Bernard Gauthier

The Conservative Party of Canada has jumped out early in this soon-to-be-called election campaign, taking full advantage of their healthy financial situation and their ability to determine exactly when the campaign will begin (Wasn’t the intent of the new fixed-date election law precisely to remove that advantage?). Thanks to their successful fundraising efforts, they’re able to run a substantial ad campaign on the main networks and, with any luck, give themselves some momentum when the election is formally called. The big question, of course: is the ad they’re running strong enough to that for them?

It’s a tried and true approach to political advertising. The ad features a series of shots of people who are remarkably diverse in terms of age, gender and ethnicity. Not surprisingly, each of these people has something positive to say about party leader and Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. The whole thing is shot to look like a documentary, perhaps to convince us that these are the real feelings of real people, rather than statements scripted and focus group tested by the party. Nothing new here and I doubt many people will be fooled.

That being said, I suspect the ad will indeed resonate with people (and a substantial number do) who support Harper and the Conservatives. In essence, the ad holds a mirror up to these people and helps them feel better about how they feel about the party and its leader. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if a phrase like “I like the idea that he’s a family man with young children” actually came up in a focus group and made its way into the script. Holding a mirror up to an audience this way is a proven way to get their attention and build a sense that the ad and its sender are genuine. Not a bad way to start a campaign.

What’s missing from the ad, up until the last 10 seconds, is any appearance by the man in question: Stephen Harper. This omission is unusual and I can’t help but wonder if it too doesn’t reflect what the Conservatives learned from their research. Harper is mentioned but never heard from and only seen for four seconds. Why is that?

Those four seconds of the spot also depart from the format in that the documentary approach is suddenly dropped in favour of a soft focus, studio lit, slow motion shot of Harper looking into space and turning to look uncomfortably at the camera. Though I applaud the idea of placing him in an informal setting wearing less formal attire, the smiling performance is less than convincing, bordering on creepy.

What do I like best about the spot? It mentions real policies (tax cuts, crime and punishment, support for the armed forces) and leaves out the juvenile attacks (verbal and visual) on Liberal leader Stéphane Dion. What a relief from two years of negative ads and a remarkably negative website (which is now being refurbished…). Something tells me those negative spots are now in production and being tested with yet more focus groups. Stay tuned for what I’m certain will be a nasty campaign.