Like Bernie Sanders Or Not, His New Ad Is Very Different, And Remarkably Well Made

Bernie Sanders' "America" presidential campaign ad
is one of the best and most effective I've ever seen. 

You either love Bernie Sanders or you hate him.

Either way, he's certainly not the usual politician.

Just check out his latest ad. It's at the bottom of this post. It's a very unusual ad for a presidential candidate and a very good one at that.

All politicians have ads that try to inspire you, to feel good about the candidate, to embrace his or her story.

This ad for Sanders is no different. But aside from the politics, it's remarkably well crafted. And a welcome change from incessant ads that just hammer away at opponents with misleading claims, shouting and lies.

There are human elements in some campaign ads. There's the humorous moment in the Hillary Clinton ad in which a young girl, probably a plant, asks Clinton if she's elected, will she be paid as much as if a guy won.

That let her launch into her spiel about equal pay for equal work.

A current ad for Republican John Kasich ad is pretty good, too. A good old boy narrator  tells his background story about growing up in gritty Ohio and getting things done, all to the twangy homespun guitar in the background.

But as far as tugging at your heartstrings and trying to get you to embrace a candidate, as well as his message, the new Bernie Sanders clip is tops.  This one's a winner.

In it, you hear the song "America" by Simon and Garfunkel. As the tone of the music swells, we see various shots of quintessential Americans interspersed with Sanders and people at his campaign rallies.  Sanders does not speak in the ad, except for the end, when he informs us that he approved this message.

The ad shows bigger and bigger crowds,. Then you see the smiling mug shots of thousands of people who have donated small amounts of money to the Sanders effort. As this happens the words containing the song's lyrics flash on the screen in front of all the people. "They've all come to look for America."

That ties in with Sanders' message. Whether you agree with him or not, the ad wants you to join the people who think the America they know has been taken away by the powerful forces and people and money Sanders rails against.

All the people supporting his campaign, the ad is saying,  have come to look for the America they remember and want, the one in which power is spread among all the people, not just some elites. And Sanders, by golly, will lead them there, goes the message.

Again, you might not agree with Sanders' overall approach or you might love it.

But coming from a person who detests most ads because they're poorly done. And a person who likes to single out the rare good advertisements you see on TV, this Sanders ad is compelling and effective and artfully done.

It triggers emotions and a feeling of patriotism and makes you remember the "product," in this case, Bernie Sanders.

Watch this very well composed ad: