TV Ads the Only Way to Reach Far-Flung L.A.

The scene opens in a dark alley. A helicopter hovers overhead and the wail of sirens can be heard. A couple hurry by, the woman glancing warily behind her. A lone man strides forward, his face illuminated by red and blue flashing police lights. He looks at the ground and sighs.

It could be the opening of the latest “Law & Order” episode. In fact, it’s a television ad for Los Angeles mayoral candidate Richard Alarcon, one of a dozen campaign commercials bombarding local viewers before Tuesday’s city election.

At times irreverent, earnest and even puzzling, the spots represent the candidates’ efforts to captivate a largely uninterested electorate in a race that has been overshadowed by outside events.

Taken together, the commercials thread together the major themes of the campaign -- public safety, ethics and leadership -- and the strategies of the five major contenders.

Mayor James K. Hahn is stressing his “tough decisions,” citing his efforts to replace the city’s police chief and prevent the secession of parts of Los Angeles. Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa emphasizes his up-by-the-bootstraps journey as the son of a single mother in a poor Eastside home. Sherman Oaks lawyer Bob Hertzberg tells Angelenos he has “big ideas,” literally towering over the city in his ads. Councilman Bernard C. Parks talks largely about his last job -- police chief -- and his reputation for integrity. And Alarcon, a state senator, tries to persuade voters that he’s a scrappy outsider, willing to challenge the political establishment.

Mixed Reviews

It remains to be seen whose media strategy is the most effective; advertising experts offered varied reactions. But one thing is clear: In a sprawling city that does not lend itself to retail politicking, television ads are the best and often only way to reach Los Angeles voters.

“Ultimately, they will be determinative, because that’s L.A. politics,” said Democratic consultant Garry South, who is not working for any of candidates but supports Villaraigosa.

So far, none of the mayoral hopefuls has directly attacked another on television -- a situation that is expected to change as they scrap for votes in the final days of the race.

Still, this year’s batch of campaign ads contains none-too-subtle digs. The mayor alludes derisively to “Sacramento politicians” -- a term covering three of his opponents -- and Hahn’s challengers obliquely refer to his reputation as an unambitious executive.

“I think you deserve a mayor who thinks big for a change,” Hertzberg says in one of two spots that depict him as a jolly giant traversing the city.

The former Assembly speaker was relatively unknown when he entered the race and has used the eye-catching technique to propel himself into the public’s consciousness.

In one ad, he crouches down on a school playground and waves to tiny children, who point at him in amazement. He squats on the roof of a police station as he touts his plan to hire more officers. As the spot ends, he lumbers down a busy downtown street, careful not to step on any pedestrians or cars.

The commercials, which have earned him the nickname “Bobzilla” and recall the image of the lumbering marshmallow man who terrorizes New York in “Ghostbusters,” have gotten mixed reviews.

Democratic consultant Roy Behr said the ads provided an effective contrast with Hahn’s reputation “as a guy who is sort of overrun and overshadowed by events.”

“The test of a good political ad is, ‘Did it leave the viewer with an impression that’s likely to impact their vote?’ ” said Behr, who has produced ads for Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), among others. “By that measure, the only candidate who has succeeded is Bob Hertzberg. He has left an impression of a guy who’s big enough to run L.A.”

But Eric Webber, vice president and marketing director for GSD&M;, an Austin, Texas-based ad agency that represents Wal-Mart and Southwest Airlines, said the special effects overshadow Hertzberg’s message.

“I had a real problem with him sitting on the building,” said Webber, who reviewed all the campaign ads at The Times’ request. “I thought it looked a little silly and undignified. And when he’s waving to the kids on the playground, it’s like he’s this giant Gulliver. There’s something a little bit patronizing about it.”

Some viewers also find it off-putting.

“Who would vote for him? He’s going to crush the city,” John Eichelberger, 36, who works in postproduction, said as he ate lunch at a Fairfax district coffeehouse Wednesday afternoon.

Strapped for Funds

Alarcon has faced the same challenge as Hertzberg: introducing himself to voters in a short period of time. But with just a fraction of the resources, he’s had to employ a bare-bones media campaign.

In his four 15-second ads, the state senator is depicted as a mysterious figure straight from the pages of a Dashiell Hammett novel. Instead of interacting with voters, Alarcon is alone -- jabbing aggressively at a punching bag and standing in front of a downtown skyscraper with a cellphone, gazing off into the distance.

In one ad, he sits in the back of a car, staring intently at a business card. “No one should get a city contract after contributing to a politician,” he says sternly in the voice-over. In another, he stands in an alley, the apparent site of a crime, and grimaces with frustration. “I gave them a plan for 1,000 more cops,” he can be heard saying. “I’m tired of waiting.”

