03.16.2011 02:56 PM

New Grit ads (updated)

They’re solid – a bit too much info being crammed in at the start, but that’s okay.  The fact is that there’s a lot of sleaze to remind people about.

I can tell you the ads will be accompanied by a very, very big ad buy.  In other words, you’ll see them on places other than the Internet.

And, let me say, I love good political ads.  This is a good one.

UPDATE: And look! Life imitates art! And all on the same day, too!

39 Comments

  1. fritz says:

    I have to agree. The negative ad is pretty standard stuff but the one that surprised me was the ad featuring Ignatieff . It’s the first time I’ve seen him in an ad where he didn’t look like he was lecturing us. He looked good, the facial tics were gone and he sounded sincere. Simple, clean & on point. I hope your right and they do a big buy on this ad.

  2. Bell says:

    Can someone with an advertising background explain why iggy’s wearin pink lipstic?

  3. beachdude says:

    I don’t know about anyone else but what’s up with the pink lipstick on Iggy, it was the first thing I noticed

    • Dude Love says:

      On second look, the pink lipstick is kind of creepy.

    • Leon Brule says:

      I wondered if it was my computer screen. Though, it wasn’t his lipstick, it was his eyes. They appear a shade of red/bloodshot. They reminded me what eyes look like after smoking a spliff.

  4. Lipman says:

    The “Gone to Far” ad is a master stroke.

  5. Lipman says:

    Gone too Far

  6. Dude Love says:

    I think the window for the Liberals to call an election is slowly closing. In terms of the economy, most of the people in my neighborhood are doing better. People are finding better jobs than the one’s they got laid off from, those who kept their jobs through the recession are getting raises and/or promotions. During my performance review, got a surprise of a raise and funding for continuing education.

    Living in Ignatieff’s riding, he is still very stiff when he does speak to you directly or in a crowd. Something that he still needs to work on.

  7. Giving him credit, that was probably the best Iggy bit I’ve seen since he became leader. Too bad he’s allowed himself to become pre-defined in the eyes of Canadians over the past couple of years. Too little too late.

    If an election is around the corner, ads won’t help because it’ll only be a matter of days into an election before Iggy is caught on tape saying or doing something silly and uncomfortable and whatever that image or sound bite happens to be, you know it’ll be featured and repeated over and over and over and over and over, and over, again in a rapidly produced Conservative counter-attack ads.

    Sure, if you could run a campaign with Iggy in a bubble (or with a stunt double), feeding the Canadian public with only pre-taped 30 second clips of the 17th or 24th take of Iggy saying something that both resonates and actually sounds genuine, he might have a chance.

    • fritz says:

      If this was two years ago I would agree but I think people are underestimating the progress MI has made over the last two years as a politician. He’ll never be a natural born politician like Bob Rae but he’s up against Harper who even after years of campaigning is still stiff as a board on the stump.
      Ignatieff has spent a lot of time over the last two years touring the country and is becoming much more comfortable talking to ‘ordinary Canadians’. I think we may be surprised at how good a campaigner he has turned out to be – or not.

      • Michael Watkins says:

        I’m prepared to be pleasantly surprised, just am not expecting one.

        Even if Ignatieff manages to avoid stumbling and delivers a credible performance that doesn’t make broad swaths of Canadians cringe, what is his compelling value that trumps him being a relative unknown to voters? Does his story smother Harper’s? Would Canadians punt Harper, a leader they aren’t entirely comfortable with, replacing him with Ignatieff, another they aren’t comfortable with? Or does the devil you think you know effect reign supreme?

        It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Liberals mount an effective campaign. Will they turn things around this time? I’m a trend-line fan so until there’s evidence to the contrary I’m assuming the answer to that last question is no.

  8. Mulletaur says:

    I hope Canadians will get the message on Harper’s multiple abuses of power. The more he gets away with, the more he will abuse power. Up until now, it has mainly been elites who have been his target. Next, he will go after the most vulnerable in our society and pay down the deficit he and Flaherty created with their out of control spending on the backs of the poor. Flaherty, Clement and Baird all have form on this – they were all part of the poor-bashing Mike Harris government. It will be like déjà vu all over again.

  9. Wayne says:

    Big ad buy, huh? Best keep your powder dry.

  10. Herta says:

    that may be in your riding, in mine people are getting laid off, especially in the healthcare sector, which is a large employer in our area. No new industries are opening and substance abuse/poverty issues are growing not decreasing. Guess it depends on where you live.

  11. George says:

    But the “gone too far” ad is about the issues Canadians care nothing about. Beachdude – hard to tell on that lipstick thing but you may be right.

    • The Doctor says:

      I don’t disagree with you that a lot of apolitical Canadians (which is the overwelming majority of us) aren’t currently fired up about the stuff mentioned in that ad. That’s what I find interesting — the fact that the LPC is engaged essentially in a PR campaign designed to get Canadians fired about about stuff that, right now, is only a big deal to political junkies (of which I am decidedly one), public policy wonks, the LPC and NDP base, and people inside the Ottawa/PPG bubble. I think this is going to be interesting, to see if the LPC is going to be able to move public opinion and the polls in this fashion. I don’t know if I can think of an historical precedent for this.

  12. Golfrgrl says:

    I suspectbthat the NDP will prop up the Conservatives and we wont’t get a chance to see if these have had an impact. Not only is Jack’s health an issue, several members of his caucus, including Olivia, get their pension if they hang in for a few more months. Nothing in the polls to suggest Jack et al will benefit from an election

  13. Dave says:

    There should be an ad buy for some of these: http://imgur.com/a/A0w9X

    (these are a variation of a recent internet meme known as “advice animals”)

  14. I think both the hard negative and soft positive ads are both very good. The negative ad is very clever in that it describes Harper’s character, and it also defines the election as being one between Harper vs. Canadians.

  15. Sean says:

    …both ads are excellent….

  16. I wonder what Jim Prentice is thinking right about now.

  17. Bill King says:

    Yawn.

    It’s Iggy’s call whether we’re into it a week from Friday. If he finally causes his long promised election, the voters can make THEIR decision.

    Cheers,

  18. Jordon says:

    What bugged was the ads say head to Liberal.ca for more and there is nothing connected to the ads on the site (except the ability to see more ads). I know all parties do this but it would great to head to the site and find front and center, links that backup what Ignatief is saying, more information on the Liberal solutions, and even some third party columns and sources.

    Instead I got hit with an opportunity to be added to a Liberal mailing list that seems to disappear everytime a leadership vote is held

  19. reformatory says:

    Now that’s what I’m talking about… WhewYAH!

    It’s a start.. but keep em coming. It at least lets the rascals know were on our way back. It also allows Canadians to ponder for themselves the mess that Harper and his conservatives are, and a chance to consider Ignatieff in another light.. other than the one that Harper is trying to define by using taxpayers money.

  20. Brad says:

    It might be too late now that the CPC owns the rights to the “Government of Canada” having rebranded it to the “Harper Government”

    Steve is a very sick man if he thinks he now owns Canada, he is delusional

  21. George says:

    To further what Brad just said, Harper’s rebranding the Government of Canada to “Harper Government” can be something that can be used as an angle by the LPC.

    Basically, every misstep, machination, trickery, and criminal act engaged in by any member of the Cons can be more directly labelled a “Harper” event.

    Harper’s rebranding and redefining attempt can be made to bite him in the rear.

    Unintended consequences. The undoing of many.

  22. ski says:

    And the pink lipstick and eyeshadow? Are you colour blind Warren?

    • Warren says:

      Be careful, “ski.”

    • Namesake says:

      There was no makeup; see the update in this Globe article.
      http://urlm.in/hiiy

      (Unlike the PM, who does have a stylist on the payroll, and who often seems to wear too much lipstick, like in this Howdy Doody shot: http://urlm.in/hijb )

      About the latest under-the-bus-throwing: bears out my theory about the post-Jaffergate Guergis purge:

      as soon as Harper’s own name is explicitly invoked — or, more accurately, tossed around by the influence-peddling implicated ones — he terminates with extreme prejudice, to protect his personal brand.

      (Globe, again:”Minister?s office admits former Harper aide made business pitch” http://urlm.in/hija )

    • hugger says:

      Again with the lip schtick. Seriously ..no wait, that’s too grown up.

      Cartoon channel is on 24/7

  23. Pete says:

    The blonde hooker, oops escort, plus a disbarred characterclsoe to the PM for many years is the newest scandal and sex sells……..for the libs IN THIS CASE!!!

  24. Lipman says:

    Keep telling yourself that Gord… A conservative friend of mine said the same thing about the economy. And if it is about the economy, then there is some big explaining to do on the issue of the fighter jets. The scariest thing for the Conservatives right now is that they are becoming unable to define the issues. The mass exodus of experienced MPs the other day, and the laundry list of scandals growing by the week are enough to make this a real battle. And this spells trouble…

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