October 22 , 2008
Obama is a Toyota Prius. McCain, a Lincoln Town Car.
If the two candidates for president, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, were automobiles, which ones would they be? This is the question Mascola Group posed to affluent brand marketers in a recent survey.
The study, which was conducted over a one-month period, was an email survey sent out to marketing executives from various luxury brands across the nation. The study was loosely based on Mascola Group’s innovative Brand Party®, which is an exploration into the relationships between luxury brands, based on a panel of 10-12 executives within the affluent market.
The 2008 Presidential Candidate Luxury Car Survey was sent to over 300 marketing executives and explored the relationships between the presidential candidates and various auto brands. Survey recipients were given a list of 5 cars and asked to choose the brand they identified most with each candidate.
From the results, Mascola Group found that If Senator Obama was a car, he would be a Toyota Prius. A total of 23.2% of respondents selected this choice, agreeing that, Obama represents new, affordable luxury, and that the car/candidate surprises consumers/voters with attention to detail. And if Senator McCain were a car he would be a Lincoln Town Car. A total of 45.2% of respondents agreed, with one respondent supplying this description: “Tested. Tried and True. The All-American car. The All-American hero.”
“Political polls always explore perceptions based on the candidate’s electability,” says Mascola Creative Director Matt Sawyers. “This technique asks people to evaluate the candidate as a brand. The car question allows people to share insights about performance, economy, styling, and overall appeal. After all, we’ll be driving one of these models for at least 4 years.”