MoveOn Launches Obama Ad For MTV And Comedy Central

MoveOn.org has launched a new pro-Obama ad targeting young voters that will air on MTV and Comedy Central.

The ad is the first campaign advertising to run nationally on Comedy Central. Tony Fox, a spokesman for the network, told the New York Times "he did not know why the cable channel had not accepted political advocacy advertising before, but said of the decision to do so now: 'Political advertising in an election year is good business.'"

He also said that this particular spot, produced by members of MoveOn.org Political Action, the liberal action group, was humorous and would be a good fit with Comedy Central's young, politically sophisticated audience. It is entitled "It Could Happen to You" and features Rider Strong, the former star of "Boy Meets World," and Amber Benson of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

MoveOn will spend $150,000 to run it for one week on Comedy Central and MTV, which had not accepted political advertising for more than a decade but reversed that policy a month ago. Both MTV and Comedy Central are owned by Viacom Networks, which has generally weathered the current advertising downturn better than some of its competitors.

Here's the ad:

More from MoveOn's press release:

"It Could Happen To You" was the winner for "funniest video" in MoveOn's recent "Obama in 30 Seconds" ad contest. The ad was produced by and features Rider Strong, former star of "Boy Meets World." Also in the ad is Amber Benson, best known as Tara Maclay on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

MoveOn's ad is in part a response to the airing of an anti-Obama ad from a conservative group last week, also on MTV.

"Young people are naturally progressive, tech-savvy, and hopeful people, so it's no wonder they are becoming MoveOn members" said Peter Koechley, a former editor of the Onion and co-director of MoveOn's youth outreach efforts. "In the next 99 days, MoveOn.org is going to spend a whole lot of time and money making sure that the trend we saw in the primaries of doubling and tripling turnout among young voters continues into November for Barack Obama."

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MoveOn.org has almost a million members under 35 and aims to add another 500,000 through the course of this election. MoveOn's young voter outreach efforts include:

-- Developing a new model for online advertising focusing on persuasion. With TV capturing dwindling numbers of young people, MoveOn is committed to advertising where young people are: on Facebook, MySpace and other sites popular with young people on the internet as well as through search ads.

-- Developing a new suite of online political tools to continue to lead the way in on-line organizing.

-- Developing a new social network canvassing GOTV model. Young people are harder to target using traditional methods of knocking on doors, making phone calls, and sending mail. MoveOn will leverage online social networks to turnout young voters. We're building online tools to allow our members to register and then turnout out their friends and peers (for example, www.votepoke.org).

Here's the conservative ad that's already running on MTV:

Comments

[lvogt]

While I support Obama and like Move-on, I think the ad is vapid, completely lacking substance and feeds into the the idea that the campaign is about empty rhetoric. The campaign is NOT about empty rhetoric. Still, the ad will probably have some value with it's target audience.

[condew]

Boy are you a tough critic. Remember this is for a younger audience that can go to the internet for the "meat".

[thatsNotWhatIHeard]

"Hope?"
"Hope!"
"Hope."

"This is your brain on 'Hope'."
.
*facepalm*

Thank you, MoveOn.org, for making "Hope" the new "Freedom."

[thatsNotWhatIHeard]

"Hope?"
"Hope!"
"Hope."
"This is your brain on Hope"
.

*facepalm*

Thank you, MoveOn.org, for making "hope" the new "freedom"

[BlueZoo]

The ad is okay but could've been better. ANYTHING that gets this group of voters into a voting booth is find with me!

[wanked]

I wish it was a great candidate instead of a cutsy commercial­...sigh

[GuidedByEwoks]

I can't say I love the Obama ad. Are kids today even going to get the egg/ drug reference? which is a pretty tired trope regardless. But it at least doesn't look as dated as the Republican ad. Wow. Is that how they appeal to youth? It looks like it was made by my Grandpa and planned to be shown during reruns of Hee-Haw. No offense, Minnie Pearl. Oh, the Republicans are so clueless. I'm glad they're wasting their money so I can watch more of The Hills.

[japobere]

I get the reference, in case you were wondering (I'm a 'kid'). Can't say I'm a big fan of it either but at least it's not a bunch of outright lies like McCain's ads have been lately. Not that Obama could pull that off like he has anyway, he's got the media in the palm of his hand (not sure how).

[thegirlnextdoor]

you are so right about the Mccain ad. It looks like something from the 50s. If they had de-saturated it to black and white they could have totally fooled anyone about when it was made......­.
oh, except for the black man running for President of the United States. those of us who do remember the 50s I think are allowed to get a little excited about that. And, he seems like a reasonable choice.

[TheAlchemist]

Nice.

Makes me smile.

[BEHM777]

I like the egg and chick trick. That was pretty cool. It effectively got the point across.

As for the negative commercial, it is pure schlock. I nearly shot my teevee when it came on the other day.

BEHusseinM777

[doctorwang]

Look liked a "PEEPS" commercial.

[gakota]

Thank God move on is doing something, i just wish we'd see more ads from the dnc and other
groups refuting Mc Sames blatant lies.

[armadillious2002]

You and me both bubba!

[doctorwang]

Hopefully they are on their way. The amount of flip flopping McC@in has done in the last 6 months would equal that of a tanker trailer spilling a load of goldfish onto the I-95.

[lexnekst]

" I'm sorry mom."

[Nolewoman]

Gee, I hope it is OK for me to really like it, being old and not cool at all. Love Jon Stewart too. Maybe I am just young at heart. And, I will send Obama birthday money and MoveOn thank you money.

[POLINUT]

I think there are some richt-wingers who are actually in-the-closet Hopers, too - but they are still in denial.

[Awakenedcitizen]

LMAO on the negative ad; they put THAT on MTV??? LOL, with an old voice, and nothing cool at all????

[HeIsTheOne]

Clearly it's time to give more money to MoveOn. Good job with sending the message of HOPE.

[Janet Carter]

I LOVE it. Truth with CLASS. (Eat your heart out, Grandpa.)

[wagadog]

With regard to the "Both Ways" conservative ad:

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

[GunneraGirl]

THANK YOU!

[Marlyn]

With regard to the "Both Ways" conservative ad:
I think it is pretty risky for McCane to bring up FLIP-FLOPS.

[doctorwang]

agreed. Kerry never came close to this guy.

[lexnekst]

Both ways ad- remind me of....EVER­Y POLITICAL AD EVER! That won't fly on mtv. Maybe if they put Cindy in the commercial- with her daughters clothes on 7 some pills- then MTV audience would watch.