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."

Story continues below

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

[RaraAvis17]

Another great way to reach the younger generation of voters with ads like this that get their attention and they understand the message.

O-08=Hope

[Shelly1970]

sorry. moveon needs new ad people. that's really weak.

[Awakenedcitizen]

they had a contest with hundreds of ads. People voted for the best ads.

[joebaggadonuts]

The flip-flopper ad is great. It really highlights that simplistic thinking is not sufficient to understand the issues today. It's like they are putting up a big sign saying "Kick Me" on McCain, and they don't even understand it because it's in a different language than the one they speak. Anyone left out there who thinks the answers to our difficulties are simple? I don't think so.

It is heartening to think, hopefully correctly, that this time it's the Republicans who "just don't get it."

[wolfgirl]

this conservative ad has been playing in pa. on nbc channel not just comedy and mtv.at least once an hour..mc cain sucks he has no honor left in him..bush done drained it all out of him.

[Marlyn]

John McCain sold his SOUL to the GOP so they would use their big propaganda machine and electronic voting machines to make him president.

[peacefulworldcitizen]

Well, I thought this ad was great!

[GoldCanyonGal]

Utterly stupid. If you want to make a mockery out of drug/addiction awareness campaigns be my guest...if your intention is to make an appeal to serious voters, try not to look like a bunch on stoners to high to get how serious their choice of candidates is for America and the free world. I'm surprised the characters in this little episode didn't have daisies painted on their faces, or that someone didn't say 'peace, man'...this is what we get for handing over the Party to childish rabblerousers....embarrassing!

[proudloudlib]

Uh, even childish rabblerousers get to vote if they are eighteen. This is target marketing. It's not for the old fogeys like you and me.

[doctorwang]

Sorry-it seems more geared to the 12-14 year old demographic than to 18-21 year olds.

[Obama08Supporter]

They are targeting MTV, the ad is appropriate for a younger audience. However, if they want to target more mature people, they will have to take this up a notch or two. But, this ad is good for MTV, I think. My daughter would understand and love it.

[kkuate]

We just need to accept the fact that the McCain and his campaign will continue attacking Obama on a round of silly issues that are not going to move serious thinkers... The part of the population that is not inclined to reasoning and being curious is already enamored of George Bush - - and what is that? 28% of the population?

Obama's supporters are doing the right thing in critizicing the current administration failed policies and establishing McCain as a Bush clone.

Hope, and change, is the correct message.

[TimmySlagle]

"the ad may be the first political ad ever on Comedy Central."

You mean BESIDES "The Daily Show?"

[AnotherToerag]

McCain has appeared on The Daily Show more than any other guest...

[billrott]

This add is ineffective.

[TimmySlagle]

Targeted toward YOUNG viewers?

and they're doing a take off of the old "This is your Brain" ads from the early eighties?

Most of the actors in this ad weren't even ALIVE when those spots first aired. This looks more, like it was written by a forty-ish copywriter, trying to act younger, than he really is.

[AnotherToerag]

The brain on drugs ad is from the early nineties and anybody 25 or older will get it... everyone will get the rest of the gag.

[TimmySlagle]

we're both wrong.

1987

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_is_Your_Brain_on_Drugs

That makes it 21 years old. And regardless of whether a 25 year old is capable of getting a joke, if a gag is 21 years old...it's HACK.

It's like trying to be hip, by making a Depeche Mode reference.

[shm259]

Anyone 18 or older will get it- I'm 21, my sister is 18, I remember being little and talking about these ads

[ohnoyoudidnot!]

Is it just me, or is it embarrassing that we have terms like "flip-flopper" used seriously in our political discussions?

[Marlyn]

It was a winner for the GOP last time against John Kerry, so they are trying it again. The GOP argument was that Kerry was indecisive. So we ended up with The Decider. The irony here is that McCain has reversed himself on almost every issue, so he's taking a risk by even mentioning the term "flip-flop".

[MDinOK]

Biglib, you are underestimating these young voters. This is a new election year!

[BigLib]

The great thing is the people that will “get this” and think it’s “cool” are the same people that won’t go vote because they are too busy making my latte.

[tellinya]

biglib is a repub tr0ll.

[TimmySlagle]

tellinya is a democrat troll

[TimmySlagle]

...Or because it's five dollar pitcher night down at Dooley's.

[DoomtoNeoCons]

Wow, you really do hate America, don't you?

[Obama08Supporter]

Well buddy, you are in for a big surprise this election year. You will see that young people will be out in droves because we are taking back America, with hope and a vote.

Go make you own latte, rethug troll!

[TimmySlagle]

"young people will be out in droves "

And when they get to the polls, they'll find out that you were supposed to register, a month BEFORE the election.

[Sargoth]

Watch your back. One of us youngsters might figure out who you are and add a little phlegm to your latte. =P

Seriously, lighten up. Does everything have to be Doom and Gloom all the time? We're going to have 90,000 other ads telling us how evil Obama and McCain are. By the time November rolls around, everyone will hate both of them and stay home anyway.

[HallStyle]

It was CORNY AND GREAT at the same time! I LOVED IT1

[naschkatze]

I think the JedReport puts out better material.