Campaign

Clinton ad tests well for Dems but hints at divide

by Sam Youngman - 06/28/07 7:09 PM ET

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) recent Internet spot that played off the “Sopranos” finale tested well with Democrats in terms of memorability and appeal, but Republicans and independents were not huge fans, according to a survey.

The survey, conducted by Wilson Research Strategies, tested both the Clinton ad and spots by Democratic candidates Sen. Chris Dodd (Conn.), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. It found Clinton’s ad may not help her reach beyond the core Democratic constituency.

{mosads}“The ad successfully appeals to Democrats and does well in several key ‘buzz’ measurements and may help bridge the gap between Sen. Clinton and some new-media-oriented Democrats,” CEO Chris Wilson said. “Across the board, even with those skeptical of its content, the ad rates well on memorability and generating discussion.”

But lower-than-average results from independents and Republicans suggest Clinton will continue to face an uphill battle with voters outside of the Democratic Party, Wilson added.

“President Clinton’s role in the ad clearly helps Sen. Clinton among the Democratic base, as it scores well on measures of effectiveness, appeal and memorability,” Wilson said. “[But] the immense partisan divide over the content of this ad reflects the difficulties Sen. Clinton may have with the general electorate.

“On content measures of effectiveness and appeal, this ad rates very poorly among Republicans and below average among independents,” he added.

The Richardson spot, one of his popular “Job Interview” ads, polled very well with most groups but not nearly as well as the first two in the series. The first two tested better than any ads Wilson has ever polled on.

The governor’s latest ad, which deals with global warming, tested well with Democrats in all categories, particularly in the areas of memorability and credibility.

And while Republican responses were below average in most categories, the governor’s spot did test well in the memorability category.

Kucinich’s ad features a gasoline pump’s meter turning with statistics such as soldiers killed in Iraq and the cost of the war. The dial continues spinning into higher and higher numbers until the screen cuts to the words: “No more blood for oil.”

In the categories of “strong message” and “memorable,” the ad does very well with most groups. Democrats viewed the ad extremely favorably in all categories, and Republicans were predictably down on it, particularly in the category of credibility.

Dodd’s ad, which is primarily biographical, begins with the senator’s time in the Peace Corps and finishes with his accomplishments in the Senate.

In an apparent attempt to portray the longtime senator as the most experienced of the Democratic field, the ad finishes with the question “Have you asked what the other candidates have done?”

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That said, the spot tested poorly across the board, hitting below-average numbers even with Democrats but especially with Republicans and independents.

The good news for Team Dodd is that in the category of credibility, the senator’s ad was well received with both Democrats and independents.

Working with The Hill for its Air War feature: Wilson Research Strategies e-mails campaign or issue ads to survey participants who view the ads and rate their effectiveness on several criteria.