Ron Planche's 'edgy' political video wins the Internet

Messaging is everything in politics and it'snever more important than in an election year.

Politicians seeking to cut through the noise to get to voters need not look any further than the example of federal Liberalcandidate Ron Planche.

Planche, running for the federal Liberals in the riding of Niagara Falls, Ont., is heading towards internet fame after a video of his political pitch was recentlydiscovered and shared on social media.

There's nothing tremendously out of the ordinary with Planche'scall for support to "rebuild Niagara" except everything he had to say about running for office was drowned out by dramatic orchestral music and a rather dizzying and choppy editing style.

The one-minute video, which was published toYouTubein March, features Planche against the backdrop of the interior of a house with its closed doors and a staircase in view. The music swells immediately with a string orchestra and crashes of cymbals an original composition by local composer Nathan Chamberland, who is also the video's director.

The 70-year-old Liberal candidate said he is "happy" with the video, although he initially wasn't.

"Even I was taken aback," Planche said, describing his reaction when his campaign team showed it to him.

"[It's]pretty sharp, pretty edgy. It wasn't quite what Iwas expecting," he said in an interview with CBC News. "Oh well, put it out there. If it creates controversy, fine. The message is correct."

He's oriented to the far left of the shot, speaking simply and directly into the camera about why things in Niagara "have not been going very well."

'Not a known commodity'

What's not so simple are the frequent cutaways to close-upshots of Planche's mouth, his hands andhis forehead, often pulling in and out of focus a "West Wing style," he said.

The background music alsocrescendos about mid-way,even includingriffs of electric guitar to underscore Planche's call to action.

Planche, who won the Liberal nomination in Niagara on Monday, was an executive assistant for OntarioMPPKim Craitor for eight years, according to the biography on his website.

The Liberal candidate said the video is helping his profile, as he's "not a known commodity" compared to his Conservative opponent, Foreign AffairsMinister Rob Nicholson.

However, Planche, alsoa marketing and communications specialist,said he would not be replicating the same style in future videos because what he wants to communicate to voters "is different." He said he's passionate about youth and building the future.

New, "edgy" Planche videos may not be necessary. The video editors at Canadian humour website The Syrup Trap have taken it upon themselves to increase the shelf life of this one.

In a re-edit of epic proportions, the Syrup Trap takes the homely Niagara setting ofPlanche video's and gradually replacesit with visuals ofspace and historical imagery. The remixed video has already garnered thousands of views.

"I won't call it a sabotage site," he said with alaugh.