Barack Obama was a social star during his two terms. Now he’s logging back on to get out the vote.

By 10/28/2022
Barack Obama was a social star during his two terms. Now he’s logging back on to get out the vote.

Let’s flashback to 2018: There was no pandemic, some people still thought Game of Thrones would have a good ending, and Barack Obama — then just two years removed from his stint in the Oval Office — teamed up with digital media company ATTN: to get out the vote.

A lot has changed since then, but ATTN: is hoping that the former President’s word still holds weight, even among citizens who never got the chance to vote for him. Obama has teamed up with the Facebook-famous firm to restate his get-out-the-message ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.  This time, he’s targeting the youngest cohort of Americans who possess the right to vote: Gen Z.

Obama may seem like an odd messenger for Zoomers, since many of them were mere toddlers when he first took the oath of office. The 44th President acknowledges that truth before dishing out references to Euphoria, Taylor Swift, and other topics that get a lot of attention on platforms like TikTok. But the point of the video is not to discuss Pete Davidson’s love life. Obama points out five political issues that will face critical ballot tests in 2022: A woman’s right to choose, gun rights, schools, immigration, and climate.

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For young voters who are more receptive to outreach on YouTube Shorts, ATTN: also created a cut-down version of its Obama PSA. That clip sticks closer to the issues, though it’s missing Obama’s basketball skills.

In an email, ATTN: told Tubefilter that its previous collaborations with Obama have received tens of millions of views. They also drove more traffic to Vote.org than any of the company’s other team-ups with celebrities and public figures.

That high rate of conversions is not surprising, given Obama’s social media savvy. By using Between Two Ferns to promote his healthcare policy and inviting YouTubers to the White House, #44 became the first President to effectively use Web 2.0 platforms as administrative tools.

The times have changed, but ATTN: is betting that Obama’s endorsement is still worthwhile. The media company has undergone changes of its own this year; back in May, it was acquired by Candle Media for roughly $100 million.

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