Readers of this site may be familiar with Jimmy Siegel, the former Madison Avenue executive who donated his ad-production services to Eliot Spitzer and helped him win by a 40-point margin on November 7. For those unfamiliar with Siegel's approach, it is decidedly different from many other media consultants who produce political ads that tend to look and sound at least somewhat like one another and very few of which stand out among the sea of advertisements on broadcast and cable television.. One ad, which he produced for Kirsten Gillibrand's successful campaign for Congress, recreated the film Good Night, And Good Luck -- along with the film's star David Straithairn. Another weaves in very uplifting tones to call on voters to provide a Democratic candidate for the state Senate with the 18 votes she lost by two years earlier. Yet another, also with an uplifting tone (a number of his ads are fairly inspirational) laid out Spitzer's wish-list for the state government in Albany. One more offered one of the most effective biographies in under 30 seconds that I have seen in a recent political ad. And one of Siegel's most recent ads looks something like this:

Now Siegel, who was profiled last summer by The Sun's Jacob Gershman and who, prior to 2006, had not produced campaign ads, has been signed by Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign. Elizabeth Benjamin of the Albany Times Union's blog has the story.

Jimmy Siegel, the former Madison Avenue adman behind Gov. Eliot Spitzer's much-praised cinematic TV spots during the 2006 campaign, has agreed to lend his talents to U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, in her likely bid for the White House in 2008, her spokesman confirmed Sunday.

"We're delighted that Jimmy and Danny (Levinson) are helping us," said Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson, referring to Siegel and his partner at their production company, Moxie Pictures. "They have consulted for the campaign, and we expect they will be important parts of the campaign's creative team, which Mandy (Grunwald) is in the process of putting together."

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It will be interesting to see what he comes up with to soften Clinton's image and make her seem less scripted and more personable - the same way he took Spitzer's so-called "anger problem" and turned it into the more positive: "passion."

To that end, the whole "conversation with America" focus Clinton took in her announcement speech, and her expressed desire to "chat" with voters, has Siegel written all over it.

It will be interesting to see how Siegel approaches ad-production in the Clinton campaign, where he will not be the top dog and where his candidate will not be a shoo-in. (Spitzer not only had an air of inevitability -- his victory was inevitable.) Will his slightly different ads help propel Clinton to the nomination or will they not be hard-hitting or substantive enough enough to make it through the clutter of campaign ads that will deluge voters in Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Carolina and elsewhere? I have a hunch that the former will be the case -- that campaign ads that look more like non-political ads than political ones will be the most effective, both next year and in future cycles -- but writing campaign ads for the candidate who will clearly be the next Governor might not be the best preparation for the rough and tumber of a presidential primary. Either way, I do like the hire in the sense that it represents a willingness to, at least in part, bypass the media consultants who have in past years failed the Democrats in favor of Madison Avenue types who might actually be able to produce ads that help get Democrats elected rather than just pad the bottom lines of their own firms.

(And just to follow on what Atrios wrote, discussing a candidate's campaign should not be construed as an endorsement of that candidate, just as running a candidate's ads should not be construed as an endorsement either...)

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And the transcript:

http://www.gillibrand2006.com/node/350

I think this ad is pretty damned good.  I saw Good Night and Good Luck and it was one of my all-time favorite movies (I wish they'd show it in schools just for that speech at the end).  This ad has very much of that feel, asking John Sweeney, "Have you no decency?" It directly challenges him on being a Republican rubber stamp and slams the Republicans for their bully tactics.

I think this is exactly the kind of thing we need.  Simple, direct, and unforgettably unique.  The only problem is it is presently web-only.  Apparently the media has taken quite a liking to it, though, so that may change.  I'd certainly encourage everyone to donate and help make sure this gets out there.

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