John Lapp has worked on the front lines of political campaigns, message strategy, crisis management, ballot initiatives, and issue advocacy for over two decades. He has directed and produced creative advertising that includes candidates and organizations at every level. Mr. Lapp has also written, directed, and produced long-form videos and testimonial projects for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on early childhood learning, college affordability, and educational improvement. In 2006, Mr. Lapp helped deliver a Democratic majority to Congress for the first time since 1994 — but without sacrificing a single Democratic incumbent, something not achieved since 1922. The Washington Post called him “one of the principal architects of the Democrats’ takeover of the House.” He also oversaw the re-election of Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and headed the Iowa presidential campaign of Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt. Additionally, Mr. Lapp pulled off against-all-odds victories in the open-seat races of Ken Lucas in rural Kentucky and Steve Israel in suburban New York, in both cases going on to serve as their chiefs of staff.
The Anatomy of an Ad
Event Overview
The Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at Cornell is partnering with eCornell to bring you answers to these questions and more as part of our in-depth election programming. In this session, John Lapp and Liesl Hickey, both top communication strategists with decades of experience in political advertising, will lead you through their favorite political content from the past decades and outline the changes we can see in the current climate. Starting with the instantly famous Lyndon B. Johnson “Daisy” advertisement and through to the 2020 election cycle, we will take an insider look at political advertising.
What You'll Learn
- What actually makes a political ad “effective”
- The typical elements of political ads through the years
- How the content of political ads changes based on their intended audiences
- How the most effective ads in political history succeeded
Speakers
Liesl Hickey is a veteran political strategist who has worked at the highest levels of politics and issue advocacy. She has directed large-scale campaign operations and high-profile public affairs efforts. Ms. Hickey has spent her political career crafting messages and strategies for Republicans on how to win in suburban areas, with a focus on women voters. From 2013-2014, she was the Executive Director of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), where she oversaw a historic 13-seat pickup. This Republican majority — the largest since 1928 — included a number of members representing traditionally Democratic constituencies. Ms. Hickey was previously chief of staff to then-Rep. Mark Kirk (IL), where she helped author the “Suburban Agenda,” a first-time effort by national Republicans to craft a set of policies targeted at independent suburban voters. She was also a Senior Director for Campaigns at Bono’s ONE Campaign, where she oversaw a $40M national presidential advocacy effort to fight global poverty and disease. Ms. Hickey is a contributor to the Wall Street Journal’s “Think Tank” and co-host of the podcast “House Talk with Ali and Liesl.”
Former Congressman Steve Israel left Capitol Hill – unindicted and undefeated – to pursue a career as a writer. In addition to writing two critically acclaimed satires of Washington, he heads Cornell University’s nonpartisan Institute of Politics and Global Affairs in New York City. Mr. Israel was a member of Congress for 16 years. He left in 2017, having served as House Democrats’ chief political strategist from 2011 to 2015 as Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. President Bill Clinton called him “one of the most thoughtful Members of Congress” — which, Mr. Israel notes, isn’t really saying much at all. He is a regular political commentator on MSNBC and his insights appear regularly in The New York Times and The Atlantic, as well as The Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. He was profiled on HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and appeared on the CBS institution “60 Minutes.” As the Director of Cornell’s Institute of Politics and Global Affairs, Mr. Israel leads the only academically based institute of politics in the New York City metropolitan area. Its mission is to raise the discourse and foster a deeper understanding of political issues and geopolitics.
John Lapp has worked on the front lines of political campaigns, message strategy, crisis management, ballot initiatives, and issue advocacy for over two decades. He has directed and produced creative advertising that includes candidates and organizations at every level. Mr. Lapp has also written, directed, and produced long-form videos and testimonial projects for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on early childhood learning, college affordability, and educational improvement. In 2006, Mr. Lapp helped deliver a Democratic majority to Congress for the first time since 1994 — but without sacrificing a single Democratic incumbent, something not achieved since 1922. The Washington Post called him “one of the principal architects of the Democrats’ takeover of the House.” He also oversaw the re-election of Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and headed the Iowa presidential campaign of Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt. Additionally, Mr. Lapp pulled off against-all-odds victories in the open-seat races of Ken Lucas in rural Kentucky and Steve Israel in suburban New York, in both cases going on to serve as their chiefs of staff.
Liesl Hickey is a veteran political strategist who has worked at the highest levels of politics and issue advocacy. She has directed large-scale campaign operations and high-profile public affairs efforts. Ms. Hickey has spent her political career crafting messages and strategies for Republicans on how to win in suburban areas, with a focus on women voters. From 2013-2014, she was the Executive Director of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), where she oversaw a historic 13-seat pickup. This Republican majority — the largest since 1928 — included a number of members representing traditionally Democratic constituencies. Ms. Hickey was previously chief of staff to then-Rep. Mark Kirk (IL), where she helped author the “Suburban Agenda,” a first-time effort by national Republicans to craft a set of policies targeted at independent suburban voters. She was also a Senior Director for Campaigns at Bono’s ONE Campaign, where she oversaw a $40M national presidential advocacy effort to fight global poverty and disease. Ms. Hickey is a contributor to the Wall Street Journal’s “Think Tank” and co-host of the podcast “House Talk with Ali and Liesl.”
Former Congressman Steve Israel left Capitol Hill – unindicted and undefeated – to pursue a career as a writer. In addition to writing two critically acclaimed satires of Washington, he heads Cornell University’s nonpartisan Institute of Politics and Global Affairs in New York City. Mr. Israel was a member of Congress for 16 years. He left in 2017, having served as House Democrats’ chief political strategist from 2011 to 2015 as Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. President Bill Clinton called him “one of the most thoughtful Members of Congress” — which, Mr. Israel notes, isn’t really saying much at all. He is a regular political commentator on MSNBC and his insights appear regularly in The New York Times and The Atlantic, as well as The Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. He was profiled on HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and appeared on the CBS institution “60 Minutes.” As the Director of Cornell’s Institute of Politics and Global Affairs, Mr. Israel leads the only academically based institute of politics in the New York City metropolitan area. Its mission is to raise the discourse and foster a deeper understanding of political issues and geopolitics.
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