OBAMA/BIDEN 2008 | OBAMA FOR AMERICA | 2009
How a political ad changed the rules for good / OBAMA/BIDEN 2008 "OBAMA FOR AMERICA"
At Cannes in 2009, the jury did something no political campaign had ever had done to it before. They gave it two Grand Prix at once, in Titanium and Integrated, and both decisions were unanimous.
The problem
In 2007, Barack Obama was a little-known senator challenging Hillary Clinton. In the same month that Clinton raised $13.5 million through traditional fundraising events, the Obama campaign raised $36 million. The whole approach was fundamentally different.
The insight
Jury president David Droga said, "They built the framework, and then let everyone else fill it in." Prasoon Joshi called it a brand campaign, saying "this was the first time consumers built a brand together." Instead of directing supporters from above, the campaign let supporters themselves become the ones making the ads.
The idea
The campaign mobilized a community of ten million people and raised over $500 million in online donations. They posted nearly 1,800 videos on YouTube, compared to McCain's 329. The vice presidential pick was announced through a text sent to 2.9 million people at once. They set up a single hub site, then let supporters loose across every platform.
What happened
It was the first time in history a political campaign won a Grand Prix at Cannes. Even Rich Silverstein, a skeptical juror, admitted: "I didn't want to vote for it, but it was effective, and I couldn't ignore it."
Afterthought
Looking at it now, it might seem obvious. But back in 2008, putting politics on social media was still a gamble. It was such an unprecedented approach that even the jury hesitated to vote for it. Building the structure and then trusting people to take it from there—that kind of courage changed how elections get run.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2009
