In January 2011, longtime San Francisco City bureaucrat, Ed Lee was appointed interim Mayor of San Francisco by the Board of Supervisors after the previous mayor, Gavin Newsom, was elected Lieutenant Governor. The appointment came after Lee publicly pledged not to run for a full term later in 2011. However, the summer after receiving the appointment, Mayor Lee changed his mind following a "Run Ed Run" petition campaign.
Lee had never run for office and was considered more technocratic than charismatic. In the 2011 San Francisco Mayor’s race, he faced a crowded field of 15 opponents in city's first "instant runoff" election system. Lee needed something to make him stand out.
Fortunately for Lee, he had a lot of supporters in San Francisco's booming social media industry, who know a few things about viral videos—and he had a friend in MC Hammer.
Conway's media consultants teamed up with local musician, Ashkon, who in the previous year, created a YouTube hit of an anthem celebrating the San Francisco Giants. And they got MC Hammer to contribute his 1991 hit song, his collection of harem pants and a cameo.
The ad begins with Ashkon playing video games with friends, talking about endorsing Lee. As they struggle to come up with a good slogan explaining why he shouldn't just be an interim mayor ("too smart to dart"), suddenly MC Hammer appears in the kitchen—“Hey, who ate up all my apple butter?" Hammer scolds. We are then transported into what appears to be an old MC Hammer video, as Ashkon raps on behalf of Lee.
Most interestingly, the political ad was cheap to make, only $18,000. The media consultants also didn't waste money putting it on TV—the video racked up hundreds of thousands of YouTube views.
With one video, Ed Lee was transformed from a mild-mannered technocrat to a San Francisco personality. He won the 2011 mayoral in a landslide.
Lee had never run for office and was considered more technocratic than charismatic. In the 2011 San Francisco Mayor’s race, he faced a crowded field of 15 opponents in city's first "instant runoff" election system. Lee needed something to make him stand out.
Fortunately for Lee, he had a lot of supporters in San Francisco's booming social media industry, who know a few things about viral videos—and he had a friend in MC Hammer.
Mayor Ed Lee Backed By MC Hammer's Harem Pants
The music video/political ad, "Ed Lee is 2 LEGIT 2 QUIT," was the brainchild of Silicon Valley investor Ron Conway, who organized the area's social media mavens to "apply the tech world to this campaign" and find a way to reach voters turned off by negative political ads.Conway's media consultants teamed up with local musician, Ashkon, who in the previous year, created a YouTube hit of an anthem celebrating the San Francisco Giants. And they got MC Hammer to contribute his 1991 hit song, his collection of harem pants and a cameo.
The ad begins with Ashkon playing video games with friends, talking about endorsing Lee. As they struggle to come up with a good slogan explaining why he shouldn't just be an interim mayor ("too smart to dart"), suddenly MC Hammer appears in the kitchen—“Hey, who ate up all my apple butter?" Hammer scolds. We are then transported into what appears to be an old MC Hammer video, as Ashkon raps on behalf of Lee.
A Smash Political Ad, Without The TV
The video is packed with local celebrities. Executives from Google, YouTube and Twitter offer their endorsement, dance and flash the "2 Legit 2 Quit" hand signal. Former Mayor Willie Brown and football legend Ronnie Lott chime in, and then-Giants pitcher Brian Wilson, known for his own slogan, "Fear The Beard," sports a shirt with the slogan, "Fear The Mustache." Later, an animated Ed Lee mustache jumps off his face.Most interestingly, the political ad was cheap to make, only $18,000. The media consultants also didn't waste money putting it on TV—the video racked up hundreds of thousands of YouTube views.
With one video, Ed Lee was transformed from a mild-mannered technocrat to a San Francisco personality. He won the 2011 mayoral in a landslide.