Hillary Clinton for President 

"Change"
30-second ad run in IA and NH starting week of Sept. 5, 2007 (announced Sept. 5).
 
 

More Ads
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[Music] Male Announcer: We will change things in this country. 

Because we want it. [applause]

Because we have one candidate who spent her life fighting for it. 

Standing up for our families, our children, our veterans.

We will end this war.  [applause]

We will give health coverage to everyone. 

We will be energy independent.  [applause]

If we have the will, she has the strength. 

If we have the conviction, she has the experience. 

If we’re ready for change, she’s ready to lead.  [applause]

Clinton (voice over): I'm Hillary Clinton and I approve this message.

 

 
Notes:  The campaign's first ad run in New Hampshire is inspirational in tone, complete with trumpet flourishes.  The ad consists of montage of clips of Clinton interacting with people and shots of faces and people in audiences at her events.   John DiStaso notes in "Granite Status" that the ad has "footage from her weekend rallies in Concord and Portsmouth."

"Change" makes a clear appeal to women -- the three opening clips are medium close up shots of women's faces.  There are also a couple of clips showing veterans.  Another interesting aspect is the use of footage with hand-made signs rather than added on CG text to convey the main policy points. 

And this from the campaign:

To:       Interested Parties
From:   The Clinton Campaign
RE:      Change & Experience: The Ad
 

As summer turns to autumn, Change is in the air.

The question that voters are asking is: who can best deliver it?

With its Labor Day kickoff and now the release of a new ad, “Change,” in Iowa and New Hampshire, the Clinton campaign is making clear, as Hillary said on the stump this week, “Change is just a word without the strength and experience to make it happen.”  She has outlined how she would be the best able to get results, saying that change takes the right mix of knowing how and when to find common ground and when to stand your ground.

The new ad conveys that Hillary is uniquely able to deliver the change Americans want:  ending the war in Iraq, passing universal health coverage, making America energy independent.

By touting Hillary’s experiences as a change agent, the Clinton campaign is making clear that to make change happen, you need the kind of strength and experience Hillary has accrued during her more than 35 years of advocacy (as illustrated in today’s New York Times story about Hillary’s college years).

Multiple polls are validating this point: Last month’s CNN poll revealed that despite the efforts of others to portray themselves as change agents, 40 percent think Clinton is the candidate most likely to actually bring change – a finding that places her well ahead of the other candidates.  The June NBC/WSJ poll, 61% of Democrats and Democratic primary voters are very confident that Hillary would bring real change to the direction of the country.  Among those for whom change is most important – working middle-class and low-income families, seniors, working women, and people without health care – Hillary is viewed as the most effective champion.

Today’s ad echoes these themes and touches on the four goals for change Hillary has been discussing on the campaign trail: Restoring America’s leadership in the world; rebuilding the middle class economy; reclaiming the future for our children; and bringing back the values of integrity, fairness and tolerance in America.

By offering voters “big goals for change” imbued with a case for why she is the candidate best able to achieve that change, Hillary is making a clear case for why she is the best choice for Democratic voters who want to make change happen in 2008.