logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
25m 20s

Orchestrating Elections: Political Campa...

APOSTROPHE PODCAST NETWORK
About this episode

This week, we take a look at one of the tools of political marketing – the campaign song.

 

Politicians have used songs going all the way back to at least the 1700s.

 

Sometimes the songs are written expressly for the political party or candidate.

 

Sometimes, politicians co-opt pop songs.

 

And sometimes, pop artists have a major problem with that.




Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Aug 2
History of the Goalie Mask
We thought you might enjoy an episode from our sister podcast, “We Regret To Inform You: The Rejection Podcast” - this week it’s the history of the goalie mask. Coaches didn’t want them, managers rejected them, the NHL didn’t want them - but one goalie did. The rest is history. H ... Show More
33m 43s
Jul 26
Long Overdue: The Creative Boom of Library Marketing
From our Season 11 Archives, one of our favourites.This week, we look at the ways libraries market themselves. If you think libraries are quiet, you’ve got another thing coming. We’ll talk about a library video series that played like a TV cop show - and - we’ll look at library w ... Show More
27m 18s
Jul 19
Fish Where The Fish Are: Surprising Help Wanted Ads
From our Season 12 Archives, one of our favourites.This week, we take a look at the most creative “help wanted” ads in the world. We’ll talk about how IKEA recruited new workers without needing to buy an ad. How VW found new mechanics by posting ads in the most unusual place. And ... Show More
26m 44s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2024
The Soundtrack of Donald Trump
Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” has become former President Donald J. Trump’s unofficial theme music on the campaign trail. Here at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, the song was performed live by none other than Mr. Greenwood himself, as Mr. Trump walked in ... Show More
36m 56s
Aug 2024
How Campaigns Use (And Misuse) Music
Kamala Harris has “Freedom.” Donald Trump has “God Bless the USA” (and a lot of cease-and-desist letters). What makes for a good campaign song? And why do we respond so viscerally to the ones that work? Audie talks with DJ Cassidy, who DJ'd the DNC Roll Call. And Dana Gorzelany-M ... Show More
32m 39s
Nov 2024
Your Election Day Sedative, Ma’am
The girlies bring you a silly Election Day episode to distract you from the horrors and feelings of impending doom. They discuss the craziest smear campaigns of elections past, why “our candidate is a great guy to have a beer with” has always been a winning message, and some trul ... Show More
1h 3m
Mar 2025
The Political Battle For The Bros
Popular podcasts in the "manosphere" helped sway young men to go MAGA in the 2024 election. New Yorker writer Andrew Marantz explains how Democrats can win them back. Also, Ken Tucker shares songs by Neil Young, Benjamin Booker and Teddy Swims. Learn more about sponsor message ch ... Show More
45m 20s
Aug 2024
Origins of Political Campaigns: Publicity Stunts & Fake News
How do our politicians use the media? Throughout the 2024 election we have seen a boom in the use of social media and cable news, so how far back does this go? To find out, Don speaks first to crisis public relations expert and TikTok star, Molly McPherson, to hear about this yea ... Show More
50m 58s
Jul 2024
Is country the new hip hop?
For decades, hip hop has been the most successful genre on the charts. Then, in 2023, a shift occurred. For the first time, the country songs outnumbered hip hop songs on the year end charts. Last year, country’s boom was led by hyper-partisan hits like Jason Aldean’s “Try That I ... Show More
35m 39s
Feb 2017
What Happens When Nashville Outsiders Become Country’s Big Stars?
The city synonymous with the country music business is in transition. How is it dealing with rapid change, and the Trump era? A panel discusses on Popcast. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytime ... Show More
1h 10m
Nov 2024
The Ad Campaign
By the time it’s over, this year’s race for president will have cost at least $3.5 billion. The single biggest expense will be campaign ads.Shane Goldmacher, a national political correspondent for The Times, discusses the story that each campaign has been using those ads to tell, ... Show More
29m 15s
Nov 2018
Music Copyright Laws and Use for Political Messages
Music and politics don't always mix. Three well-known music stars - Pharrell, Rihanna and Guns & Roses’ Axl Rose - have objected to their songs recently used by President Trump in rallies ahead of the midterm elections. A cease and desist order has been sent to The White House by ... Show More
22m 19s
Oct 2024
The Trump Campaign’s Big Gamble
Warning: this episode contains strong language.The presidential campaign is in its final week and one thing remains true: the election is probably going to come down to a handful of voters in a swing states.Jessica Cheung,  a producer for “The Daily,” and Jonathan Swan, a reporte ... Show More
37m 52s