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What Political Web Ads Can Learn from this Year’s Cannes Lions Winners

Jul 02 2014Feb 08 2021

The Cannes Lions recently announced their winners, ranging from Volvo’s genius “The Epic Split” commercial to Harvey Nichol’s hilarious “Sorry I spent it on myself” campaign. While all unique, each winner shares a distinct trait – they all cater to the specific tastes of the Internet.

The Internet is a tricky beast. Its users can smell phony all over brands and organizations that adopt older Internet memes, such as Turkish Airlines/Kobe Bryant uninspired selfie spot and Friskies sponsoring Grumpy Cat. It often rewards creativity, irony, and/or universal appeal and dislikes when brands try to “fit in” or claim memes for marketing.

This is not a new dynamic. Since the days of Ogilvy, ad agencies have worked tirelessly to create inventive, fresh content that is crafted specifically to consumers without feeling like advertising. While tastes, attitudes, and media platforms have changed, the goal is still the same. Just in the past few decades, people have become more educated, more impatient, and more difficult to impress. Therefore, the Internet is a window to our changing culture.

A brand’s creative triumph on the Internet can be seen as a paradox, particularly when it comes to video content. By not tilting at the tempting meme windmills, at most giving a nod to ironic or awkward humor, brands can win at the Internet game. Users want content that entertains them, is sharable, and is artistic/clever enough to make them feel like they are making a smart choice when they like ad content.

Volvo’s “The Epic Split” is a perfect example of this model.

The 60-second spot features martial artist and B-movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme and his famous flexibility to show off the smoothness of their Dynamic Steering. Oddly mesmerizing, the commercial is Internet gold. JCVD is another 80s icon whose over-the-top persona both on and off-screen have made him an Internet darling. Fittingly set to Enya’s “Only Time,” the ethereal, adult contemporary hit only adds to the ironic humor factor. Simple, sharable, and stunning, the spot currently has over 73 million views on YouTube and earned Volvo a coveted Golden Lion.

Following these “Internet rules” might be difficult for many political ad campaigns, as they often do not have the luxury of time or funding similar to some of the Cannes winners. However, there have been glimmers of this in recent political commercials. Brett Smiley, a Democratic candidate for Mayor of Providence, launched a clever ad that caused waves on both Internet aggregators and major news sources.

In the ad, Smiley speaks of his early road to candidacy all through the Futura font filled filming style made famous by director Wes Anderson. This is the perfect example of a candidate breaking the mold of political commercials. The creative team who fashioned this campaign gem made something memorable, particularly to the younger, Wes Anderson film going constituency to whom Smiley is targeting.

Political advertising has a reputation for feeling hackneyed and amateurish, which is unfortunate but also promising for forward thinking clients. The solution may lie in hiring the right creative team, one that is paying close attention to trends and understands what grabs audiences better than a busy candidate or organization would care to know.

CRAFT is one such agency. Young, dynamic, and fearless, CRAFT has garnered national attention and earned numerous Pollie and Telly Awards for its inventive ad campaigns. Our most recent success is the debut ad for Congressional candidate Carl DeMaio. Called “Groundbreaking” by the Wall Street Journal and “First of its kind” by CNN, CRAFT presented DeMaio as a “New Generation Republican,” bringing a fresh and positive message into the 2014 Congressional election. Another triumph is the 2012 Congressional campaign for Mia Love, where CRAFT fashioned a compelling narrative which not only won two Telly Awards and six Pollie Awards, but also earned over $1 million for Love’s campaign. CRAFT combines political expertise with creative finesse rarely seen in most public relation firms and ad agencies. Winning hearts on the Internet is more important than ever, and CRAFT understands that.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Jun 25 2014Feb 08 2021

Vanity = lack of real value; hollowness; worthlessness.

Vanity Metrics = See above.

Unfortunately, Vanity Metrics—Likes, Opens, and Follows—are exactly what associations, campaigns and companies use to determine success with regard to social and email campaigns.

Make no mistake, building these communities is incredibly important, but that is only the beginning of the process. You must make sure you are reaching these audiences and they are engaging with your content. This is becoming increasingly difficult as recent changes to Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail have the potential to marginalize a Like, Follow, or Open, at least with regard to messaging and direct response campaigns.

The changing landscape began with Facebook adjusting their algorithm that reduced organic reach from 15% to 1% or less. Now simply producing and sharing content does not ensure you will reach even a minimal amount of your supporters.

