Jewish Council: The Great Schlep
The Jewish Council sought a 2008 campaign to influence elderly Jewish voters in Florida towards Barack Obama. The challenge was engaging young Jewish people to visit their grandparents and persuade them. The client wanted a humorous, viral approach to motivate these young influencers, ultimately shifting crucial votes for Obama.
Creative Idea
The Jewish Council used Sarah Silverman's video to prompt young Jews to sway their grandparents' vote for Obama.
The Jewish Council launched "The Great Schlep" campaign to encourage young Jewish people to visit their grandparents in Florida and persuade them to vote for Barack Obama. The campaign used humor and viral video featuring comedian Sarah Silverman to motivate young people to talk to their elderly relatives about the election and potentially influence their voting decision.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
The Jewish Council for Education and Research possessed a unique connection to both the progressive Jewish youth movement and the influential, irreverent comedic community.
Category
Political campaigns traditionally rely on mass media 'air wars' and fear-based messaging, often overlooking the persuasive power of trusted, interpersonal family dynamics in swing states.
Customer
Young Jewish voters felt a deep personal stake in the 2008 election but struggled to combat the rumors and skepticism held by their Florida-dwelling elders.
Culture
The 2008 election saw the birth of viral political content, where irreverent, internet-native humor started to replace traditional, polished campaign messaging to reach younger demographics.
Company
The Jewish Council for Education and Research possessed a unique connection to both the progressive Jewish youth movement and the influential, irreverent comedic community.
Category
Political campaigns traditionally rely on mass media 'air wars' and fear-based messaging, often overlooking the persuasive power of trusted, interpersonal family dynamics in swing states.
Strategy:
Weaponize generational guilt and viral humor to turn young voters into personal ambassadors for high-stakes political persuasion.
Customer
Young Jewish voters felt a deep personal stake in the 2008 election but struggled to combat the rumors and skepticism held by their Florida-dwelling elders.
Culture
The 2008 election saw the birth of viral political content, where irreverent, internet-native humor started to replace traditional, polished campaign messaging to reach younger demographics.
Strategy:
Weaponize generational guilt and viral humor to turn young voters into personal ambassadors for high-stakes political persuasion.
Results
The campaign achieved 342 million media impressions (source: Optimedia). Within weeks, talking points were read and downloaded 1.2 million times. Over 25,000 people signed up to Schlep. On election night, Obama won Florida by 170,000 votes. He received the highest elderly Jewish vote in 30 years, with 320,000 elderly Jews in Florida voting for him. Frank Rich of the New York Times stated that "Obama drew a larger percentage of Jews nationally... and – Mazel tov, Sarah Silverman! – won Florida."
342M
media impressions
1.2M
talking points downloaded
25,000+
people signed up
Strategy Technique
Find the Missing Conversation
The campaign prompted young people to engage their grandparents in political discussions about Obama. It initiated a crucial, potentially uncomfortable, intergenerational dialogue.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Connect Generations
The campaign directly encouraged young Jewish people to visit and persuade their grandparents. It explicitly bridged the generational gap to influence voting decisions.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional for its innovative strategic thinking and highly effective comedic copywriting, which leveraged a cultural insight to deliver significant political impact.
The core of the campaign, Sarah Silverman's script, brilliantly combined humor, self-deprecating Jewish stereotypes, and a direct political call to action, making it instantly viral and memorable.
The strategic insight to target 'elderly Jewish voters' in Florida through their grandchildren, bypassing traditional campaign messaging, was innovative and highly effective.
The creation of a user-friendly website that facilitated communication (calls, emails, video sharing) between generations was crucial for operationalizing the grassroots movement.
The campaign achieved immense earned media, with widespread coverage across major TV networks, newspapers, and blogs, amplifying its message far beyond initial investment.
The campaign's success stemmed from the powerful synergy between a sharp political strategy, exceptional comedic writing, and effective digital execution, all amplified by strategic media engagement.
