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As I was watching TV late last night, I stumbled across a commercial that, in many ways, blew my mind. What started out as a typical fast food restaurant commercial quickly became a very effective political campaign. Without endorsing any particular candidate, Burger King has begun, much like it did leading up to the 2004 election, a commercial campaign – an extension of its HaveItYourWay08 campaign – to encourage Americans to go out to the polls on November 4th and vote.

The ad begins as a hidden camera at the drive through, capturing its customers ordering various items off of the menu, customized to their likings, sans pickles, extra onions, etc. The clincher is clever, and it catches you off guard. This technique turned out to be quite effective. Watching a commercial for a recognized brand name, Burger King grabs the attention of TV viewers without any dedicated airtime. The commercial itself does that job through brand recognition.

But where this commercial is really effective is its integration of the company’s long standing “Have It Your Way” campaign, a slogan which began in the 1970’s and has continued today. Burger King used this slogan to transition from its customers, customers it says have had it their way for years, to a public service announcement, urging Americans to vote. Use your choice to vote and be heard. “We’ve heard you for years. Now America wants to hear your vote.” The ad ends by asking viewers to use your choice on November 4th, and vote.

The American media has become a great outlet for individuals and corporations alike to raise awareness, to educate, and to promote. Blogs and the internet have taken over in recent years, leading to a demise of traditional reporting methods and means, as well as a decline in viewership. The digital video recorder has dramatically decreased commercial audiences, but commercials like these capture audiences. The Internet sparks a buzz in commercial campaigns such as this by Burger King, and the commercials are typically uploaded within days to Internet websites such as YouTube, etc. by individuals participating in the social sphere of the Internet.

It’s great to see companies such as Burger King are taking such a vested interest in this upcoming election, one that promises to be perhaps the most important in recent history. In 2004, Burger King launched a similar ad campaign with popular artists such as Snoop Dogg to reach the younger audiences, encouraging a demographic of voters that were newly registered or had never registered to go out on November 4th and vote. The company has heard their voices for years in the customizations of their food orders, and now, Burger King wants America to hear its customers’ voices, to exercise a fundamental right their customers utilize at thousands of restaurants every day, but sadly, a fundamental right which has not been extended to the polls.

“At its core, the Burger King brand promise is all about empowerment and choice, and there is no better time than a national election to reinforce the importance of exercising the ultimate choice—the right to vote,” Burger King vice president of marketing impact Brian Gies said in a statement.

Though nowhere to be found yet on the Internet, many blogs and news sites have already written about this ad, an ad I only saw by chance at one in the morning last night. The blogging community is asking for links, for viewers to upload the video. It will more than likely appear, and when it does, I will embed it on this post. Stay tuned…and watch for the ad on major television networks.

Photo Credit: Word! From the Brothers Four

It is more important than ever to go out and vote, a statement I can not stress enough. The last eight years have not only changed our nation, they have changed the world. From political relations to economic markets, the world has become a worse place because of the Bush administrations agenda. What was once an economic system in surplus under the Clinton administration, George W. has managed to muster up a multi-trillion dollar deficit. The election is less than a month away, and change is not possible without your vote. Michael Moore, the filmmaker behind Fahrenheit 9/11, has a movie where he calls out those eligible to vote, but chose not to. They are the slackers, and we need these people to vote. So, please, go out on November 4th and vote. Don’t do it for me, don’t do it for your family. Do it for this country, do it for yourself. If nothing else, do it for Sarah Silverman…