"Obama Drama" Analysis

In the scope of things, to me the greatest triumph in President Elect Barack Obama’s election campaign was the 30 minute infomercial. I definitely want to give a personal analysis of its affect on voters.

In the end, 33.5 million people watched the 30 minute "Obama-drama" Wednesday, October 29th during prime time. The infomercial aired on seven networks including: CBS, NBC, Fox, Univision, MSNBC, BET and TV One. The show, estimated to have cost more than $4 million, marked the first time a presidential candidate used an infomercial to press his candidacy since Ross Perot in 1992.

To be frank, it was a very moving commercial; Romanticized yes, but idealistic and surreal. And for some strange reason, Americans love amber waves of grain across a television screen. The infomercial did not just focus his goals but gave the story of Americans he met along his campaign trail and how his plans will help benefit them.

A key subliminal scene was when you were with Obama in the office. Notice that office seems to resemble that of... an Oval Office! By doing this, Obama was able to give Americans the ease of comfort in seeing him in such a position. It was a very key element that gave undecided voters the appearance of Obama being more than "ready" to step into the role of a world leader.

The infomercial also clearly presented the specifics of Obama's plans to address the most pressing issues. When it comes to undecided voters, they want the “specifics.” Within the biographical parts of the piece, Obama's life story was reiterated as epitomizing the American dream. This was a great way of re-enforcing the “I’m just like you” ideology.

Also, I couldn't help but get hysterical when McCain retaliated to the infomercial saying that Obama's ad was paid for by “broken promises.” If McCain had the funds, he would have done something similar. Maybe he should have paid more attention to Obama's fundraising stategy.

His whole campaign, maximizing the use of the media and internet, was brilliant. Obama definitely put a bench mark in political campaigning by using the internet to raise funds and support.

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if the Obama infomercial came out on DVD with an Extended Director's Cut and Bonus Features including deleted scenes, a gag reel and the Official Obama Soundtrack considering the millions of dollars he spent just producing and broadcasting this on the networks.

But in the end, such a bold marketing move did exactly what Obama needed for a final push on undecided voters to win the election.