Hi, I'm a Mac... New Rules for Going Negative

“Hi, I’m a Mac. And I’m a PC.”

How many times have we heard those words? For us political junkies who set our DVRs to record ads and not programs, Apple’s pioneering ad campaign holds a valuable lesson in the brave new world of influencing voters.

So what exactly does the Mac vs. PC war have to do with politics? A lot actually.

The last time we looked, some stunned PC makers have seen a plunge market share, while Apple revenues are up. How many candidates do you know who would love to see increases like that in their next survey?

What Apple did is a textbook example of how to go negative in the 21st century. They gave their product a personality. And if you thought branding a candidate was hard, try breathing life into 4GB of RAM, 1680x1050 pixels and a 2.6GHz processor. At the same time, they managed to brand their opponent “PC” as a stale has-been (read: “career politician”). And they did it all with a creative, light-hearted approach unlike the ominous music and grainy photos so common in politics.

The next time your campaign decides to go negative, Apple’s success reveals some new rules that also work in the politics.

First, creativity matters.

After years of cookie-cutter creative and low production quality, Americans have become predisposed to tuning out most political ads.

To do it right, forget what every other campaign is doing. Be unique. Take a risk. Air a spot that grabs attention. After all, if you don’t have a voter’s attention, how will you ever be able to persuade him or her?

As Apple is proving, never underestimate the power of subtlety and humor. Voters aren’t stupid. They’ll get it.

Second, stick to a simple message.

Too many times, political ad makers pack too many messages into a negative spot. Typically, it’s a fast-paced hit-list that everyone loves. Everyone, except the voter. They’re left trying to pick through the political piñata that just exploded in their family room.

Keep your message focused and talk to voters in their language, not in Washington-ese.

Third, draw the comparison fairly.

In the time it takes to watch a negative ad, anyone with an internet connection can find out how accurate you’ve been. If you’re not communicating the information fair and square, expect pushback.

Every good negative ad has three attributes: (1) well-documented and backed up by facts, not hearsay, (2) relevance (to the voter, not you), and (3) well-timed in the context of the campaign.

Whether it’s Mac vs. PC, right vs. left, Republican vs. Democrat, the rules for going negative have changed.

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