Next, Gmail announced it would cache images—including pixels used to track opens—making it harder to accurately track the total amount of opens for each of your emails. Even before this change, the value of an opened email was already artificially inflated. Emails are a delivery platform, not a destination. Opening an email is valuable, only if the user is then compelled to click-through to your site to learn more and take a specific action.

Finally, Twitter announced the addition of a “mute” button to its platform. Now users can elect to follow a brand/campaign, but can mute their tweets, which means the brand/campaign has a new follower, but one who does not receive any tweets and therefore unable to help spread your message.

These changes reinforce the need for email and social media managers to shift their focus to stats that measure actual engagement such as shares, email click-throughs, and retweets when determining the success of campaigns.

CRAFT always has put a premium on engagement, and we’ve refocused our clients’ efforts on shares, retweets and email click-throughs in anticipation of these changes by Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail. We work with clients to target qualified audiences with digital advertising to build online communities, with success determined by engaging these communities.

Our clients are building large online communities with engaged audiences where message drives actions such as purchase, donation, retweet, or share.

Focus your efforts on driving up engagement rates and you will know for sure if your communities can hear you.

GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Jun 23 2014Feb 08 2021

O-F-F-E-N-S-E offense for our victory

As mentioned, defense wins games, and breakdowns are heart breaking [cough.. cough.. USA vs. Portugal]. Attacking, making plays, and controlling the tempo are all products of offense in soccer. You can see these same offensive tactics and maneuvers in the execution stage of CRAFT campaigns.

Once we have the strategy, the marketing plan, and established goals and objectives, our team hits the ground running on execution and fulfillment. During this stage in the game our teams are inspired, working together, passing ideas back-and-forth, and finally after careful precision and management the campaign goes live……..AND THE CLIENT GOES WILD!!!!!!!!!

The Perfect Pitch

Jun 20 2014Feb 08 2021

Soccer — Futbol — The Beautiful Game.

World Cup 2014 has kicked off and believers, brands, and band-wagoners are getting in on the action.

Much of what it takes to be the best of the best on the pitch also goes on in agencies with creative teams as they put themselves through the same wringer.

Practice –> Every day thinking through the strategy, execution, and campaign creative. Eat, sleep, breathing the concept.
Conditioning –> Researching, going to conferences, participating in Hack-a-thons, etc. The creative industry is a constant meet-up, always ideating, always creating.
Scrimmage –> Team unity and fine tuning to understand what’s working, and what part of the campaign needs optimizing.
Game Day –> Pitching the perfect campaign to your client, winning that coveted business, or exceeding expectations on ROI. IT’S ALL ABOUT DELIVERING.

Just like the final 23 roster, agencies rely on specific team members to deliver on unique responsibilities. When it comes down to performance, soccer players aren’t that different from agency professionals:

They say defense wins games, and when you think about it, it truly wins campaigns too.

G.O.P.: Getting Out Paced?

Jun 16 2014Feb 08 2021

Recently, I had the honor to deliver the keynote at the first Tech Roanoke Conference.*

Winning politics in the digital space is a matter of hot debate. Some say the Left dominates while the GOP is playing catch up. But we’re not playing anymore. While there is always more to learn, the fact is that the tools, tactics, and technology of modern digital politics have leveled the playing field.

To prove this I presented a case study of a candidate who had one of the most effective digital campaigns in politics. When people make this evaluation, they usually focus on one particular candidate and one particular story, don’t they? Let’s take a look, see if you can guess who I’m talking about…

This candidate started out as a little known force in politics, focused on leading at the community level. This candidate represented a new look and a new direction for their party. Once the campaign got going though, this candidate became a household name, raising $5 for every $1 spent on their digital campaign and raking in boatloads of cash on money bombs and other digital campaigns, but really rising to prominence with a speaking opportunity at the national convention.

I think you all know who I’m talking about, and that candidate is…

…not Barack Obama.

This is actually the story of Mia Love, who became a darling of the Republican party and a national star, raised over $1 Million online from every state in the union, and actually won on election night. The final tally put her behind by several hundred votes, but Love will likely coast to election this cycle based in large part on the success of her last campaign.

My message then to the Roanoke Conference was this: you don’t have to be Barack Obama to be successful online, Democrats don’t own the Internet, and frankly I’m tired of people trying to convince all of us that we’re behind and constantly playing catch up.

