Analysis of Anti-Hillary “1984” Commercial

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You may recall the 1984 Super bowl, not for its excellent athletics, but rather a particular commercial that aired during the game. In an attempt to portray the colorful, yet unexpected revolution in computers that was about to undergo, Macintosh ran a clever ad promoting the ingenuity of its new Apple Computer. A spin-off of George Orwell’s dark novel “1984”, the ad linked the evil imagery of Big Brother to the Microsoft Computer Corporation. In recent months, we have seen a similar advertisement emerge; this time it delves into the realm of electoral politics…

Hillary Clinton is the definite target of the contemporary version of this “1984” advertisement. As the first shot opens, the camera focuses downward on a transparent tunnel that bridges a vast, seemingly endless, almost Star-Wars like gap. The number “14” marks the bridge in a bland font on a wall. Colors are light blue and gray, suggesting a stark, lifeless environment. Crammed people can be seen marching forth through the tunnel. In an echo that subconsciously implies emptiness, Hillary’s voice can be heard lecturing the moving masses. “One month ago, I began a conversation with all of you”, she begins, “and so far, we haven’t stopped talking, and that’s really good.” The use of simple language makes it appear that Hillary is speaking to a group of innocent, vulnerable children. This is very persuasive in the fact that it suggests the people have been dumbed down and robbed of their intelligence. Further, the word “conversation” juxtaposed against blatant visual conformity draws an undeniable irony. Hillary comes off as being a deceptive and self-interested.

The camera cuts to the inside of one of the tunnels where the people wearing all- white clothing continue their drone-like march. The left wall is lined with television screens bearing Hillary’s lecturing face. Because the lens is zoomed, any chance for comfortable or familiar depth is collapsed.

For a split second, the camera reveals the first glimpse of color; the image of a women running. She is strong and blond. She wears “80’s” workout clothes, carries a sledgehammer, and is strangely wearing a barely noticeable ipod (I wonder if itunes had a hand in the creation of this commercial). The orange markings on her clothes represent the only warm colors used throughout the entire commercial. The rest are cold and sterile.

As the shot returns to a close-up of the peoples’ faces, Hillary continues to talk down to them. “I intend to keep telling you exactly where I stand on all the issues”, she explains. In the background, a distressing, mechanical beep can be subtly heard every few seconds. As the people walk by, their faces look the same. All heads are shaved, all tones are pale, all expressions are empty, and some of the folks are even wearing gasmasks. This re-enforces the mind-numbing danger of a world run by Hillary Clinton.

The camera turns its focus to a number of guards running down a hallway armed with clubs. The guards are dressed in black (the opposite of the people) and are wearing helmets that protect their heads. Glass shields hide their face in shadow, giving them nameless identities of darkness. There are no human-like characteristics for the audience to relate to. This capitalizes on the notion that people fear the unknown.

As the camera cuts back to the people walking, it shows a zoomed shot of feet marching in synchronicity. The march is not proud nor energetic, but rather forced and obedient. It is soon revealed that the people are marching toward a large room, where a screen displaying Hillary’s gaze oversees the order below. Wisely, the producers of this commercial chose to insert rather animated clips of Hillary speaking. This is tremendously effective because it not only shows a huge juxtaposition of intelligence between Hillary and her controlled people, but it undercuts her credibility on the deepest of levels. If they were to choose a bland expert of Hillary to display, the real-world audience would have ample room to breathe. A person could always rebut the commercial claiming that “she is more life-like in reality”. But now, her gestures of deep sincerity are cast in the light of ultimate deception. Even if she, herself rebuts the commercial in the most genuine way, a seed of mistrust will be linked to her mannerisms in the mind (conscious or subconscious) of the audience. Not to mention, the blue filter and off-centeredness of her face ad eerie imagery.

The woman continues to run down the hallway with the sledgehammer in her hands; this time she is being chased by guards. The symmetry of the camera (closed camera) provides the feelings of order and isolation. Hillary continues to lecture, “I don’t want people who already agree with me, I want honest, hard working, patriotic people who want to be part of a team”. The discourse here simply implies that people who agree with Hillary are not honest, hard working, nor patriotic. The uncomfortable beep continues.

As the guards get closer and closer to the woman, she begins to twirl her sledgehammer. The camera shows a close-up of Hillary’s blue, evil-looking face. With a cry of raw emotion from the woman, the sledgehammer is thrown through the air, and the screen explodes in a white burst. The shocked faces of the people are illuminated by a white mystical light as a wind blows their clothes. It is cinematic; as if a demon has just been destroyed. As the screen fades to white, the words, “On January 14^th, the Democratic Primary will begin. And you’ll see why 2008 won’t be like “1984”. A colorful apple then fades in with the words “BarackObama.com”.

It should be noted that throughout the entire commercial, the proximity of the camera gradually became closer to Hillary’s face (with the exception of the last shot in which the screen explodes). This is a tactic used by filmmakers to imply power. The closer the camera to the subject, the more power he or she is perceived to have. The feeling provided by camerawork here is that Hillary is gaining more and more power throughout the ad.

Overall, this was an incredibly persuasive commercial. With rhetorical tactics ranging from visual to verbal and from subtle to obvious, the clear message becomes engrained in the minds of the audience. Let’s hope that if Hillary wins the election of 2008, she’s not that power hungry.

Jim Feeney '07'

Wilkes University Student

Communications studies