One of the most interesting aspects of this unusual election year is the early start to the advertising from the presidential candidates. If you live in a swing state, you've been seeing campaign commercials on TV since the spring. And if you don't, you've been seeing those commercials on your desktops, laptops, smartphones and maybe even your kitchen appliances. Although most political ads are produced by firms that have experience with candidates rather than consumer products, some ad industry pros are involved in Campaign 2016. For instance, Droga5 is working for Hillary Clinton. And Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners created an ad questioning Donald Trump's qualifications to be president. Most of the commercials run so far have been for Clinton, as Trump has relied more on rallies, tweets and earned media. The ad community has been closely scrutinizing Clinton's pitches, praising some -- such as a spot that asks what kind of role model Trump would serve for America's children -- while judging others as subpar. The major criticism for Clinton's commercials is that they don't reflect how different Trump is from a traditional presidential candidate and how serious the consequences would be if he was elected. One new spot seems to address that, featuring clips of Republicans repudiating Trump. Still, Clinton's supporters, worried that her lead over Trump is shrinking, are urging her ad-makers to keep thinking outside the box. Here, then, are six suggestions for unconventional campaign ads for Clinton, some from me and some from ad folks. Note to the Clinton headquarters in Brooklyn: They're all yours, gratis. (For those wondering when this column will offer ad suggestions to the Trump campaign, please check back on the 12th of Never.)
Stuart Elliott: Six Unconventional Campaign Ads for Hillary Clinton
