In early April, I reported that Hawfkish, the media company responsible for ex-candidate Michael Bloomberg’s bizarre ad campaign — which included a two-minute video of a dancing gingerbread man — was courting the Biden campaign. Judging from a new ad meant to carry a message about social distancing, the Hawkfish has landed. (Biden’s disastrous, technical glitch-ridden virtual town hall rally emanating from Tampa this past week suggests the campaign has also enlisted the help of the outfit that created the Obamacare website, but that’s another story).
The new video, which also features comedian Keegan-Michael Key, depicts the septuagenarian variously playing “Go Fish,” eating what looks like tapioca pudding, and doing crosswords. SpartanTailgate aptly observes that these are all activities one might associate with a nursing home — clearly not the message Team Biden wished to convey.
Hawkfish’s inimitable style seems to be evident in such would-be zany shtick as Biden declaring at 0:15, “I always start with dessert.” Shades of the billboards the company erected all over southern California, captioned with zingers like “Donald Trump eats burnt steak. Mike Bloomberg likes his medium rare.”
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
Hawkfish’s most memorable contribution to the Bloomberg campaign was a blitz it ran on Twitter during the last Democratic debate, which the former New York mayor failed to qualify for. The tweet that made the most lasting impression was one that showed a plate of meatballs and the advice “Test your political knowledge: Spot the meatball that looks like Mike.”
If this outfit is in fact now handling media for Biden, I can’t wait to see what gems lay in store.
