Political campaign content in numbers

This year’s US presidential campaign has produced more than its fair share of memorable, surprising, and head-shaking soundbites from the candidates, giving each of them plenty of fodder for their campaign ads. However, stock media has also always played a large role in campaign ads — as far back  as the infamous Daisy attack ad from 1964 and Reagan’s often-cited 1984 “Morning in America” ad. In that tradition, Pond5, home to the world’s largest collection of royalty-free HD and 4k video clips, has announced new data that sheds light on the huge spike in searches for political content on its platform.

Pond5's hub of politics-related video currently includes more than 34,000 clips, enabling filmmakers and producers to find the best campaign-related content more easily and more affordably than ever. In addition, the use of Pond5’s new AI search tools will enable makers to find the political-focused footage even more rapidly.

According to the LA Times, Wells Fargo securities analyst Marci Ryvicker has estimated that candidates will spend $6 billion on political ads in 2016, a 16 percent increase from the last US presidential campaign in 2012. Pond5 has found that media buyers and filmmakers are also more interested in political content than ever before.

Since January of this year, Pond5 has seen:

• 800 percent more search volume for Trump-related content than that of Hillary Clinton 
• The top tagged keywords for each candidate’s campaign ads, revealing the overall messaging and focus of their campaigns. Findings include:
• Donald Trump’s primary campaign video is most associated with patriotic imagery that has tags like “America,” “army,” and “proud,” but also has a share of somber content with tags “distraught” and “depression.” 
• One of Hillary Clinton’s campaign videos directly focuses on scientific research for climate  change, with tags like “outdoors,” “technology,” and “science,” while also promoting growth in America with tags like, “milestones.” 
• Bernie Sanders' primary campaign video draws an association with universal healthcare and education, with tags like “strength,” “career,” and “healthy,” while also uniting America, with tags like, “lifestyles” and “together.”
• One of Marco Rubio’s campaign videos features an upbeat message, including a drumline audio clip that plays in the background. Tags include, “dramatic,” “energetic,” “patriotic,” “playful,” “intense,” and “confident.” 
• One of Chris Christie’s campaign videos  draws on fear in the Middle East and takes a stand against terrorism, with tags like “Middle East,” “angry,” burning,” “crowd,” and “danger.”
• Based on the analysis of the 2016 election campaign videos, Republican candidates tend to use more negative or grim imagery that demonstrates distress and their perceived condition of the United States, while Democrats tend to use inspirational footage that alludes to the country’s future. If it comes down to Hillary Clinton versus Donald Trump, the public can expect to see videos from Trump that use more negative, fear-inducing imagery and shows America in a crisis. In contrast, campaign videos from Hillary are more likely to contain optimistic footage that shows America moving forward. 

“$6 billion is being spent on political ads this year alone,” said Ryan Scott, co-CEO of Pond5. “The nature of this industry is rapid production, and candidates are constantly running new campaigns based on current events and their standing in the polls. We've seen the usage of stock footage explode month after  month, while being utilized across screens from TV to desktop to mobile. It’s not just campaigns, but also Super PACs, news outlets, and special-interest groups that are embracing the use of stock footage.”

As evidenced by a recent segment on HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Pond5 has become the go-to hub for all stock media content, used by top political campaigns ranging from Hillary Clinton to Marco Rubio. The company has even paid homage to the traditional use of stock footage in campaign videos and the upcoming election by creating a series of spoof campaign videos for Star Wars characters made entirely from Pond5 assets.

For more information, or to start searching for the best political-themed media, visit: www.pond5.com/politics.

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Interview with Emily Sussman, Policy Fellow at Campus Progress

As the former Chief Executive of the Young Democrats of America, Emily Sussman has been involved in some of the most exciting and galvanising campaigns that American politics and society as seen. In her role as a Policy Fellow at Campus Progress, Emily is continuing her passion for public service.

I was delighted to interview Emily for Political Style, and carry on reading for her insight into the 2012 Election campaign, the key issues facing America and if Secretary Clinton will run for President.

How did you become involved with politics and what encouraged you to support the Democratic Party?
In college, I became very involved with the fight for reproductive health rights for all women. I didn’t want a bunch of male lawmakers deciding what women could do with their own bodies! The Democratic Party is a natural fit for me because they are the party that supports policies that reflect my values of respecting people’s self-worth and justice, including women’s rights.  At the time, President Bush was gearing up for his reelection campaign. I wanted to make sure he wouldn’t appoint Supreme Court judges who could threaten Roe v. Wade, so I decided to work for John Kerry’s presidential
campaign. That was my first step into politics, and after that, I was hooked!