This is just one example of a CRAFT campaign that leveraged readily available tactics, tools and technology to wage an effective digital campaign. Catching up should not be our focus. Our focus should be moving messages that appeal to emotion and resonate with voters. Our focus should be cultivating a culture of designers, coders, and communicators that understand and embrace digital channels. Our focus should be seamless integration that brings digital, media, and traditional channels together to multiply the effects of each.

Understanding and using technology levels the playing field. Big campaigns can come from small budgets. Stop worrying about who has done it better. Go out there and do it better.

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*Tech Roanoke is a newly formed organization that brings together individuals passionate about politics and technology. In a partnership with the Roanoke Conference the organization launched its first training and networking event where attendees can learn about and share their insights on the next wave of political and technological change.

So you want to be the next Spielberg?

Jun 10 2014Feb 08 2021

Since the inception of YouTube and the camera phone the ability to call oneself a filmmaker has been as easy as pressing a button. Setting yourself apart from other amateur auteurs has become paramount, and the recipe for success is minding the fundamentals.

The following list outlines the fundamental steps necessary to get the most out of your video project:

1. IT ALL STARTS WITH PRE-PRODUCTION

As with most multi-step projects, the most important part of completing a project is in the preparation. It is important to shoot in the order you are going to edit, but details such as time of day and weather can have a major affect on a shoot.

In cooking, the French word for this type of preparation is called Mise en place or “putting into place”. By preparing everything beforehand, it is much easier to overcome any hurdles that might come your way, or avoid them entirely.

Begin with a brainstorming session to determine what the message of the video is. It helps to do this with a team, if applicable, since you may not think of every little detail and sometimes hearing an idea out loud can change your perspective. Begin writing a script that will not only assist you in the actual shoot, but it will give the editor the framework for how it is to be pieced together. If necessary, create a storyboard to help you develop a timeline for how the piece is going to fit together and what shots will be needed to make it complete.

Do you want to see the effects of proper planning? The video below is the perfect example of how planning ahead relieves future problems. Because we did our research, we knew that the day of this shoot was going to be in the low teens temperature-wise. Had we not planned ahead for this, there was a real chance our equipment would have failed due to the cold and our talent could have gone the way of the wooly mammoth.

2. GO OUT AND SHOOT

Once you’re prepared, it’s time to go out and film. There are a million tips that one could give depending on the situation, but there are some that remain consistent throughout any shoot.

Use a tripod whenever possible

Unless you are a world-renowned surgeon, there is a good chance your hand is not as steady as you think. A camera can pick up the slightest movement, so it is important for the benefit of the editor and final product that each shot is still, so that none goes to waste.

Less may be more, but not in production

Just because you think you might have gotten the shot you need does not mean it’s time to start packing away the gear. By getting at least 3 or 4 takes of the same shot, you allow your editor the ease of finding the perfect mixture that will allow for a greater final product.

Once you pack up and call it a day it makes it harder, not to mention more costly, to have to go back and re-film.

3. CREATE A NARRATIVE

Now that you have all your shots (along with second and third takes of those shots) it is time to edit.

Organization is priority number one

Depending on the length of the video you are producing; there is a chance you may have hours of footage or a large number of different shots. Before you even begin thinking about how you are going to piece it all together, you need to organize everything.

By creating a system of organization, it will be easy to find any clip at any given moment, be it an hour or three months after the project has been completed. This is very important when working within a team, as the editor may not always be around to assist whoever needs to find a certain shot.

It might be a visual medium, but the audio makes or breaks your piece

Especially with projects that need background music to help add an emotional flare, it is just as important to make sure the audio is balanced. The point is not to deafen your audience, but you definitely do not want to overshadow the action/discussion in your project. Using instrumentals is the easiest way to avoid having the lyrics or vocals clash with whoever is speaking on-camera.

4. MAKE USE OF ALL YOUR HARD WORK

Knowing your audience should be your first priority. This will point you in the direction of how you are going to create your piece. But now that there is a completed project, it is time to decide how you are going to get this out to them.

Whether it be Youtube, Vimeo, or any number of social platforms, make sure you can get the most out of your video project, as it would be a shame for all your time and effort to be for naught. Correctly titling and tagging your video can increase the chances of your project coming up in a variety of searches.

There are also a number of paid options that, if you have the money in your budget, will assist in promoting your piece to the audience you want.

