MediaCat Weekly #23 — political advertising, fear speech, and Pride
MediaCat Magazine
An online publication exploring marketing and media change. We look at brands, media, technology, culture and people
Welcome to MediaCat Weekly, our short and sweet newsletter featuring some top stories from the past week, recent conversations, and a round-up of industry news.
This week, we are excited to have kicked off our June theme 'I Don't Do Politics'. As part of this, our writers explored fear speech in politics and media, and how advertising nearly lost Thatcher the 1979 election. In addition, we looked at the power dynamics of talent partnerships and how brands can keep up with trends.
We are also pleased to present you with our 'I Don't Do Politics' playlist, curated by freelance semiotician Becks Collins.
Enjoy the issue.
What advertising should (and should not) learn from Nigel Farage
By Ben Kay
On the face of it, political and non-political advertising share many similarities, but they also differ in some quite fundamental ways. To illustrate that point, let’s take an example that’s still fresh in the mind: the rise of Nigel Farage and the effect he had on the Brexit vote.
Where are all the Pride campaigns this year?
By Becks Collins
June is Pride month, a time when brands roll out Pride month campaigns, rainbow logos and limited-edition Pride-themed merchandise. This year, however, it’s remarkably quiet on the brand-ally front. Many queer influencers and celebrities, like Pose and American Horror Story actor Angelica Ross, have noticed a distinct downturn in brand partnerships this year.
Can we please re-think political advertising?
By Jenni Romaniuk
领英推荐
I loathe the tone of most political advertising — it feels like a race to the bottom to paint the country and other politicians in as poor light as possible. I sense I am not alone as surveys in many democracies reveal a decline in public engagement with politics and the voting process. Therefore, as we face elections in the UK and USA, and the advertising spend is ramping up — I wonder if it is useful to rethink our ideas of how political advertising could work, to improve the experience for all.
Conversations
Fix Fest: Heather Murray on why people should try AI
In this podcast, copywriter Glenn Fisher interviews AI for Non-Techies founder, Heather Murray about AI, why she’s so excited about it and what she recommends less technically-minded people do to get the most out of it.
Do political slogans need a rebrand?
Make America Great Again. Get Brexit Done. Build Back Better. There are arguments out there, in various publications, which suggest that voters are somewhat tired of political slogans — and yet politicians across the spectrum continue to use them. In what ways can marketers help make political slogans more palatable for people again? And is this even possible?
News
Seen elsewhere