03/22/2007
Creator of Anti-Hillary "1984" Ad Reveals Himself
"ParkRidge47", the creator of the anti-Hillary "Vote Different" ad which utilized footage from Apple's "1984" Macintosh computer ad from the same year, has revealed himself to be Phil de Vellis, a former employee of Blue State Digital, a company which does software development and web hosting for the Barack Obama campaign.
De Vellis says that neither the campaign nor his former employer knew he had a hand in it. He wrote an editorial in the Huffington Post today taking responsibility for the spot, which rocketed virally across the internet last week.
Said De Vellis: "I made the "Vote Different" ad because I wanted to express my feelings about the Democratic primary, and because I wanted to show that an individual citizen can affect the process. There are thousands of other people who could have made this ad, and I guarantee that more ads like it--by people of all political persuasions--will follow."
De Vellis said he made the ad on a Sunday afternoon with his Mac and then sent it around to blogs after uploading it to YouTube. He also makes clear his party affiliation: "I am a proud Democrat, and I always have been. I support Senator Obama. I hope he wins the primary. (I recognize that this ad is not his style of politics.) I also believe that Senator Clinton is a great public servant, and if she should win the nomination, I would support her and wish her all the best."
Since the ad was released, De Vellis says he has resigned from his position at Blue State Digital. From the look of things, however, it doesn't appear as if he'll have trouble finding employment elsewhere.
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Posted 11:22 AM EST by Andy Towle in Advertising, Apple, Barack Obama, Election 2008, Hillary Clinton, News, Phil de Vellis | Permalink
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Actually it is based on the 2004(?) rerelease of the ad. If you look closely the runner has an iPod whice was added when the ad was rereleased. MacGeek moment now over.
Needless to say de Villis will not lack employement opportunites, the spot was fantastic in both inspiration and execution.
Pax,
j.
Posted by: James | Mar 22, 2007 11:40:09 AM
It really does open the door on a new frontier in campaigning. You thought mudslinging was bad between candidates? just wait for the ads created by Joe Blow and Sally Housewife!
Posted by: mark m | Mar 22, 2007 12:07:07 PM
I don't know how great his employment outlook is. The bulk of the graphic content of this ad is from the Apple ad that showed PC users as drones from "1984". All he really did was drop in Hillary Clinton's face and audio and the website tagline at the end.
Posted by: Bryce | Mar 22, 2007 12:07:13 PM
"I also believe that Senator Clinton is a great public servant, and if she should win the nomination, I would support her and wish her all the best."
1. He's dishonest. We're to believe he thinks she's both an Orwellian despot who must be destroyed AND a "great public servant" whom he'll support if she gets the nomination?
2. Kiss & makeup between candidates after they've thrown mud at each other for months is the norm, but he's a fool if he thinks he can pour this more powerful form of poison in the race and not have it "killing" at least some voters long after his air kiss to Hillary is forgotten. I hope he's proud of being a political bedfellow of the Swift Boat Psychos.
Posted by: Leland | Mar 22, 2007 12:23:21 PM
Few shocking things about this whole situation:
1) That this is considered a "watershed" moment. I didn't think it was that great and I'm not a Hillary fan, I'm voting for Edwards.
2) That the Obama camp said this was outside his people's abilities. That's just shocking! He needs better people if this was beyond them.
Posted by: Mike | Mar 22, 2007 12:26:49 PM
Here’s what I make of the whole flap: Clinton, Obama, the ad’s maker (now out of a job), his employer and the press are all just playing their roles … and the play is a farce. Of course, that’s what high-stakes presidential politics is all about these days. More on the theme on my blog if anyone cares:
http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/12757
Posted by: Paul McNamara | Mar 22, 2007 12:37:15 PM
Is anyone really shocked that it was someone from the Obama camp? I don't think so...
Posted by: anon | Mar 22, 2007 1:29:30 PM
Damn...where's that vast right-wing conspiracy when you need one. Regardless, I'm sure Karl Rove had his hand in this. Somehow. Some way. I just know he did.
Posted by: Psychedelic Pariah | Mar 22, 2007 1:52:58 PM
That was unispired and stupid...and from a technical standpoint anyone with a basic understanding of any digital editing program could throw that together.
Everything she said was intelligent and positive...so the point of the ad was to show you disagree with that?
Posted by: Johnny | Mar 22, 2007 2:44:02 PM
"We're to believe he thinks she's both an Orwellian despot who must be destroyed AND a "great public servant" whom he'll support if she gets the nomination?"
This guy did not come up with the concept of "1984" commercial. That was Apple. And the message behind that ad was that there was a whole new world coming. While it would seem to show his bias, everything I've heard this guy say points to a message that the campaign ad has just entered the public arena.
It's a new world, much like the ad says.
