81 Comments - IL4Ever - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:04 am: D for Dumb. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:05 am: It’s cute. Sassy. It’s fun and funny. Ketchup is the Third Rail of Illinois metaphors, this is when it gets real serious to this Amendment. Say no to ketchup, say yes to this funny ad, and vote for the amendment anyway. It’s a B+ - Norseman - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:07 am: IPI, I prefer baloney with mayonnaise. - JS Mill - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:07 am: What? Wait,is the IPI saying that we have a “good thing” here in Illinois? Color me surprised (banned punctuation) The ad is an F because none of the rest of the ad made any sense. I NEVER put onions or that much ketchup on my hotdog. - Commissar Gritty - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:07 am: Almost as revolting as the people behind it. Almost - These People Vote - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:08 am: It’s not just the poor messaging that comes across with this (ketchup, really?)…BUT WHERE’S THE CELERY SALT?! - Chicago Republican - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:08 am: Fun ad. well done. A. - Norseman - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:09 am: Correction: I prefer mayonnaise with your baloney. - Glengarry - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:11 am: F- just like the organization that made the commercial. - Bruce( no not him) - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:11 am: Since “most” voters will go to the polls having no idea what Amendment 1 does, this makes little sense to them. I give it a C for catsup. - Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:11 am: I’m a little confused with the pickle and the relish. All relish is is a diced pickle. But the ad is cute. My kids would love that much ketchup on their hotdogs. But the ad tells you absolutely nothing about the issue. F for content. A for creativity. C average. - Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:12 am: Why is it a good thing for taxpayers to vote for a Constitutional Amendment that gives government unions more power than they have now again? Strange it didn’t come up in the debate. - Ashland Adam - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:13 am: I don’t use that artificially dark green relish, so I’m a NO on the ad. And YES on the amendment. - /s - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:14 am: The irony, of course, is that Vienna beef products are union made (UFCW 1546). I give the ad a B because I think it’s well done and clever, even if I disagree with it (and think it, and IPI’s broader argument about amendment 1, is more than a little misleading). - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:15 am: It’s an “online ad” designed for an audience likely already in agreement, it’s a fun way… for an online “inside joke”… to engage with the converted. This ad isn’t designed to change votes, it’s designed to reinforce a thought that the amendment is “bad” to those already in tune with the amendment actually existing. Creatively to its audience, it’s a B+ for me. It should be an empty cannoli shell if one looks to the reality of what the facts are, but that’s not this ad. - JoanP - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:16 am: For some reason, it won’t play on my iPad. But I just have to say that this life-long Chicagoan uses ONLY ketchup and raw onion on her hot dogs. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:18 am: ===Strange it didn’t come up in the debate.=== Strange it didn’t come up in the ad, either. This ad is targeted to a - Lucky Pierre - type of thinker, also meaning they “know what they know” about the amendment, this clever ad only reinforces the thought. It’s not strange the ad has nothing to the amendment, it’s the feature, “ketchup on a hot dog”, not the bug… the union bug attached to some hot dog products. - JS Mill - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:18 am: =government unions= Government EMPLOYEE unions. The “government’ does not run a union. If you cannot use the correct term, maybe you are not ready for the adult table. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:19 am: ===more power=== Codifying is more power? That’s an odd flex, given that other ways voters can codify rights are seen as ways to stop rights being taken. Good try. - Anyone Remember - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:20 am: “If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, … say your opponents put ketchup on Chicago Style Hotdogs!” - walker - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:25 am: Fun ad. Much better than anything else they’ve done. - Arsenal - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:25 am: == Why is it a good thing for taxpayers to vote for a Constitutional Amendment that gives government unions more power than they have now again?