Anti-Hillary Clinton '1984' campaign hits YouTube

By Adam Turner
Tuesday, 20 March 2007 06:08

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A take-off of Apple's '1984' Super Bowl campaign, portraying 2008 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as Big Brother, has been posted on YouTube - supposedly by backers of rival Democrat candidate Barack Obama.

Obama's camp denies responsibility for the YouTube clip, which fades to the words BarackObama.com after the female athlete throws her sledge hammer through the huge screen on which Clinton's face is being shown Big Brother-style. The clip currently tops Technorati's 'Popular YouTube movies" list.

The 74 second clip has been viewed more than 140,000 times since March 5 and is already being touted as "a watershed moment in 21st century media and political advertising". It is a re-mix, or mash-up, of Ridley Scott's original Apple ad rather than a remake. It features Clinton's larger than life face on the giant video screens, spouting real doublespeak sound bites from the Senator, addressing a brainwashed audience.

No mention of Obama is made until the final moments. The ad finishes with the text; "On Jan. 14, the Democratic primary will begin. And you'll see why 2008 won't be like 1984". This is followed by a modified Apple symbol - transformed into an O - with "BarackObama.com" underneath.

Despite the ad's pro-Obama message, there is speculation the clip may be a Republican ploy to create division amongst the Democrats in the lead up the next year's election.

UPDATE: Anti-Clinton 'Big Brother' YouTube clip linked to Obama camp