How did you become involved with YDA? 
Following my work on the Kerry campaign and law school, I became involved with repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell at the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.  At SLDN part of my job was to run a coalition of youth organizations, including YDA, to put pressure on Congress to repeal the law. One day I was having lunch with the President of YDA and found out that they were looking for a new Executive Director. In Washington D.C., it’s all about meeting the right people at the right time!

What was your role and responsibilities as the Executive Director?
As the Executive Director of YDA, I ran a membership based organization of 200,000 Millennials in almost all 50 states. I created and ran electoral campaign programs, as well as represented young progressives in the media. Millenials are so smart, sometimes the older generations forget to ask for our input, particularly when debating issues that heavily impact us.  We are changing the shape of democracies, abroad and in America. The huge recent shift in support in America for same-sex marriage can be credited with strong support among young people. When Freedom to Marry launched a campaign to get the Democratic Party and Barack Obama to formally endorse marriage equality, I am proud to have been the first group leader to sign on. Young people are leading Americans on this issue, and we need our representation to reflect that.

What were your highs and lows of the 2012 Election campaign?
There were so many great moments of the campaign, but one of my favorites was on the very last day. I spent Election Day answering phones at the Obama call center in Des Moines, Iowa. So many people called in wanting to vote, and I was able to help them by directing them to their polling place and
advising them on what documentation they needed. Iowa has great voting laws, where you can register on the same day, so basically everyone who wanted to vote could cast a ballot. It felt incredible seeing our democracy in action!

A low point would definitely have to be how some of the national conversation played out. I was very disappointed when the definition of rape became part of the national narrative. I couldn’t believe some of the beliefs I was hearing and was surprised that rape was a legitimate debate. People need to know how the government is going to stabilize their lives and society, and now legislate on morality.  Another high point was that none of the people who took these extreme positions were elected!

You're in a new role as a Policy Fellow at Campus Progress. What does this involve?
At Campus Progress, I work to engage millenials on the issue of gun violence. Young people are disproportionately affected by the violence,  so we are the generation that is excited and motivated to mobilize for better gun laws. I teach young people how to advocate for gun laws that will keep them safe and figure out how to strategically create a national infrastructure on the issue. There is so much tragedy, with thirty-three Americans being killed by gun violence every single day, young people are pivoting off the high profile situations like Sandy Hook Elementary and Trayvon Martin to create a national revolution.

How would you encourage politically interested young individuals to become involved in politics?
There are so many great ways for young people to become involved, but the first step is to find the issue that you’re passionate about! No matter what the issue is, there will be other people around you who are passionate about it too. Find those people and go to a meeting or start a group of your own.

Write about the issue for a local blog or newspaper to get your voice heard. Volunteer or intern with an elected official to see the political process up close. There isn’t a right or wrong way to get involved, so do what you enjoy!

How can young individuals make a real difference in their local communities? 
Young people have the power! We are here to stay, so elected officials want to know what you have to say and what you care about. Make your voice heard!

What do you think are the key issues facing America in the next five years?
Before we can tackle any specific problem, we need to figure out how to work together. Our nation is becoming more and more divided, so we have to see the humanity in each other and find the common ground. Otherwise, we won’t be able to solve the most pervasive problems facing us, like our lack of
jobs and struggling economy.

Do you hope that Hillary Clinton will run for President in 2016? 
I recently stumbled onto an episode of Saved by the Bell, a television show from the early 1990’s about a group of high school students.  In the episode, characters complained about our lack of a female president. It’s now twenty years later, and we still haven’t had one! We need politicians who represent
the American public, and women have never been represented in the White House. It’s long overdue for a woman president, and more than just a woman, Secretary Clinton is incredibly well qualified to be President.

What are your plans for the future? Do you think you will run for political office?  
I’ll continue to figure out what issues will be important to the next generations of Americans and lay the groundwork for those fights. I’m very interested in transgender and gender nonconformity issues, voting modernization, and many others. Although I have no plans to run for political office, I will do everything I can to ensure that all Americans are fully represented by our government and always encourage young people to run. If you don’t have a seat at the table, there is a good chance you are on the menu.

Emily Sussman

DCCC Fundraising Record Infographic

DCCC

Giveaway: Political Pillows!

Fancy showing your political pride through your home decor? Then why not enter our giveaway to win one of these political pillows!

We have teamed up with Political Pillows to give one reader the chance to win either a Democrat or Republican pillow. Handmade from silk scarves in the United States, this is the perfect way for a politico to furnish their home with a statement!

To enter email politicalstyle@gmail.com with your name and place of residence.

For additional entries follow Political Style on Facebook and Twitter. 

The giveaway ends on Friday 26th October 2012. 

Political Pillows