From Deseret News archives:
Y. student wins Mitt's campaign ad contest
It was made by a Brigham Young University student.
Ryan Whitaker, who is studying information systems and makes videos as a hobby, was announced Thursday as the winner of the Romney campaign's national "Create Your Own Ad" contest.
"I thought this would just be fun," Whitaker told the Deseret Morning News of putting together the one-minute commercial, titled "Ready for Action," which focuses on Romney's leadership skills. "Look what happened, I won. Holy cow!"
The commercial, which the campaign chose from 129 entries, will be introduced by Romney today at a fund-raising event at the Salt Palace. The "Rally for Romney," scheduled from 2-8 p.m., is open to anyone willing to make fund-raising calls for the candidate.
Whitaker said he's excited his work will be seen, especially in two key presidential primary states.
"I've never been to Iowa or New Hampshire, but I sure hope they like the ad," he said. "I hope it resonates with them as much as Mitt Romney resonates with me."
The BYU student moved to Utah from Oregon, long after Romney led the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He said he first heard about the former Massachusetts governor earlier this year and decided to get involved in politics.
Whitaker said he received some professional advice on the commercial before submitting it to the contest, from his uncle, Matt, who wrote the screenplays for two of the "Work and the Glory" films about the early days of the Mormon Church.
The commercial, like most in the contest, used images provided by the campaign. Only one of the nine finalists, a 2002 Winter Games volunteer from Texas, used his own video to describe Romney's contributions to Salt Lake's success as an Olympic host.
The finalists can be seen at www.mittromney.com — but not some of the commercials made by Democrats and others critical of Romney's campaign, including one from the online magazine Slate.com.
Stephen Smith, director of online communications for the Romney campaign, said those other commercials don't detract from the contest.
"That's the nature of the Internet, that there are folks who are going to try to stir up trouble," Smith said.
Of the nine finalists in the contest, Whitaker's was the most viewed, Smith said. In all, the commercials were viewed more than 100,000 times, he said.
"This is a real first in using user-generated content for campaign purposes, but it's not going to be the last," Smith said.
