Obama sounding the call: Catchy ringtones pitched to young
Boston Herald | June 25, 2007
By Jesse Noyes
Can he get an "Obama! Obama!"?
Well, now just about everybody can on their cell phones, since Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama began offering free ringtones and wallpapers last week.
The ringtones feature a techno beat along with lyrics like "Go, Obama, Obama!" or clips of speeches the Illinois senator has made on universal health care. They were formatted and delivered by Boston-based mobile technology boutique MStyle.
"It's a way for Sen. Obama to reach out to a different audience," said Nick Bogovich, director of technology for MStyle, a seven-person company based in Downtown Crossing.
"The mobile audience is a little bit younger, a little more hip," Bogovich said. "I think this is his way to try reach out to those people."
Some of Obama's ringtones seem downright wacky. One titled "Letter to Obama" simply goes, "Go! Go! Go! Obama, Obama, oh!"
"It's definitely catchy," said Andrew Katz, chief executive of MStyle.
Other ringtones feature snippets of speeches on topics like the Iraq War and health care.
It's the first political campaign MStyle has been involved with. But Katz, who said he has "Letter to Obama" as his cell phone ring tone,expects other candidates will follow suit.
"Every time my phone rings I'm reminded of his message," he said. "It's a great way to stay connected with their constituents and their supporters."
MStyle has delivered more than 1,000 of the ringtones since Tuesday, Bogovich said last week.
Of course, other presidential bidders have been hitting the Web and cell phones with their own sometimes goofy content.
Hillary Clinton held a contest asking people to send in videos suggesting a theme song for her campaign. Another video showed her with husband and former president Bill Clinton in a spoof on the "Sopranos" finale.
And Mitt Romney added a little digital version of himself to help visitors to his Web site find their way around.
Still, Obama's ringtone strategy is fairly unique for a politician. The question remains: just how does a ringtone secure votes?
All you have to do is hear an Obama supporter's cell phone ring in the workplace or a social setting and it creates curiosity, said John Della Volpe, director of polling at Harvard University's Institute of Politics and founder of SocialSphere Strategies. "That's going to create conversations," he said.
