Obama Needs Don Draper
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
August 27, 2010
In a few days, Labor Day will mark the unofficial end of summer. Kids will go back to school. Adults will get bombarded with political commercials concerning the critical mid-term elections. With Democratic control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate at risk, President Obama faces a crisis of confidence. Not his own, but that of the voters.
Polls show that voters believe President Obama is distant rather than engaged, analytical rather than compassionate.
They overwhelmingly disapprove of the proposed mosque and Islamic cultural center two blocks from Ground Zero.
And they are becoming keenly aware of ineffective semantic games, for example, replacing the word ‘stimulus’ with ‘recovery.’
President Obama needs an image overhaul ahead of the critical mid-term elections before he leads his party to political abyss.
He needs someone well-versed in the art of persuading the public.
He needs Don Draper, the prototypical 1960’s advertising executive.
Draper, the cornerstone character of “Mad Men,” has the uncanny ability to reveal a product’s essence in an advertising campaign. Only in our imagination, though, could the fictional Draper pitch President Obama on a new ad campaign designed to boost the president’s credibility.
“Mr. President, image is everything in politics. You cannot merely be effective, knowledgeable, and tough. You have to appear effective, knowledgeable, and tough. At the end of the day, power is not about tie color, speech pattern, or talking points. It’s about the appearance of knowing what to do and how to do it.
“My first copywriting job was for a furrier. I worked with an old pro named Teddy who taught me that perception is everything. You may have the best product on the market, but if the public merely believes the competition has the best product, you’re cooked.
“At their core, Americans are schizophrenic. Collectively, we have a split personality. We want to feel protected but independent. Adventurous but safe. We idolize Davy Crockett, but we prefer the latest appliances that make our lives easier. Why hunt for dinner when it’s prepackaged at the grocery store? Still, Americans yearn to be significant in even the smallest ways. At home. At work. With our friends. We want to matter.
“We’re not selling leadership. We’re selling participation. Americans want to participate in the great experiment of democracy. They want nothing more than to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
“Six words: Obama. His team is America’s team.
“Of course, our first priority will be to boost Team Obama’s credibility concerning the economy. We want to enhance the new ad campaign by featuring senior White House advisers and their accomplishments. Ultimately, the ad campaign will convince Americans that the economy will soon enjoy vibrancy, optimism, and enthusaism under your leadership.
“Americans don’t care about poll numbers, Mr. President. They care about your team’s attention to their problems. So we need to show that your team cares because of its dedication to the economy. It’s not merely an interest of your team. It’s an obsession. Your economic advisers are using their collective business wisdom for the good of the country. We’ll start by highlighting your economic team’s business experience.”
Unfortunately, Draper will not be able to run the ad campaign he wants because the senior White House advisers are largely policy-driven instead of experience-filled. Consequently, the campaign will be dormant, if not dead.
Don Draper may decide to be patient. He may wait until the Obama administration hires a staff with substantive economic and business experience. How long the wait will last is anyone’s guess.
Well, at least he can look at Joan Harris sashay up and down the hallway while he waits.
david@davidkrell.com
August 27, 2010
In a few days, Labor Day will mark the unofficial end of summer. Kids will go back to school. Adults will get bombarded with political commercials concerning the critical mid-term elections. With Democratic control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate at risk, President Obama faces a crisis of confidence. Not his own, but that of the voters.
Polls show that voters believe President Obama is distant rather than engaged, analytical rather than compassionate.
They overwhelmingly disapprove of the proposed mosque and Islamic cultural center two blocks from Ground Zero.
And they are becoming keenly aware of ineffective semantic games, for example, replacing the word ‘stimulus’ with ‘recovery.’
President Obama needs an image overhaul ahead of the critical mid-term elections before he leads his party to political abyss.
He needs someone well-versed in the art of persuading the public.
He needs Don Draper, the prototypical 1960’s advertising executive.
Draper, the cornerstone character of “Mad Men,” has the uncanny ability to reveal a product’s essence in an advertising campaign. Only in our imagination, though, could the fictional Draper pitch President Obama on a new ad campaign designed to boost the president’s credibility.
“Mr. President, image is everything in politics. You cannot merely be effective, knowledgeable, and tough. You have to appear effective, knowledgeable, and tough. At the end of the day, power is not about tie color, speech pattern, or talking points. It’s about the appearance of knowing what to do and how to do it.
“My first copywriting job was for a furrier. I worked with an old pro named Teddy who taught me that perception is everything. You may have the best product on the market, but if the public merely believes the competition has the best product, you’re cooked.
“At their core, Americans are schizophrenic. Collectively, we have a split personality. We want to feel protected but independent. Adventurous but safe. We idolize Davy Crockett, but we prefer the latest appliances that make our lives easier. Why hunt for dinner when it’s prepackaged at the grocery store? Still, Americans yearn to be significant in even the smallest ways. At home. At work. With our friends. We want to matter.
“We’re not selling leadership. We’re selling participation. Americans want to participate in the great experiment of democracy. They want nothing more than to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
“Six words: Obama. His team is America’s team.
“Of course, our first priority will be to boost Team Obama’s credibility concerning the economy. We want to enhance the new ad campaign by featuring senior White House advisers and their accomplishments. Ultimately, the ad campaign will convince Americans that the economy will soon enjoy vibrancy, optimism, and enthusaism under your leadership.
“Americans don’t care about poll numbers, Mr. President. They care about your team’s attention to their problems. So we need to show that your team cares because of its dedication to the economy. It’s not merely an interest of your team. It’s an obsession. Your economic advisers are using their collective business wisdom for the good of the country. We’ll start by highlighting your economic team’s business experience.”
Unfortunately, Draper will not be able to run the ad campaign he wants because the senior White House advisers are largely policy-driven instead of experience-filled. Consequently, the campaign will be dormant, if not dead.
Don Draper may decide to be patient. He may wait until the Obama administration hires a staff with substantive economic and business experience. How long the wait will last is anyone’s guess.
Well, at least he can look at Joan Harris sashay up and down the hallway while he waits.