Populism In Hillary Clinton's Getting Started

In an effort to appeal to viewers’ sense of populism and convince them that she is the candidate best suited to be the next President of the United States, Hillary Clinton places little emphasis on herself in her ad, “Getting Started,” and attempts to instead place a heavy emphasis on the “everyday Americans” featured throughout the video. She places this emphasis on these “everyday Americans” by keeping the camera focused on the characters in ad, rather than focusing it on herself, carefully using pronouns that make viewers feel as if they could become one of the happy individuals or families featured in the video, and using conversational and inclusive diction.
Throughout the ad, “Getting Started,” Secretary Clinton only appears a handful …show more content…
In the opening section of the video, the music serves to intrigue the viewer by using a cadence with a good deal of variety, and then by utilizing a dramatic pause after a short introduction. The music then quiets and takes on a more consistent rhythm that continues as the various individuals featured in the video tell their stories. The music is consistently upbeat, which helps create a sense of drive, and sets a positive tone. Additionally, the music consistently crescendos throughout the video, reaching a relative peak when Clinton appears. As Clinton begins to speak about how she plans to work to improve the life of “everyday Americans,” the music further crescendos and becomes more upbeat, attempting to create an association between Secretary Clinton and the working class’s dream to “get ahead” and “stay ahead.” By using upbeat music, Clinton tries to create a positive image in the eyes of those viewing her ad so that she can reinforce her message that she is a relatable candidate and that she is the candidate best suited to be the next President of the United States. In addition to using music to reinforce this message, Clinton also appeals to viewers through the use of visuals that set a positive …show more content…
In Clinton’s campaign launch video, various images of happy couples of a diverse range of races, sexualities, and ages are shown, as are several children, a dog, a college student preparing to move into the working world, and a man who recently began a new career. Regardless of the fact that all of these individuals and families hail from a variety of living conditions, they all appear to happy, and serve to help the viewers of the video relate to Secretary Clinton. By incorporating a wide variety of individuals, the ad ensures that the viewers of the video have someone with which they can identify, creating a positive tone for anyone viewing the ad, helping appeal to a wide range of individuals through a populist marketing strategy and assisting Clinton in conveying her message that she is the candidate best qualified to be the next President of the United