Squinting counting chips
A US French fries company satirizes the presidential election counting process
A US chips company satirizes the presidential election counting processBy Thérèse BalduzziA commercial for "Ruffles" chips pokes fun at the inconsistencies and endless delays of the last US presidential election. Instead of punch cards, chips are held up in the air and closely scrutinized by inspectors.
The dubious achievement of the American election debacle in 2000: instructing the world's population on the differences between "dimpled chads", "pregnant chads" and "hanging chads" as well as an introductory course on the various voting methods used in America. Above all about the punch card system, which led to the problem of "chads" requiring interpretation, because the counting machines do not count "chads" that are not completely separated as votes.
For the comedy shows, the disaster was a feast for the eyes. It seemed that they couldn't show enough images - real and re-enacted - of pensioners with purple hair and inspectors squinting at ballot papers during the recount period. Not only comedy shows, but also Fritolay, the largest American French fries manufacturer, capitalizes on this and makes fun of the vote counters.
In the "Florida Inspection" commercial, which comes across like a news broadcast, it is announced at the beginning that the vote counters from Broward County in Florida have been hired to prove that the new "Flavorrush Cheddar & Salsa Ruffles Chips" are completely covered in spice. The chip packets are rolled in by officials in a handcart. The scene takes place in an authentic neon-lit office.
The chips are connected to the
Silver eye inspected
Like the ballot papers, the chips are held up in the air and examined individually by three independent vote counters. These, too, are exactly the same as the originals: an older woman with reading glasses, a young man and - the favorite of all comedy shows - a bald man who pushes up his glasses to look closely at the ballot papers and starts squinting with his googly eyes.
The commercial also imitates TV news in other details. At the bottom of the screen is the title "Selection 2001" instead of "Decision 2000" as well as a subtitle that changes from picture to picture: "Dimpled Chips under Review" or "unpresidented Flavor", which should really be "unprecedented", and finally "more absentee Bags to come", alluding to the "absentee ballots", the ballot papers sent by post that became more important during the counting process.
The last of the three counters eats the chips, and when asked how many he has already eaten, he replies "I lost count" - "no idea!". The commercial was created by BBDO New York in January.
The dubious achievement of the American election debacle in 2000: instructing the world's population on the differences between "dimpled chads", "pregnant chads" and "hanging chads" as well as an introductory course on the various voting methods used in America. Above all about the punch card system, which led to the problem of "chads" requiring interpretation, because the counting machines do not count "chads" that are not completely separated as votes.
For the comedy shows, the disaster was a feast for the eyes. It seemed that they couldn't show enough images - real and re-enacted - of pensioners with purple hair and inspectors squinting at ballot papers during the recount period. Not only comedy shows, but also Fritolay, the largest American French fries manufacturer, capitalizes on this and makes fun of the vote counters.
In the "Florida Inspection" commercial, which comes across like a news broadcast, it is announced at the beginning that the vote counters from Broward County in Florida have been hired to prove that the new "Flavorrush Cheddar & Salsa Ruffles Chips" are completely covered in spice. The chip packets are rolled in by officials in a handcart. The scene takes place in an authentic neon-lit office.
The chips are connected to the
Silver eye inspected
Like the ballot papers, the chips are held up in the air and examined individually by three independent vote counters. These, too, are exactly the same as the originals: an older woman with reading glasses, a young man and - the favorite of all comedy shows - a bald man who pushes up his glasses to look closely at the ballot papers and starts squinting with his googly eyes.
The commercial also imitates TV news in other details. At the bottom of the screen is the title "Selection 2001" instead of "Decision 2000" as well as a subtitle that changes from picture to picture: "Dimpled Chips under Review" or "unpresidented Flavor", which should really be "unprecedented", and finally "more absentee Bags to come", alluding to the "absentee ballots", the ballot papers sent by post that became more important during the counting process.
The last of the three counters eats the chips, and when asked how many he has already eaten, he replies "I lost count" - "no idea!". The commercial was created by BBDO New York in January.
