Ad Critic: RNC Energy Ad Plays It Safe

The Republican National Committee’s new energy ad “Balance” is the party’s first real paid media attack on Obama.  Running in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania the spot is strategically fine, if risk averse, but by trying to push too many messages at once the ad loses focus. 

Poll after poll shows energy and the economy as voters’ top concern.  So what is this ad (mostly) about?  Energy.  There’s nothing wrong with that decision, but it’s definitely the safe play.  The RNC could have made a number of strategically riskier moves with larger earned media multipliers (Rezok, Clinton style 3:00am, a straight hit piece on energy instead of a contrast, etc) and the fact that they didn’t is noteworthy. 

The main problem with this ad is that it tries to accomplish too much and blunts the effectiveness of all of its messages in the process.  In sequential order it claims:

1)  (Intro) Climate Change and energy prices are both huge problems

2)  John McCain wants to solve both these problems

3)  Which, on global warming, is a fight against his party and makes him a maverick

4)  Obama doesn't want to solve the energy crisis

5)  Which makes Obama a straight party line politician

The typical rule of thumb for a :30 spot – and most other political communications – is that voters will only absorb one or two steps in a message.  For example, “John McCain wants to solve the energy crisis” is one a one step message while “Obama doesn’t want to solve the energy crisis because he just follows the party line” is two step message.  “Balance” tries to say too much all at once and as a result, doesn’t get much of anything across.