(Oddly, although Alarcon’s campaign website contains a pronunciation key for his last name, which is pronounced “All-are-CONE,” a narrator at the end of his commercials mispronounces his name as “Al-are-con.”)

Advertising experts were withering in their assessment.

“There was almost a sinister air to him, a menacing voice-over,” Webber said. “I was just confused about what he was trying to tell me about himself.”

Behr called Alarcon’s spots “unquestionably the least effective of the bunch.”

“They are both thin and trite at the same time,” he said. “The way in which they are filmed doesn’t make you like the guy or want to have him as mayor.”

Parks, who has also had to make do with limited resources, chose to emphasize his career as a police officer in his only TV ad, which shows him swearing an oath in front of an American flag and leading police officials in a sharp salute, dressed in full uniform. (The commercial never mentions his current job as a city councilman.)

He comes the closest of all the candidates to directly attacking an opponent by alluding to ongoing investigations into city contracting. In a style reminiscent of a “Dragnet” episode, the screen fills with the image of a newspaper headline that reads “Hahn Team Focus of Grand Jury.” A male narrator says in a dramatic voice-over: “In a city with corruption and a rising homicide rate, Bernard Parks is the people’s choice.”

Villaraigosa opted for a more emotional approach, drawing on his dramatic trajectory from a rough-and-tumble youth to elected office in the state Assembly and City Council. In one ad, the councilman is first seen as a boy in a black-and-white family photo, followed quickly by images him of walking with one of his old high school teachers, sitting on a stoop talking with two boys and strolling down the street with his family.

“The kind of man he is; the kind of mayor he’ll be,” a male narrator says, as violins swell in the background.

Emphasizing Record

For his part, Hahn has tried to combat his image with commercials that depict him as an engaged leader. He walks down a city street, smiling broadly as passersby approach to shake his hand.

In a new spot that began airing Wednesday, the mayor speaks directly into the camera and ticks off his administration’s accomplishments.

Touting his efforts to find a new police chief and stop secession, Hahn says: “These decisions weren’t politically popular with everyone, but they were the right choices for L.A.’s future.”

The ad that has aired most frequently features Hahn striding briskly through a suburban neighborhood, touting a decrease in crime since he hired Police Chief William J. Bratton and his efforts to stop “Sacramento politicians” from taking local tax money.

The mayor’s fast gait has drawn chuckles from rival campaigns and quizzical responses from some viewers. Jim Longeretta, a 37-year-old who works in postproduction, had this reaction: “He’s walking too fast. Why is he walking so fast?”

Elizabeth Ai, a 25-year-old screenwriter, had a different response as she listened to the Democratic mayor tout his crime-fighting measures: “Is he a Republican?”

The television campaign

The five major candidates competing to be the next Los Angeles mayor are devoting most of their resources to reaching voters through television commercials, which have become ubiquitous in the final week before Tuesday’s election. The styles of the spots vary widely, as does each man’s message. They can be viewed on the candidates’ campaign websites.

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The television campaign

Candidate: State Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sun Valley)

Theme: A lone avenger willing to take on the system.

Images: The candidate swings at a punching bag, stares moodily at a business card as he rides in a town car and visits a crime scene in a dark alley.

Quote: “I gave them a plan for 1,000 more cops. I’m tired of waiting.”

Website: www.alarconforla.com

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Candidate: Former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg

Theme: Big, bold ideas.

Images: The super-sized candidate looms over the city, peering through the window of a school and lumbering down a busy downtown street.

Quote: “I think you deserve a mayor who thinks big for a change.”

Website: www.changela.com

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Candidate: Mayor James K. Hahn

Theme: A gutsy and steadfast leader.

Images: The mayor walks briskly through a neighborhood and is surrounded by a diverse group. A new spot features just him, looking directly into the camera to make a case for his reelection.

Quote: “As your mayor, I’ve made some tough decisions.”

Website: www.jimhahn.org

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Candidate: Councilman Bernard C. Parks

Theme: A former police chief with a reputation for integrity.

Images: The candidate in his official photo as chief; newspaper headlines about inquires into City Hall contracting, and Parks standing in front of the downtown skyline pledging to cut crime.

Quote: “Right now police officers only work three days a week. I’m going to return them full-time and reduce crime -- honest.”

Website: www.bernardparks.com

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Candidate: Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa

Theme: A compassionate leader who overcame personal odds.

Images: A black-and-white photo of the candidate as a young boy; footage of him walking with an old high school mentor and strolling with his family.

Quote: “We’ve got to work together and build consensus and that starts by regaining people’s trust.”

Website: www.antonio2005.com

Los Angeles Times