This Obama 30 min primetime informercial....

...is really worrying me. ( See HuffPo for latest details, or ABC Newsblog)It's total overkill. For starters, it's delaying ball game coverage for half an hour, which is going to really irritate sports fans on principle, Obama fans or not. I can just see it playing in sports bars, and fans jeeringly chucking peanuts at the screen ( and Fox gleefully filming it all). It cost millions, when money is tight for everyone and the economy is in freefall. It feeds into Obama's opponent's mocking narrative of 'The One', the vainglorious, spooky cult leader, who has the media in the palm of his hand. It looks grandiose, and however marvellous the content, it is hard to override the negative message that the audacious act of taking over most of the major channels simultaneously sends out.

When you have closed the deal and are in the lead, you shut up and stop selling.

I remember how this used to happen with brand managers when I worked on ad campaigns; they would get overexcited and make the mistake of thinking everyone is as into their product as they were and wanted endless nth degree detail, but the truth is, the consumer isn't, and only gets suspicious and irritated if you over-evangelise.

The converted don't need this, the curious already know how to find out about Obama, the racists and wingnuts who think he's the antichrist will only hate him even more, the committed GOP-pers will vote GOP as they always do, and the rest, the floaters, the independents, rightist by inclination but currently furious with Bush and anxious about their jobs and futures, just need to sidle towards the normally-riskier but just-now seemingly safer bet, lips tightened, fingers crossed - without fanfare and drama.

They are not going to vote joyfully, feeling part of a Change revolution. They are making what used to be called a 'distress purchase', considering the 'least worst option'. Of all the voters, these are the ones who are likely to be most sensitive to anxieties about Obama's Otherness - and any character flaws like perceived arrogance or elitism. They want to be reassured, vote and get it over with, hoping for some better news as a reward for what they still think of as a scary jump into the unknown.

I can understand what may have been the original thinking behind the media purchase of 30 minutes multi-network prime time; give these people 30 minutes cosy TV time with Obama and they will see that he's normal, understands them, has a good economic plan, reaches out to People Like Them...

But this staggering ad buy is just too much. It's far too easy to stoke unease by portraying Obama as some arrogant show-off who's already measuring the Oval Offfice drapes, who is hubristically fascinated by his own message and assumes everyone else is too. This is unfair, as Obama is the least narcissistic politician I have seen in years, but that won't stop the chronically narcissistic McCain and Palin, who can't understand him as he is so unlike them, throwing all their jealous, angry scorn at him. Projection, the GOP's story of this election.

Primetime TV is a 'push' medium: the consumer sits on his sofa and passively recieves it, expecting to be entertained. The internet is a 'pull' medium: people choose to log on and actively search out stuff, pulling information towards themselves. Party political broadcasts are always a turn off, however slick, however sympathetic, however much they flatter and cajole their intended audiences.

Nobody likes to be pushed too hard: half an hour of some politician guy advertising himself - in person or via testimonials from celebs, worthies and ordinary Joes - is not what people really tend to tune in for on a Wednesday night - and I think this is going to backfire badly.

Gah. I hope I'm wrong and this isn't the worst own goal ever.