Monday, June 27, 2011

Anatomy Of A Bad Ad

The theme is a solid one, but the execution is abysmal. The Ontario PC "Taxman" ad is your cookie cutter attack ad, ending with the always original "change" plea:



The ad paints McGuinty as a tax addict, and to prove the point gives five examples, BOOM. Trouble is, or at least for me, to make the laundry list, the ad is forced to repeat the HST twice and the last bit of evidence is some future tax we just don't know about yet. Rather than make a strong argument, the repetition detracts: everyone knows about the HST, trying to make one tax look like two just leaves the viewer suspicious of your thrust. Further, ending with no concrete tax but some murky fear mongering results in your WHAM BAM list reduced to part fiction, part repetition. Surely, if McGuinty is really the TAXMAN, one shouldn't be reduced to trickery to fill a page and make a point. All I see is a would be strong argument watered down to look like your typical dishonest ad, hardly a triumph. Attack ads work, this one could have worked much better.

4 comments:

Tof KW said...

The silliest and most dishonest part is the fact that Hudak and the Ont PC's agree with the HST and will not rescind it if elected.

The HST is ultimately better for the economy than a split PST/GST. The federal CPC and LPC both agree on this, as do the provincial Libs and PCs. Hell even NDP leader Horwath now supports the HST.

The ONT PCs are just playing politics in this ad and are being incredibly hypocritical here.

Hoping my own PC MPP (Elizabeth Witmer) is re-elected ...but that Hudak loses, and gets the same treatment from the Red Tory side that John Tory got from Hudak's wingnut faction of the party.

Steve V said...

Exactly. I'm not sure if it will work or not, as we know blatant dishonesty is often rewarded, but on merit, it's WEAK.

sharonapple88 said...

Depressing also to note that with the HST, there was a taxcut on income tax.

sharonapple88 said...

Depressing in that no one seems to note that when they complain about the HST. :P