Election 2008: Yes We Can

So today I stumbled across this video while reading Ad Age and a poll they were taking on whether professional advertising type people should be volunteering their services to political campaigns. An interesting question given that I know back in the day the founder of my agency, Leo Burnett, himself contributed to the Goldwater campaign back in the early 60s (granted I believe we were paid for that, but nonetheless a professional adman was involved).

What fascinates me more though is how whether you are a believer in Barack Obama or not, the use of media and celebrity endorsement in this campaign cycle has been fascinating to watch as a marketer. What started as a use of new media during the 2004 election has become a full-blown paradigm shift in how information is conveyed to people during the campaign period and perhaps more importantly how individuals are getting involved in the campaign process. This video is simply one more (admittedly quite slick) example of individual involvement, and despite the fact that it is chock full of celebrities (which certainly helps it gain greater attention), at the end of the day it is an individual taking part in the process, trying to drum up support for a candidate that they believe in. And though it's cliche I'll say it anyway, the power of the internet and platforms like YouTube, Facebook, blogging, whatever is incredible.

Most of all I love the fact that in the short time I have been a conscious participant in the American electoral system (and yes, that has only been taking place for a good decade now), the internet has given people a platform for engagement. Truly this is the first campaign season I can remember that has actually sparked debate and involvement beyond the extreme right, the extreme left and the intellectuals. The first campaign that has captivated generations young and old in a way that possibly hasn't been seen since Kennedy was in office.

As we continue to progress through the nomination process and ultimately the election itself I have no doubt we will continue to see history made in America regardless of whether a Democrat or a Republican ends up in office.