== Because the right to collective bargaining is internationally recognized as a basic human right that ought to be protected from grubby politicians and because your “please please PLEASE come back and cut my pay, Mr. Rauner” ideology has been a proven failure. - We’ll See - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:25 am: I give it a big “D” - when you have nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, d……..” - Socially DIstant Watcher - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:26 am: Those don’t look like Vienna dogs, I don’t see seeds on the bun, and the ratios look off even before the ketchup arrives. But I believe IPI wants Illinoisans to eat scrawny hot dogs like those, while they get fat off of their billionaire donations. - JS Mill - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:26 am: ====more power==== LP wants the corporate overlords and the billionaire elites to have all of the power instead of everyday joe lunchbucket types. - Arsenal - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:27 am: A bad ad. The ballot is not going to say “property tax hike”, so any remotely persuadable voter isn’t going to connect this up. - lake county democrat - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:28 am: Too much onion. And their target audience are libertarian-leaning folks who give a middle finger to the dumb hot-dog ketchup shaming myth. - ;) - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:33 am: B+ for originality. - The Truth - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:36 am: I think a humorous appeal stands out in a sea of endless negative ads. It doesn’t have to make total sense to be effective. - Pundent - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:37 am: I would give it an A-/B+. An ad doesn’t have to be “right” to be effective and this one’s effective. The reality is that Amendment 1 doesn’t really mean higher property taxes. But given how most voters feel about property taxes it hardly matters. Connecting the two is an effective way of generating a visceral response. And that’s what good ads do. So while I disagree with the message, and most of what comes out of the IPI, I can appreciate that it will have it’s desired effect. - PublicServant - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:39 am: I’ve got a carpenter one block down that has “Vote YES on the Worker’s Rights amendment signs plastered all over his front lawn. He’s a staunch trade union guy. Last I checked, they aren’t a “government union”. So, what else ya got, LP? - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:40 am: ===to be effective=== Define effective in the ad’s context. Keeping engaged the converted? Yeah, sure, I think it’s cute, sassy and fun… but thinking this ad, an online ad no less, that speaks nothing to the actual amendment, just a metaphor likely lost to those not paying attention… that’s hope, hope isn’t a plan or effective in any plan. - K3 - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:45 am: I’m voting yes but this is well done. Probably the best IPI has done but that bar is low. Not sure it plays as well downstate. - Moved East - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:46 am: First, boiled hot dogs? Gross. Second, I love all of the toppings on a Chicago-style dog, but if you forced me to put one topping on a hot dog, I am choosing ketchup. Of course I am originally from Iowa. To the ad - Clerverness B+, political persuasion D. No one who does not have their mind made up already about this Amendment is going to be swayed by it. - Steve Rogers - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:46 am: The ad was funny, I give it a A-. I’m not buying what they’re selling, but I can appreciate the humor and symbolism. I’m still voting yes on the amendment. - Pundent - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:47 am: =Define effective in the ad’s context.= Much of the pushback on the fair tax was blatantly wrong. Didn’t matter at the polls. The proponents were successful in redefining what would have been a tax cut for most into something that the voters should reject. This ad is of the same vein. It doesn’t have to speak to the actual amendment. It’s goal is merely to create the impression that it’s bad (like ketchup on a hot dog). Of course for those of us that know anything about Amendment 1 we see right through this. But much like the anti-fair tax messaging we aren’t the audience. So while I personally disagree with what the ad is saying, I also believe it will have its intended result. - hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:47 am: Why is an anti-Chicago outfit like IPI trying to foist the big city’s anti-ketchup-on-a-hot-dog values on the rest of us? - Demoralized - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:49 am: ==Why is it a good thing for taxpayers to vote for a Constitutional Amendment== This from the guy who has whined and complained about not putting changing the pension clause up for a vote. I guess you only want votes when you agree? The people will get their say. We’ll see if they disagree with you. If they do I’m sure you’ll whine about that too. It’s what you do best. - Demoralized - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:49 am: As much as I despise the IPI I think the ad is funny. I give it a B. - Curious citizen - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:49 am: It’s cute, but I wonder how many people outside of the Chicago area realize what a Chicago Style dog is and why ketchup is a desecration. At least Proft concedes that a Chicago dog is a good thing. I give it a C - Donnie Elgin - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:50 am: Rate the ad an A - will play well in collar counties who all know the verboten ketchup rule - ala Gene & Jude’s or superdawg and others. It personalized the issue with a familiar fun and local in the know approach. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:50 am: ===First, boiled hot dogs? Gross.