Kamala Now: DogLovers Is Throwing Harris a Bone in Swing States

In 2020, the Biden vs Trump election cycle was loudly interrupted by a collective of creatives with a point to make: Specifically, that Donald Trump was the only US President not to have owned a dog. And, as such, could the average American really trust him? 

The ad might have been tongue-in-cheek, but it did touch on an important point which has lately been expanded by the likes of Tim Walz: Donald Trump is kinda weird. Now, for the 2024 cycle, that same creative collective - DogLoversForJoe - is back (and rebranded as DogLoversForHarris) to ask whether it’s high time the US joined the incredibly long history of countries to have had a woman lead them. 

To land that point home, a new ad entitled ‘The Best Man For The Job’ has been produced. The 30-second spot confronts what DogLoversForHarris describes as “lingering misogyny in America” by showcasing nearly 2,000 years of female leadership across civilizations. Through a series of impactful images, the film highlights iconic female leaders from Cleopatra to Elizabeth I, and from Elizabeth II to contemporary figures like Jacinda Ardern, Giorgia Meloni, and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum.

The ‘DogLovers’ team is comprised of advertising veterans Rob Schwartz, Patrick O'Neill, and George Tannenbaum, with an edit by Dan Bootzin of Los Feliz Films and an original soundtrack by They Might Be Giants drummer Marty Beller. 

To find out more about the ad - and how it’s going to persuade sceptical voters in swing states to deliver a Harris win - LBB’s Adam Bennett spoke with Rob Schwartz. 

LBB> Rob, why did you land on the idea of women in leadership as a resonant topic for swing states? 

Rob> We had seen some data that some people in the country still feel that the President of the United States should look a certain way. And be a certain gender. Even though it's 2024, some of the USA is living in the 1950s. 

LBB> You've mentioned that you're specifically targeting 'sceptics' in swing states. Is that the same thing as someone who's simply undecided, or are you specifically looking to connect with people who are actively doubtful about voting for someone who isn't a man? 

Rob> ‘Undecideds’ seem to be inherently ‘sceptical’. We see and hear a lot of ‘we don't know what Kamala stands for’. Well, she's been remarkably clear about her agenda - especially her belief in building an economy from the bottom up and middle out (a continuation of the progress she made with President Biden). But… some folks are either sceptical or simply unwilling to believe. We still believe in advertising as a tool of persuasion and we used their disbelief as inspiration.   

LBB> Politically, you're referencing a very diverse array of leaders from Thatcher to Ardern. Was that wide range from Conservative to Liberal (and plenty between) a deliberate choice? 

Rob> The diversity of these leaders is a by-product of the one thing that unites them: they are all women.  

LBB> It does beg the question as to why the US has yet to elect a female leader to add to this long historical list. How would you explain that? And is it just a matter of time? 

Rob> I love the USA, but this nation is hidebound by a lot of biases. Misogyny is the next one that needs to be shattered. That said, Kamala Harris is clearly one of the most, if not the most, qualified person for the job of president. She's been a prosecutor, an attorney general, a senator and a vice president - talk about skills and experience. And on top of all that, she's so incredibly empathetic, likeable and magnetic. She truly has it all. 

LBB> Since 2016, do you think that something within America has changed to the extent that Harris could achieve what Clinton could not and become the first female President? 

Rob> Great question. So much has changed. Let's start with the aftermath of Hillary Clinton not winning and Donald Trump and his gang in power. It truly wore this nation out with four years of chaos and criminality. What also changed was a taste of decency and government competency with Joe Biden in the White House. We also saw the rise of strong female governors like Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Kathy Hochul of New York. There also was change on the world stage in terms of political leaders. Since 2016, we saw a rise of female presidents and prime ministers like Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand, Senna Marin of Finland, Giorgia Meloni of Italy and, coming next month, Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico. So yeah, [it] feels like progress all around. 

LBB> That soundtrack certainly builds up the energy. How did you come to collaborate with Marty Beller, and did you always envision the ad sounding like this? 

Rob> Marty Beller was a fortuitous collaboration that came from the ad gods (and the rolodex of one of our Dog Lovers founders, George Tannenbaum). We originally wanted to use the Guess Who's ‘American Woman’. They said no. Then we tried for Aretha Franklin's ‘Think’. That didn't work out. We had a notion to try something percussive, something that felt like a call-to-arms. Our editor, Dan Bootzin, was fooling around with a few things when George showed up with an email that said something like, ‘I was just at a barbecue with a great drummer’. It turns out the drummer was Marty Beller from They Might Be Giants. We showed Marty the cut and he was all in to make something incredible. 

LBB> This is purely academic - but if Biden were still running, what kind of ad do you think you'd have run? 

Rob> That's an interesting question. I kinda feel like we would have tried to use dogs again. Trump is still dog-less and well, as our collective's name implies, we thoroughly understand the power and magic of dogs - especially in advertising.

LBB> And, finally - how happy are you that you've made this ad for Kamala, rather than another for Biden? 

Rob> Haha! Joe Biden is a great president and will go down in history as one of the most consequential, no doubt. As for Kamala, just look at the crowds she draws. Look at her energy and the energy she's creating. It feels good to be a part of something special. And it will feel even better when she wins in November.