In this cutthroat, competitive arena of political campaigns, advance staff are the unsung heroes. These are the tireless heroes behind the scenes. They create media moments that can dramatically enhance a candidate’s prospects or, conversely, sink them in cataclysmic fashion. Recent examples involving top Australian politicians illustrate just how crucial it is to tightly choreograph a photo-op. One mistake can sink a campaign in no time.
One figure who stands out is Bill Shorten. He’s best known, of course, for once asking a woman her favorite kinds of lettuce at an Iowa campaign stop. This apparently harmless question turned into a serious source of laughter and scorn, showing how small blunders can catch the eye of the Twitter public. Similarly, Kevin Rudd faced backlash when he innocently chatted with students in front of a giant poster of Adolf Hitler, a moment that overshadowed his intended message. Such missteps serve as a reminder to the struggles politicians and their communications staff must endure while attempting to control the narrative.
In Tasmania, Scott Morrison made headlines for an unexpected incident during a soccer match in 2022, where he tackled a child in a playful yet aggressive manner. As funny as this moment was, it did make me wonder about his approachability. Meanwhile, Alisha Aitken-Radburn, who advanced for Labor campaigns including Shorten’s 2016 run, emphasized the importance of careful planning to avoid such pitfalls.
The Art of Political Advancing
Advancers Alisha Aitken-Radburn and Ally Luppino shift the dial. Empowering these direct-impact coordinators can help constrain how politicians — including progressives and their allies — engage with their constituents. In the same way, they carefully stage media opportunities, making sure that candidates come off looking real and down to earth. Aitken-Radburn highlighted the importance of stopping harmful images from going public, saying,
“The main reason your job exists in many ways is to prevent those sorts of pictures.”
She highlighted the need to “seize the right moments and make the right moments connect with the electorate in a positive way,” adding that.
“Such a focus of the campaign is winning the 6pm news.”
These men and women regularly expend days of effort to set the stage for a media opportunity that might last just a few minutes.
“You’re working for three days for maybe a five-to-ten-minute moment,” said Luppino.
This labor-intensive process speaks to the extreme high stakes of political campaigning at this level where every contact counts.
Luppino provided fascinating details on the espionage-like environment that exists around cutting-edge work. His experience taught him that this should involve some thoughtful strategy and venue choice. She also provided valuable insight on how to get to know the businesses in your community to best craft the story for your candidate.
“You talk to small businesses, you get a flavour of what their politics might be,” she stated, emphasizing that not all interactions are suitable for public display.
The Risks of Public Perception
The risk of gaffes hangs over any campaign like the sword of Damocles. In practice, however, politicians face overwhelming incentives to shy away from any form of risk, where a single miscalculation—large or small—can result in tremendous consequences. Our own Peter Dutton felt the pain of this reality when his footy kick put a camera operator out of action. The incident soon went viral, taking the world by storm. In contrast, Tony Abbott’s campaign trail was marked by both humor and controversy. He famously caught an egg thrown at him during a Brisbane rally and turned it into a light-hearted moment by declaring,
“I get the catch of the series!”
These cases show that sometimes spontaneity works in favor of a politician, while at other times it can be detrimental to their reputation.
When Bill Shorten was campaigning for the Labor government in the 2016 election, he made headlines when he bit into a sausage sandwich on election day. This instant turned into a just the right amount of relatable meme, but sparked important conversations about authenticity in political engagement.
Alisha Aitken-Radburn, a strategist with the campaign team, explained that voters are keenly aware when an event is puppeteered.
“I think people know that campaigns are highly stage managed and that our leaders are highly risk-averse,” she remarked.
This new awareness makes it more complicated for politicians who want to make real, authentic connections with constituents.
Crafting Authenticity in Campaigning
Authenticity is always, always, ALWAYS, the key ingredient of a successful political campaign. Voters want to believe that their leaders are authentic, and someone they feel like they can connect with. When candidates seem too slick, too practiced, not genuine enough, they tend to turn away voters. Conservative strategist Toby Ralph warned that when a politician’s authenticity looks inauthentic, they can crash and burn in a major way.
Advancers provide indispensable support by guiding candidates to achieve the ideal mix. They make sure that candidates come off as tempered and measured, but authentic and relatable. Aitken-Radburn described how this takes thoughtful planning and, at times, even outside-the-box approaches to craft those unforgettable experiences.
“You will receive a very top line brief that can be as simple as, we’re looking to showcase that Bill is good with the economy,” she explained.
This more selective approach is intended to showcase politicians in the best possible light while reducing hazards from public appearances.
