a rather ridiculous “On the Road” scene. A conventional (and outdated), but decorated RV solicits "what makes George tick?" as it moves along country roads. The incredulous "real people" who answer this question are (stereotypically) personified as a black man, white woman (dressed in scrubs), and white man. In this spot, their testimonies represent what America thinks about President Bush.
When “On the Road” signifies that it is the viewer's turn to answer this question, the spot features an online “game” to vote how the president's mind works. This invites participation and fosters an interactivity that is familiar to young voters in a culture of reality television shows (like American Idol ) that work by voting. The web site that “On the Road” promotes is indeed accessible online (and connects to the DNC web site) but is significant because it conflates the idea of mobilizing voters with the idea of a product promotion. There is also an irreverent "backwards-running watch" with President Bush's face on it. All of this seems to make a mockery of President Bush, but also the politics of today more generally.
Aural Components
The music and narration of this spot keep a lively tempo lively. The ad takes off when the modest-looking RV appears; this gets signaled with the sound of cymbals. The attention-grabbing sounds suggest that the action is indeed “on the road” and is moving briskly among every-day Americans.
For next thirty seconds, the ad bounces with a spirited jingle. A few times there is additional trill and accompaniment that calls attention to lines of text plastered onscreen or to camera movement/editing techniques as they occur. Visual images swoosh onscreen, and the viewer can literally hear how to click online and get interactive with the political polling game that gets advertised. These sounds work as attention-grabbing devices in the spot.
Overall the peppy music draws a connection to the sorts of commercial sounds that advertise other branded/packaged products (like, for instance, fast food) and that work to mobilize consumers with gimmicky promotions. Meanwhile the voice of the male narrator speaks with an incredulous tone, further corroborating the foolish aura of the ad and President Bush.
Who Is Talking About the Ad and the Issue
Reaction by the RNC
The GOP's Ad Watch team has issued a response to the DNC's “On the Road” ad. They correct “the rhetoric” with “the facts” about Kerry's understanding of outsourcing and insufficient job plans.
http://www.gop.com/RNCResearch/read.aspx?ID=4848
Reaction by the Press
USA Today has issued an ad analysis as part of the Ad Watch initiative for Campaign 2004. The ad's claims are reportedly “debatable”, but Mark Memmott notes:
Knowing that just 37% of 18- to 25-year-olds voted in 2000, the DNC is going after them with an ad it hopes will get their attention. The ad will air on programs that many young voters enjoy — and get political "news" from.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-10-10-ad-watch_x.htm
Targeting the ‘Youth Vote'
One of the explicit goals for Kerry and the DNC is to mobilize the “youth vote” constituency. This article suggests that motivating young people means engaging the issues and the concerns of their generation with personal communication.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/21/politics/main650736.shtml
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/19/politics/main612472.shtml
(November 10, 2004)
© Copyright 2004, The Center for Political Communication and Civic Leadership.