Is this the greatest political spot ever?

I hate political spots. They’re boring, insulting, annoying, sometimes offensive, usually feckless, and always feel as though they were produced by an algorithm. 

And they’re that way for the same reason most advertising is: Client Fear. 

Fear of offending someone. 

Fear of getting letters. 

Fear of not “checking all the boxes.” 

Fear of standing for something. 

Fear of being different. 

Fear of getting ripped in the press.

And the fear of all fears: if you approve it, you’re on the line, and might get fired. (Or in the case of a politician, not getting elected or reelected.)

So when I saw the word POWERFUL, in CAPS, no less, to describe a spot for Bernie Sanders, I rolled my eyes and hit play, ready to be disappointed.

That didn’t happen. Instead, I got choked up. Now I realize if you’re not a Democrat or Bernie supporter, this might not happen to you. But that’s okay. Advertising can’t move someone who’s not in the market to being moved by certain services or products or people.

For example, there’s nothing Toyota can do to get me to step foot into a Toyota dealership during a Toyota-thon. Sorry — not gonna happen.

Nor will I spray Cheez-Wiz on my canapés.

So why is this spot so great?

Because it's fearless and it stakes a position without apologies. The emotion is real. And it’s inclusive. You could argue a spot for Trump does most of these things. And they do. 

Except the inclusive part. 

And that’s the hardest part. This spot is brilliant because just when you thought it was for a small minority, it surprises you. It expands. Makes a larger emotional connection to the majority. It finds the common denominator. 

It’s not easy to do spots like this. Spots with an edge don't usually have an inclusive message. That’s what makes it so special. The Daisy spot for Lyndon Johnson comes close in power. But it sold fear. And Reagan's "Morning in America" wasn't bad; it had Hal Riney's voice and all. But it was more than a tad sappy. And more recently, Congressional candidate Jason Kander's spot that shows him putting together an assault rifle blindfolded is damn good. But single issue spots are always easier to pull off, and it's small compared to the Sander's spot.

For sure, the bar is low in this category, but has there ever been another candidate willing to put it all out there -- with the phrase "The revolution is coming" no less?

That's big part of what makes it so powerful. It doesn't feel focus-grouped at all. Not saying it wasn't; I don't know. Just saying it doesn't feel like it.

Finally, this is not an essay about Bernie Sanders. Nor is it an essay about politics. This is about something far less important: advertising. So spare me your “he’s a socialist” shit. I’m not in the mood.

For those of you who haven't seen the spot, here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikgh4JbAWUU&feature=youtu.be )

And here are the other spots I mentioned:

Daisy spot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDTBnsqxZ3k

Kander spot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wqOApBLPio

Reagan spot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU-IBF8nwSY

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