=== Gene and Jude’s once rated #1 in America… boiled. Gene and Jude’s also refuse to put ketchup on their hot dogs, so there’s that too. Vienna Beef, Chicago’s own, recommends boiling Link? https://bit.ly/3MQtihO #TeamBoil - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:54 am: ===will play well in collar counties=== LOL It’s an online ad. - ddp76 - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:56 am: well, I did smile. So I guess it got my attention. - Gruntled University Employee - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:59 am: That’s just gross. - Rabid - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:59 am: Renters don’t pay, neither do qualified seniors. Small targeted - Lurker - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:00 am: I love IPI and I love ketchup on my dogs, so I give it an A. But I don’t know what amendment one is but I assume I have to ring a bell after I leave the voting booth. 🤭 - Amalia - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:12 am: so the person making the hot dog is stupid and can’t figure out how to use condiments? I get that the hook is amendment 1 is related to property tax hikes (in their fevered brains) but it makes it confusing topic wise. also, gross imagery, which I guess is designed to make you hate the topic of the hit but….. And, product placement. was there permission to use those named products? are those companies union shops or not? - Highland IL - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:18 am: I have seen this ad online & did not pay close attention to the ending. I thought this was about Darren Bailey ruining a hot dog while “living” in Chicago. I guess I’ve already tuned the governor’s race out as decided. - Furtive Look - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:20 am: Kind of cute but overkill on the catsup (I’m from Collinsville) so a B. However, like a hot dog, completely without any nutrition. What is going to make property taxes rise? - Huh? - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:22 am: “put ketchup on Chicago Style Hotdogs” What’s wrong with that? I get boiled hotdogs on a seedless bun and put ketchup, mustard, and onion on them. They taste just fine. I know, heresy. - Huh? - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:25 am: To the post, I don’t understand the point of the ad. So rate it F. - PublicServant - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:26 am: Wait. The “Right to Work” guys ruin hot dogs as well as the state? - froganon - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:27 am: As a Southwest transplant, I had no idea about the ketchup thing with hot dogs. The ad is cute, gave me a chuckle. I’m voting yes on the amendment and yes to ketchup on my hot dog. The visceral connection to the dreaded words “property tax increase” will peel off some voters. - PublicServant - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:28 am: If I buy a hot dog with catsup on it, then my property taxes will increase? Huh? - New Day - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:28 am: Personally, I’m undecided on Amendment 1 and this didn’t help me understand why it’s bad. So it’s cute but I’m not sure what the message is which isn’t good since I’m a target of the ad. I’ll give it a B+ for production quality and whimsy and a D- for messaging. - Flying Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:32 am: F. You listen to IPI long enough and washing your car before a thunderstorm will lead to higher property taxes. - Groucho - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:48 am: Just Curious, but are you allowed to use someone else’s products this way? Does Vienna have a beef here? - Arsenal - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:48 am: == will play well in collar counties== No one in the collar counties is going to see it. - Because I said so... - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:51 am: I pay attention to this stuff and had to ask if this is the Workers Rights amendment so I give it a D. And I’m with JoanP but I add tomatoes and celery salt to my dog. - JS Mill - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 10:56 am: =Gene and Jude’s also refuse to put ketchup on their hot dogs, so there’s that too.= Not only that, they don’t even have ketchup on the premises. You have to go next door to McDonalds and try to get it from them. To the ad- it simply offers no info and makes no sense. - Montrose - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 11:02 am: If the question they were aiming to answer was “How do we communicate to Chicago-area voters that Amendment 1 is bad?,” then, bravo, the ad is an A. Do I think it will actually affect someone’s vote? I have no idea. - Henry Francis - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 11:05 am: Chicago Style hotdogs have no ketchup. Since Chicagoan’s don’t put ketchup on their hotdogs, who in the heck is doing that in the commercial? Apparently someone from the opposite of Chicago? But I thought opposite of Chicago was good? So is the commercial telling us we should drown our hotdogs in ketchup to own the Libs in Chicago? - Who else - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 11:15 am: I have no idea what this means so F. - Annonin' - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 11:24 am: S for STUPID. Was it not GovJunk who liked the red stuff on his dog? - G'Kar - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 12:37 pm: While I agree it is cute, it is, I think, ineffective. It is one thing for a group of political wonks (and I use that term fondly) watching the ad on a political blog, but it is something else for the online viewer. How many people actually pay attention to an ad that comes on before the Youtube video you want to watch? And that, to me, is the problem with this ad–if you are not paying attention, you will not notice what is written on the catsup bottle. That defeats the ad’s entire purpose. So, I give it an F. - The Velvet Frog - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 1:00 pm: It’s funny but I have to wonder how many regular people would have the patience to watch it long enough to get to the punch line. To be clear, the proposal is about unions in general, not unions of government employees, correct? Yet another bit of misinformation about it. And I don’t get the fuss about Gene and Judes. I lived right by it for years and never went back after trying it once. I like chicago style and they don’t do all the ingredients for that. - Huh? - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 1:05 pm: I wonder if Heinz 57 has any thoughts about their product being used in an inane political ad? Re-watch the ad and look at the cap. Loud and clear “57″. It is unmistakable they are using a Heinz 57 ketchup bottle. - CT Guy - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 1:17 pm: Yikes, cute ad and music but TERRIBLE at getting the message out. D- - Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 1:22 pm: F ==Since “most” voters will go to the polls having no idea what Amendment 1 does, this makes little sense to them.== Agreed. It is cute, but it’s too long and too vague. It might amuse folks who are already opposed and likely to vote. But, I don’t see how it would motivate anyone to go to the polls nor does it provide any actionable information. - The Velvet Frog - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 1:37 pm: When I saw yard signs saying to vote against the property tax increase, my first impression was that it was talking about a different ballot issue. I have to wonder how many people will walk into the booth intending to vote against property taxes, not see any mention of the ballot, and vote for the union protection. - Chito - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 1:39 pm: It’s a catchy commercial, but Amendment 1 doesn’t say anything about property tax much less a hike, so how do the voters connect the dots? B+ because it’s original, despite the cheap wieners they used. - Norseman - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 2:32 pm: === … Amendment 1 doesn’t say anything about property tax … === The con being pushed by the anti’s is that the amendment will have unintended consequences by having govt unions asking for exorbitant “environmental” changes like addressing climate change and [insert other MAGA bogeyman code words] provisions of local and state govts tons of money forcing massive property tax hikes. - The Velvet Frog - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 2:44 pm: Call me a cynic but I wonder if they paid for the use of that library music. https://www.universalproductionmusic.com/it-it/discover/albums/11646/sunshine-and-smiles - 47th Ward - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 3:01 pm: ===. It is unmistakable they are using a Heinz 57 ketchup bottle.=== Yeah, but nobody likes Hunts. For the Metro East they should change it to a Brooks bottle. Local flavor and whatnot. - AcademicUnionStateEmployee - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 3:21 pm: Lately I’ve felt that Hot Dogs are for wimps, I prefer Bratwurst and Polish Sausage any day over a measly hot dog. (although I’ll still the hot dogs if they’re used for Corn Dogs). I prefer them plain but love having nacho cheese dip with them. - Rufus T. Firefly - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 3:34 pm: It’s astounding that IPI continues to tell this lie about a property tax hike unchallenged by the other side. - Original Rambler - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 4:24 pm: Cute but needed more explicit messaging. C. (Agree with missing celery salt.) - Proud Sucker - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 4:37 pm: I grew up next to a hot dog stand on the northwest side. They put whatever you asked for on your hot dog including that green-blue piccalilli. Not sure when the no ketchup trope got going. Ed Debevic’s maybe? I’d say it’s a B- because it targets trope believers. - JoanP - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 5:51 pm: Okay, finally able to see it. D-. It’s cute, but it doesn’t make any sense. I agree with Velvet Frog (great handle, by the way) that it will lead voters to expect to find an amendment addressing property taxes, and it won’t be there. - Leslie K - Thursday, Oct 20, 22 @ 9:45 pm: I think they let their obsession with tying everything to property taxes get the better of them. This is an emotion ad, not an education (facts) ad. They want those who know/agree with the ‘no ketchup’ rule to connect with the feeling that there should also be ‘no amendment 1.’ Just label the ketchup “Amendment 1″ and don’t confuse people by requiring the extra thought-step (primarily in IPI’s head) of linking worker’s rights to property taxes. For me: concept=A execution=D Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.