Posted by: mark m | Mar 22, 2007 5:04:29 PM
"That was unispired and stupid...and from a technical standpoint anyone with a basic understanding of any digital editing program could throw that together."
That's kind of the point. Since nearly anyone can put this kind of ad together, it means the race for President just got more interesting.
I wouldn't say the ad is uninspired. I would say it's lazy since it piggybacks on someone else's vision.
Posted by: mark m | Mar 22, 2007 5:09:00 PM
Mark M, the message in neither the original ad nor the mashed version of it was about "new worlds." I realize a virtual religious cult has developed around Apple but the objective fact is that "1984" was simpy pitching [however brilliantly] one PRODUCT against another. The Macintosh [graphically represented on the woman's shirt] against IBM ["Unification of Thought"/"Big Brother"]. GUI smashing DOS. And that prediction has hardly proven to be accurate, as Apple's operating system sales still trail far, far behind [one report indicates DOS-based Windows has "90% of the client operating system market]. Two months ago, they even dropped "Computer" from their corporate name, and, without the success of the iPod, it's reasonable to question how much longer stockholders would have been content with only 10% of the OS market.
De Vellis was simply pitting his product Obama [named on the woman's shirt] against product Hillary [his idea of "Big Brother"]. Obama smashing Hillary. We'll have to wait to see if the "new world" of the amateur-created campaign ad fares any better than Apple PC/OS sales.
Posted by: Leland | Mar 22, 2007 6:06:55 PM
I am SO HAPPY that this came from a "dem" and not a repub! Although, I totally agreed with the ad's content! I am just glad that "Rove" was not behind the ad. Remember, Clinton is not a fan of us gays...
Posted by: RB | Mar 22, 2007 8:43:09 PM
Um what? That "ad" is complete crap and makes absolutely no sense. How can you pretend that Hillary Clinton is "big brother" when she's like a Jr. Senator?
I know most people have very strong feelings one way or the other about Hillary and that's fine...but that ad is more anti intelligence and anti-logic than anti-Hillary.
I'd question any canidate that employed somebody making ads as stupid as that
Posted by: lambman | Mar 22, 2007 11:33:32 PM
There's another issue here: As an artist & someone who works in the computer art field, I am shocked by such cluelessness regarding intellectual property rights & copyright law. Regardless of the political fallout, I hope this amateur gets sued for infringement. We should protect our creative artists & their rights to make a living with their brains & hands!
Posted by: reddoor | Mar 23, 2007 12:00:21 AM
Resigned? I heard he was FIRED! That's what you get stealing someone else's work without clearance.
Posted by: BIGPOPPA | Mar 23, 2007 5:48:58 AM
Okay Kids, play nice and get off the soap box. Lettuce get back to the issue and that is Hillary. She wants the White House period.. To hell with the right or wrong of the publisher the point is clear to me or did you all miss it.
Just a thought.
Posted by: Dr. Pat | Mar 23, 2007 6:18:50 AM
Leland, Microsoft's actions of the past several years show that they see Mac as a threat, regardless of what percentage of the market they hold.
One thing Macintosh has done successfully that PC's have failed to is create a consumer culture around their products.
Have you ever met a Mac person? I am one and in my line of work, everyone uses a Mac. Mac owners are fiercely loyal. Our computers are like our pets. Try finding that kind of love with PC owners and all you'll find are bitter angry grumblers who bitch and moan about Microsoft and Bill Gates.
We should all hope to fail as miserably as Macintosh.
Posted by: mark m | Mar 23, 2007 10:16:32 AM
You've only reiterated my point, Mark—the confusion of cultish feeling with sales numbers. Step away from your Mac, put your hands in the air, and TRY to be objective. Most Microsoft shareholders don't give a damn whether or not their buyers love their product AS LONG AS THEY KEEP BUYING. Sad, but true of most capitalists, and despite all his guru/messiah image, I bet the same is true of Steve Jobs. But, back to empiricism. Shall we make it more simple for you? "Billy has 9 pennies. Stevie has 1 penny. Which one is richer? We'll be right back after this commercial to find out if Mark is 'smarter than a 5th grader'."
And that autofellatio crap about Microsoft living in constant fear of the Mac has been predicted more often than Pat Robertson has announced that Jesus is coming back at 8:17 pm EST. [Look for a bearded guy in a caftan and sandals.]
Most indicative of which way the consumer [read $$$] winds are blowing is that, again, Apple has totally removed "Computer" from their corporate name. I have a friend who predicts that in ten years, unless they have finally made their prices competitive with PCs, they won't be making computer hardware at all but will simply be licensing their operating system while their real profits will be from the iPod and other entertainment products. Even today, 48% of their sales are from iPods.
And, RB: you're smarter than your assertion, "Clinton is not a fan of us gays."
Posted by: Leland | Mar 23, 2007 12:19:54 PM