Autistic people have a way of flapping their hands, says the mother of a special teenager. She goes on to add that when she saw Donald Trump flapping his hands and making fun of such people she was disturbed. And though she was a registered Republican, she had decided to vote for Hillary. She owed this to her children.
This is one of the most poignant advertisements on television in the US right now. Paid for by Hillary’s campaign, it is part of the ad wars that occupy whatever television footage is left over from analyses, polls and expertspeak.
There is another advertisement of a young girl who is not afraid to be out alone. She has a gun, she is protected. But Hillary wants to snatch that gun from her. She will not succeed if Donald Trump becomes president. This is among the best advertisements from the Trump team.
They say in the US that the elections are won by the party which spends the most on advertising. Indian publicity is all about jingles, slogans, loudspeakers, posters and buntings. In the US, it is a little different. Yes, there are songs and there is dance, but only in venues, not streets. However, rallies do get boisterous and noisy, specially when the crowds are protesting against Trump.
On television, moreover, the advertisements are not so much about the promises of a particular candidate, but those of the rival’s. They take names, loud and clear. And say rather nasty things about each other. Each advertisement ends with the compulsory accredition about who is paying for or endorsing the advertisement.
The Hillary camp recently released Barbershop, an advertisement featuring African Americans at a barbershop, endorsing her candidature. It coincided not just with Clinton’s reenergised efforts at wooing the African American voter base, but also with Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of her. Meanwhile, Trump has just featured in an advertisement celebrating Diwali with the American Hindu community. "I look forward to working with Prime minister Modi," he says, signing off with : Ab ki baar Trump Sarkaar.
