MoveOn.org's Creative Election Push -- Did You Lose The Election For Barack Obama?

I have received a number of calls and emails about a MoveOn.org video clip that has to be one of the hottest viral videos in the last 48 hours. It's from a fake news organization CNNBC (or is it? LOL) that paints the picture of one person costing Barack Obama the election over John McCain.

The video allows you to customize it to paint of picture that you (or the person you send it too) cost the election of Obama. It's a very creative, viral last-minute push effort to get Obama elected. I've received more emails and calls about this effort than any of the four debates.

Here's Marketing Daily's take.
According to a tally at the group's Web site, the latest MoveOn viral effort had moved an astounding 9.241 9.258 million people to pass it on as of 1:15 p.m. on Thursday.
What's so compelling? MoveOn made it possible for users to easily personalize the tongue-in-cheek, yet pointed video and send it on to friends and family members. The video's premise is a (so far) fictional scenario in which one Obama supporter's failure to get out and vote ends up in a win for Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.
It works so well, says brand guru Laura Reis, president of Ries & Ries Focusing Consultants, because "Obama is such a strong and powerful brand, consumers are proud to advertise for him and receive ads from him. Passing along a pure Obama advertisement is something (especially right before Election Day) consumers are happy to do and happy to receive."
When recipients download the video, their names are inserted throughout as the individual responsible for Obama's one-vote election loss. The premise is a "newscaster" reporting on the uproar over the one-vote loss in a "newscast" taking place on Friday, Nov. 7.
Viral marketing--where consumers are asked to pass along advertising--is not easy to do, notes Reis. "Consumers in general dislike advertising and avoid it. So for consumers to pass something along it has to be almost devoid of any brand message or pitch. Without a brand message, why do the viral campaign at all? Many times people don't even remember what the viral campaign was for. They just remember the cute, dancing elves."

Here's more from CNET.

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