With these helpful tips, you are more than on your way to winning that Academy Award.

Before They Were CRAFTers…

Jun 05 2014Feb 08 2021

“Experience is the teacher of all things.” – Julius Caesar

At CRAFT, the diversity of our team members’ experiences contributes to how we approach our work… every day.

On the political battlefront, it’s easy to forget where you came from. So we asked our team to remind us, or in many cases, to tell us for the first time:

What was your first job, or a job you’ve had that you wouldn’t find on your resume, and what was one thing you took away from that experience?

So see for yourself. We think you’ll raise an eyebrow or two.

—

Brian Donahue, Partner

Job: Valet Car Attendant
Takeaway: Hustle. The more you hustled the more tips you got. Hustling says a lot about how you approach your career.

Matthew Dybwad, Partner

Job: Summer Camp Garbage Man
Takeaway: Do your job on time every time and then enjoy the time you have left, free from worry about what you still have left to do.

John Randall, Director of Digital

Job: Prison Guard
Takeaway: Keep control of difficult situations and maintain a steady outward facing persona.

Lana Tsimberg, Director of Human Resources

Job: Babies R’ Us
Takeaway: When you need a job, you can’t be picky. The opportunities in front of you are meant to be taken.

Alex Finland, Director of Media Booking

Job: Window Manufacturer
Takeaway: Driving my boss (who was also my grandfather) home from the office provided me with many useful real world insights.

Buck Cram, Director of Political Accounts

Job: Landscape Architect (a.k.a. “Hole Digger”)
Takeaway: Never underestimate the misery of northern Virginia summers.

Chelsie Paulson, Director of Social Media

Job: Babysitter
Takeaway: Have patience with all things, but first, with yourself.

Lee Doren, Director of Research and Outreach

Job: Restaurant Waiter
Takeaway: Keep cool under pressure and hit deadlines.

Joe Greeley, Director of Production

Job: Lifeguard
Takeaway: Treat all customers, clients, or guests with respect.

Evan Gassman, Manager of Business Development

Job: Game Associate at GameStop
Takeaway: Build relationships with your customers to understand their tastes and preferences, and encourage them to keep coming back.

Sinead Casey, Administrative Coordinator

Job: Little League Umpire
Takeaway: Be fair, lead by example, and know the value of a hard day’s work… And don’t use your cell phone while umpiring a baseball game.

Travis Holler, Account Manager

Job: Coldstone Creamery “Ice Cream Maker”
Takeaway: Good customer service is the most important part of retaining clients and customers.

Cory Maran, Account Executive

Job: Pizza Delivery
Takeaway: Small order or big order, a client is still a client. Treat them all equally. And resist the temptation to eat the chicken off their pizza.

Joe Richards, Account Executive

Job: Lifeguard
Takeaway: Even when a workday seems light, you must be prepared for surprise situations and know how to handle them.

Sri Shankar, Digital Production Manager

Job: Bookkeeper
Takeaway: People skills are just as important as hard work. Also, doing jobs not in your ideal field can still help shape your career.

Danielle Theroux, Graphic Designer

Job: Selling caramel popcorn on the boardwalk
Takeaway: Peanut allergies are no joke.

Catie Weckenman, Social Media Manager

Job: Camp Counselor
Takeaway: Children remind you to take notice of the little things in life and be the first to see/kill the bug.

Chelsea Hurley, Account Executive

Job: Babysitter
Takeaway: Get CPR certified. Preparedness and understanding have a huge influence on how you work… And you can help in life-threatening situations.

Jess Matsumoto, Associate Creative Director

Job: Coldstone Creamery “Ice Cream Scooper and Cake Designer”
Takeaway: Camaraderie is important when working in high stress situations.

Matt Atkinson, Digital Advertising and Marketing Manager

Job: Carpenter/Painter
Takeaway: Helping to build a house provides an incredible sense of accomplishment.

Alice Ly, Front End Website Developer

Job: Dim Sum Cart Pusher
Takeaway: It’s important to manage stress in a fast-paced environment, when you have to provide great customer service in both English and Cantonese.

Jerry Stephens, Front End Website Developer

Job: Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HazWOpEr)
Takeaway: If the job doesn’t seem to meet legal guidelines, make sure you question it.

Bradley Heinz, Content Analyst

Job: Caddying
Takeaway: Early bird gets the worm, angry golfers are scary people, master small talk, and wear sunblock.

