In the discussion of what went wrong, very little has focused on the advertising. This is probably wrong headed – Clinton based much of her strategy on TV advertising.
This was her closing ad – and the only to run in significant numbers in Michigan.
https:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKDHioNLb4I
A friend from the Sanders campaign involved in the ad campaign thought, and indeed had heard, that it was an attempt at copying the Sanders closing argument in Iowa.
Sanders had Paul Simon’s “America”, Clinton’s had Katy Perry’s “Roar”.
Here is the Sanders ad:
https:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nwRiuh1Cug
There is no doubt the Sanders ad worked in Iowa. I had people mention it when I canvassed.
The campaigns were in completely different places at the time. This is actually one of the few positive ads I saw from Clinton. Virtually all of her advertising was negative.
The Sanders ad was meant to tall a story. From individuals coming together to form a movement. So the family, the farmer, the small businessmen to the small crowd to the large crowd. It was mean to convey how one voice coming together could change the world. It was brilliant
By the time it aired everyone knew in Iowa what Sanders was for.
I don’t think people ever had the same sense with Clinton. Her policy positions were not featured in her advertising – and if you went back and looked at Bills advertising in ’92 the contrast would be remarkable.
The Clinton ad was similar in ways – capturing the different reasons why people were voting for her. But – and I admit I am a Sanders guy – I don’t think it fit where her campaign was at the time.
There was a landslide to win in 2016 – one seen in the trial heats between Obama and Trump late in October and trial heats between Sanders and Trump.
The problem I think is the Clinton campaign never made the message of what they were for very clear in their own ads. As a result their closing ad doesn’t work – and Sanders ad did.
To work ads like these need a predicate that comes before. The Clinton campaign never built one.
