Much like the star-studded reverse psychology "Don’t vote" video, outspoken singer Jason Mraz cleverly masks his support for Barack Obama in an undercover 'brain-washing' MySpace blog entry.
Mraz doesn't explicitly say to vote for Obama. Instead, he starts talking about how change is natural, from our taste in music and hair style to our emotional state and romantic relationships.
Without naming Obama, Mraz throws in a couple of ambiguous references which remind you that "...you have the right to change your mind." It's human nature, change is coming.
Those appealing references are hyperlinks that are masked. When you point your mouse over them, they show an msplinks URL, not the actual website that they point to. But when you click on any of these links, you are redirected to Barack Obama's official campaign site.
While some might not the idea of someone pushing his political view, I applaud Jason Mraz for being passionate and for using his fame for what he believes is a good thing.
What I love most is that Mraz premptively strikes by saying, "These meanderings, rants, and blogs for instance, provide a great deal of comfort just sharing it, even though I put a part of myself on the line to be criticized or considered an ass." And he attaches a picture in which he poses in his underwear as an ass (donkey). Nice!
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Hidden Political Endorsements
- Opportunities for disruptive innovation in creating unique, non-traditional ways for celebrities or influencers to express political opinions without explicitly stating them.
- Ambiguous Political References
- Opportunities for disruptive innovation in developing creative ways to subtly reference a political candidate or issue in content without explicitly naming them or taking a side.
- Using Hyperlinks in Political Messaging
- Opportunities for disruptive innovation in incorporating masked hyperlinks within content as a tool for redirecting audiences to political campaigns or candidate websites.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Influencer Marketing
- Companies within the influencer marketing industry can explore new ways for influencers to express political opinions creatively and non-traditionally through sponsored content.
- Political Marketing
- Political marketers can leverage subtle references and masked hyperlinks within content to direct audiences to campaign websites and increase engagement and conversion rates.
- Digital Advertising
- Advertising agencies can incorporate masked hyperlinks within various ad formats to help redirect audiences to desired websites and track engagement levels.