Louisa Tavlas, Communications and Content Manager

Job: PR Intern | Bank of Greece
Takeaway: It’s important to maintain focus and productivity amidst distractions and chaos.

Ashley Carter, Political Manager

Job: Pet Shop Sales Associate
Takeaway: Working in a small business teaches you the importance of hard work among the entire team, but also the importance of listening.

Evan Ross, Digital Data Analyst

Job: Camp Counselor
Takeaway: You have to be assertive, but not aggressive when dealing with others if you want positive results.

Bryan Levine, Production Fellow

Job: Lobstertrician, Clam Bar Manager
Takeaway: As a manager, keeping your employees happy ensures you can trust them to get the job done correctly, without having to constantly look over their shoulders.

Morgan Farenthold, Political Intern

Job: Camp Counselor
Takeaway: Hand-writing a note is a lost skill. Taking five minutes to say thank you leaves a small but everlasting impression.

Liberty Riggs, Design Intern

Job: Pottery Barn Kids
Takeaway: The importance of treating every customer like an individual: commission.

Tyler Klink, Intern

Job: Canvasser, MoveOn.org
Takeaway: You can literally pay your bills with “hope” and “change.”

Nicole Drummond, Booking Intern

Job: Hostess, Carrabba’s
Takeaway: Hungry people are always angry.

The Creativity Behind the CRAFT

Jun 03 2014Feb 08 2021

Thirteen milliseconds. According to MIT, that is how long it takes the human brain to process visual content. This statistic is not lost on marketers who aim to immediately engage consumers. Suddenly overwhelmed with visuals, good design is what helps consumers sort through the good, the bad and the ugly.

In the rush to meet deadlines, creativity often takes a backseat. However, smart companies know creativity and good design cannot be compromised in the interest of time. In fact, adopting a design-centric marketing strategy can significantly improve a company’s bottom line. Research shows that companies who invest in design, like Apple and Coca-Cola, have a clear advantage. After all, promotion and brand recognition are built on images. Overall, when companies emphasize creativity to create visual content they can control how consumers perceive the brand and increase engagement.

In a tightly controlled industry like politics, embracing creativity is what makes CRAFT’s campaigns unique. We believe in the power of storytelling and images to stun, persuade and capture the audience’s imagination. This is why CRAFT harnesses the power of creativity to deliver messages and inspire action. In politics, this translates to votes and engagement. Similarly, in public affairs this means controlling the message to build reputation, recognition, and manage crises. Take this creative-centric strategy with our integrated channels approach to media and you have a well-CRAFTed campaign.

CRAFT’s Media Portfolio

CRAFT’s Digital Portfolio

Programmatic Advertising 101: What you need to know about it and why

May 29 2014Feb 08 2021

There is a growing practice in the digital space called “programmatic advertising.” It’s all the rage and more companies are doing it everyday. But few people know exactly what it is. Much like the latest celebrity diets, people are subscribing to the practice of programmatic advertising but don’t entirely understand what it is or how it works. Unlike the latest celebrity diet though, programmatic advertising is here to stay and it will change the way we advertise online.

Simply put, programmatic advertising is the automation of ad buying. Now ads can be purchased in real time, the same way hotel reservations can be made online instead of going through a concierge or travel agent. The streamlined process increases efficiency and reduces the cost of ads.

This allows advertisers to focus on more specifically tailored audiences, instead of simply trying to reach as many people as possible for the least cost. Agency resources can then be directed to facilitating creativity and personalized interaction. Therefore, businesses can seamlessly integrate their message into their target audiences’ online behavior.

CRAFT embraced programmatic buying early, launching our own agency trading desk, CRAFT Levers. Now CRAFT bypasses traditional ad networks and directly accesses the inventory, data, transparency, and insights available through industry-leading Demand Side Platforms (DSPs), including Google’s Bid Manager, AOL’s AOP, BrightRoll, MediaMath, AdRoll, and others.

Buying directly has two key benefits; first, it increases transparency, knowing when and where our ads run reduces potential fraud; second, a greater percentage of the budget goes to actual ad placement and not ad network overhead, giving our clients more bang for their buck. Thus, CRAFT advertising specialists can use a larger percentage of our clients’ budgets to leverage more accurate real-time data to improve results, ensuring the right ads reach the right people, at the right time.