In case you’re feeling down about working in the ad industry today, you should probably get the hell over yourself and be thankful you’re not in media or politics.*
Trump has already released his first re-election ad despite the fact that he is, in his own words, just realizing that the job isn’t as easy as he’d hoped. And he really misses driving.
You may notice that some of these things, most prominently the “biggest tax cut in American history,” haven’t happened yet. Details are overrated, especially in political ads.
But we only care about the “FAKE NEWS” part, because that’s what led CNN to reject airing an ad that talks shit about its own business. Now why would the Turner team do a dumb thing like that?!
It turned into a whole back and forth because of course Trump can’t miss an opportunity to explain to his fans that he is being “silenced by FAKE and BIAS news!”
First of all, look up the word “censorship.” No really, just look that shit up. It does not mean that a privately owned company declined to run an ad promoting a person who is both an office holder and a future political candidate.
And then CNN clarified that it would have run this spot (ad dollars above all else) except for the whole underlying concept about its own business.
In response to the Donald J. Trump for President campaign’s accusations of ad censorship: pic.twitter.com/0Rbanpf0dn
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) May 2, 2017
The response from the deputy campaign manager of the sitting president(!) is a new variation on the classic, “I’m rubber, you’re glue; whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you.”
Trump campaign’s response to @CNN. pic.twitter.com/YwzXPDMxab
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) May 2, 2017
Anyway, maybe someone who works at a media agency or has a basic understanding of how advertising works should alert the White House.
Just kidding. This is the most disingenuous fight of the year that didn’t involve two millionaire athletes/actors/pop stars trying to score more Instagram followers.
You’d think that a dude who places so much value in earned media would have a better understanding of the paid variety. But one has to credit him for understanding the secret behind cable news: it’s all about controversy, especially the DIY kind.
*Unless you’re a contractor, in which case please spend your millions on American-made products.