WARNING: Side Effects May Include Laughing at a Political Ad

INFOMERCIAL: How To Make Ads That REALLY Move Voters

What do you get when you cross political messaging with cheesy late-night infomercials? One of our favorite—and surprisingly effective—ads of the 2024 cycle.

Infomercial didn’t start with a clear concept or even a final frame in mind. Like a lot of our favorite pieces, it came together through trial, error, client feedback, and a commitment to one unshakable idea: hardworking Arizonans deserve better. What made it work was the collaboration, the tone, and, yes, the tiny vintage TV that wrapped it all up.

FROM “WORKING THEIR ASS OFF” TO “BUSTING YOUR ASS”

The original idea behind Infomercial was a familiar political contrast: one party “working their ass off” for everyday people while the other slacked off. But as client discussions continued, we began to reframe our thinking: should the candidate be our story’s hero? That shift in approach opened up a more compelling direction—one that put the voter at the center of the story (something we’ve been implementing into our creative work more and more)!

That pivot changed everything. The team reoriented the message around a relatable, slightly absurd metaphor—literal physical pain from metaphorical economic effort. The result? An ad that could be funny, visually engaging, and most importantly, emotionally resonant.

DON’T GIVE UP TOO EARLY

Unlike some concepts that come from a single spark of inspiration, Infomercial evolved across multiple iterations and writers. Scripts were passed, rewritten, and spliced together. Everyone tried their hand at shaping the final version until it finally clicked. The winning draft? A cheeky script that leaned into nostalgia, took stylistic risks, and made people laugh, even in the edit room. A reminder to keep pushing for a great idea.

STYLE THAT SERVED THE STRATEGY

The ad’s aesthetic—retro, late-night cable TV—wasn’t an afterthought. It emerged early and guided the production. The “inside a TV” framing wasn’t just a visual gag; it solved a real production challenge for framing (split screens on mobile) and delivered a wave of warm, fuzzy nostalgia. Fonts, transitions, and the voiceover tone were all carefully selected to sell the concept and draw in the viewer before they realized they were watching a political ad.

RESULTS THAT HELD UP

Infomercial stood out. It earned a 10% lift overall and was particularly persuasive with non-voters, Republicans, and working-class households. It ran on both TV and digital. As an online video ad, it boasted a 70% completion rate, significantly above average.

It also earned a rare response from the client: laughter and approval on the first cut, with almost no edits requested—just a censored version for platforms like Facebook and Hulu. Even then, the uncensored version outperformed by a full point.

WHY IT WORKED

What set Infomercial apart wasn’t just the laughs; its messaging struck a chord with voters. Its success came from a clarity of vision, the trust between collaborators, and the strategic choice to make the voter the hero. And in a landscape flooded with political ads, it earned one of the highest compliments: people wanted to watch the whole thing.