Fred Davis (California)
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| Fred Davis | |||
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| Basic facts | |||
| Organization: | Strategic Perception, Inc. | ||
| Role: | Founder | ||
| Location: | Los Angeles, Calif. | ||
| Affiliation: | Republican | ||
| Education: | •Trinity University (Texas) | ||
| Website: | Official website | ||
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Fred Davis is a Republican media consultant and founder of Strategic Perception, a media group based in California. Most recently, he was a media advisor to New Day Independent Media Committee Inc, a super PAC working in support of John Kasich's 2016 presidential campaign.[1][2] Davis has extensive experience creating political ads nationwide, including high profile ads for Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) 2008 presidential campaign and Carly Fiorina's (R-Calif.) 2010 U.S. Senate campaign.[3]
Career
Fred Davis began his career in commercial advertising, taking over his father's public relations firm in 1972. He moved the company to Los Angeles in the mid-1980s and renamed it Strategic Perception, Inc. The firm first got into politics in 1994, running a come-from-behind campaign for former U.S. Rep. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Davis' uncle.[3] Issie Lapowski of Inc.com notes that Inhofe's "Ballerina" ad—which featured ex-convicts dressed in ballet tutus―was the beginning of a "trademark Fred Davis style": "It hinges on a careful balance of humor, absurdity, and Davis's belief that, 'If people don't talk about, fight, cry, and laugh over your ads, you've wasted your money.'"[4]
"Demon Sheep" Ad for Carly Fiorina, 2010
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Davis has worked on a number of campaigns for national positions, including four previous presidential campaigns. Some of his most notable work has come since 2008, when Davis was the media advisor for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign. In McCain's highest profile advertisement, Davis portrayed President Barack Obama (D) as a "celebrity" alongside Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.[5] Davis also gained national attention for his 2010 internet video for Carly Fiorina, who was then running for U.S. Senate in California. The video featured Fiorina's opponent in the primary election, Tom Campbell, as a "demon sheep," saying he was a wolf in a fiscally conservative sheep's clothing. Of the ad, Davis told the Los Angeles Times, "When you’re in a state where it costs $5 million to run a 30-second ad statewide… you have to think differently. You have to think outside the box."[6]
In the 2012 campaign cycle, Davis also made headlines for an ad that never appeared. The New York Times obtained a copy of an ad proposal to billionaire Joe Ricketts.[7] The proposal, which was never taken up, tied President Obama to controversial pastor Jeremiah Wright, and it gained notoriety for its description of Obama as a "metrosexual black Abe Lincoln" and McCain as "a crusty old politician who often seemed confused."[8]
Comments on advertising style
In a July 2016 interview with KEYT in Santa Barbara, California, Davis explained some of his approach to creating political ads. After explaining that his company is known for "doing things a little bit different," he told the station:[9]
| “ | Just a little line at the end, 'We'll talk more later,' some of those things aren't like political ads. The goal there is to get you to remember those and talk to them and go to work and say, 'Hey, did you see that ad that has that weird line at the end?' It's just advertising 101. You want people to notice your ads ... There's very little difference between selling a beer and selling a politician. You have to get their attention first and then you have to tell them something good about the product. Pretty simple.[10] | ” |
Notable ads
John Kasich presidential campaign, 2016
- See also: John Kasich presidential campaign, 2016
On June 9, 2015, Bloomberg News reported that Fred Davis had joined John Kasich's New Day Independent Media Committee Inc.[1][11] New Day began as a 527 group but refiled as a super PAC on August 6, 2015.[12][2] As a super PAC, New Day could raise unlimited funds but could not directly contribute to a candidate or candidate committee.
As the media advisor for New Day, Davis produced a short video featuring Kasich for the group's website.[13] Kasich announced his bid for the presidency on July 21, 2015.[14] After Kasich's announcement, New Day produced videos airing mostly in New Hampshire and attacking Donald Trump and Chris Christie.[15] Kasich suspended his presidential campaign on May 4, 2016.[16]
Recent news
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See also
External link
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bloomberg, "John Kasich's Super-PAC Hires Fred Davis as Media Strategist," June 9, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Washington Post, "Kasich taps two veteran advisers for expected presidential campaign," June 9, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Strategic Perception, Inc., "The Unusual History of Fred Davis," accessed June 30, 2015
- ↑ Inc.com, "Tips From the GOP's Most Notorious Ad Man," August 21, 2012
- ↑ Washington Post, "Some of image-maker Fred Davis's commercials for Republican candidates," September 22, 2010
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Fiorina's 'demon sheep' creator speaks," February 5, 2010
- ↑ Business Insider, "The Nuclear Option For Trashing Obama," May 17, 2012
- ↑ New York Times, "The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama," accessed June 30, 2015
- ↑ KEYT, "Political Ad Guru Fred Davis Weighs in on Branding Politicians and Presidential Race," July 18, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Northeast Ohio Media Group, "A new fundraising group forms to boost Ohio Gov. John Kasich as he prepares run for president," July 6, 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "New Day Independent Media Committee Statement of Organization," accessed September 2, 2015
- ↑ USA Today, "John Kasich looks to launch White House bid July 21," June 28, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "John Kasich makes 2016 bid official in freewheeling announcement," July 21, 2015
- ↑ Northwest Ohio Media Group, "Is the John Kasich-Chris Christie bromance over? Ohio Politics Roundup," December 17, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Kasich dropping out of presidential race," May 4, 2016
