Alabama is home to one of the more unique and unpredictable political arenas in the United States. At times, campaign ads Alabama candidates choose to run can be just as imaginative as the political scene to which they are seeking entry.
The Yellowhammer State was saturated with a barrage of campaign ads during the 2022 primary election cycle.
Given that the state is now months removed from the contentious primary elections, it is worth looking back at some of the most creative ads of the previous cycle.
The five following campaign ads were ranked based off three categories: Uniqueness and creativity, execution and delivery, and effectiveness.
No. 5 — “No Taxpayer Benefits for Illegals”
Gubernatorial candidate Lindy Blanchard
Illegal immigration consistently ranks as one of the top issues of concern to the Republican electorate, especially in ruby red Alabama.
Blanchard, who came in second place to Gov. Kay Ivey in the GOP gubernatorial primary election, sought to present herself as an immigration hardliner in messaging to voters.
The ad features Blanchard vowing to oppose taxpayer benefits being provided to illegal immigrants: “That’s your money. It should go to Americans, not illegals,” she says.
“Under Governor Blanchard, any illegals found in Alabama would be put on a one-way ticket to Mexico — even if she has to take them herself,” the ad narrator says.
The ad then transitions into a shot of Blanchard in a Ford F-250 King Ranch, during which she says, “Well, somebody’s got to take them to the airport.”
“And I’m going to make them pay for their bags too,” Blanchard says at the ad’s conclusion.
The ad is reminiscent of then-Georgia gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp’s 2016 campaign spot that features him in a pickup truck, which the governor said he could use to “round up criminal illegals and take ’em home myself.”
Given that an estimated 91,000 illegal immigrants reside in the state, Blanchard would have had an arduous task on her hands in personally driving them to the airport.
No. 4 — “Permit”
Gov. Kay Ivey
Alabama’s 54th chief executive routinely delivers some of the most lighthearted and fun campaign ads of any elected state officeholder.
Shortly after signing “constitutional carry” legislation into law, Ivey’s reelection campaign took to TV in an effort to tout the bill which allows Alabamians to conceal carry without first having to obtain a pistol permit.
“I passed concealed carry for Alabamians to arm themselves without government interference — that way you don’t know who’s got what in their purse,” Ivey says while sitting in her office.
She then pulls various items from her purse.
“Lipstick, an iPhone, or maybe a little Smith & Wesson .38,” concludes Ivey in the spot.
Not only did the ad raise Ivey’s stock among Second Amendment advocates, it also acted as a deterrent for anyone to consider acting nefarious when in the governor’s presence.
No. 3 — “Toughness”
U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt
Incorporating football into political messaging is a winning messaging strategy for any candidate seeking election to public office.
Britt, who dominated the field in her successful bid for the GOP’s U.S. Senate nomination, combined the two fields effectively with this ad.
The Britt campaign’s first digital ad featured the candidate’s husband, Wesley, who was an Alabama football All-American and former New England Patriots lineman.
“As Alabama’s former team captain, I know about toughness,” says Wesley. “I’ve knocked heads with the baddest dudes in the SEC and the NFL.”
He adds, “But the toughest person I’ve ever met stands just 5’4”. My wife, Katie, doesn’t have an ounce of quit in her. And trust me when I say: She’s fired up to take it to Biden and his crew.”
The ad then cuts to the Senate candidate. She states, “I’m Katie Britt, and I approve this message. Because I’ve had enough, and the liberals in Washington – they’re going to hear about it.”
No. 2 — “Good golfer. Bad Politician.”
Attorney General Steve Marshall
The 30-second spot places Marshall at the links touting his golf game. The ad features the attorney general admitting to being a “bad politician” due to his lack of concern with being admired among the political establishment.
After sinking a mid-range putt, the attorney general says, “I’m Steve Marshall. I’m a good golfer but a bad politician. That’s why I’m not afraid of the woke mob, cancel culture or liberal radicals trying to cancel our constitution.”
“The left, the media and the establishment won’t like it, but I’m more concerned with defending Alabama than I am being liked. I’m a better golfer than politician,” concludes Marshall.
The ad closes with the attorney general teeing off in what appears to be a solid strike with his driver down the middle of the fairway.
No. 1 — “No Way, Jose”
Gov. Kay Ivey
In what was perhaps the most controversial ad of the primary election cycle, Ivey took aim at President Joe Biden over his administration’s immigration policies.
The ad features Ivey suggesting that American citizens could soon be forced to learn Spanish due to the Biden administration “shipping” illegal immigrants into U.S. communities.
“I’m Kay Ivey. If Joe Biden keeps shipping illegal immigrants into our states, we’re all going to have to learn Spanish,” says Ivey in the ad. “My message to Biden: No way, Jose. That’s why I sent National Guard troops to protect the southern border. And that’s why we banned sanctuary cities in Alabama. The left can try to cancel me — I don’t care. But here in Alabama, we’re going to enforce the law.”
The ad also detailed the governor’s efforts to combat illegal immigration by way of banning sanctuary cities and deploying National Guard personnel to the southern border.
The controversial nature of her ad enabled the governor to benefit from increased media coverage of the 30-second TV spot.
Ivey’s successful messaging strategy positioned her stance on illegal immigration to the right of every gubernatorial candidate in the field. The ad undoubtedly played well with Alabama’s overwhelmingly conservative electorate.
Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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