"Harry and Louise" was the name of a television commercial funded by the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA), a health insurance industry lobbying group, in opposition to President Bill Clinton's proposed health care plan in 1993. The ad depicted a middle-class couple, portrayed by actors Harry Johnson and Louise Claire Clark, despairing over the allegedly bureaucratic nature of the plan and urged viewers to contact their representatives in Congress. It was widely credited as being a major factor in the plan's ultimate defeat, and is often cited as a landmark moment in the use of public relations techniques for lobbying. The commercial was created by public relations consultants Ben Goddard and Rick Claussen of Goddard Claussen.^[1] The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... It has been suggested that Health plan be merged into this article or section. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... The Clinton health care plan was a 1993 healthcare reform package proposed by the administration of Bill Clinton, then sitting President of the United States. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... A bureaucrat is a member of a bureaucracy, usually within an institution of the government. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the political effort. ...

The couple made a brief return in an unrelated 2002 ad, produced by Goddard Claussen Porter Novelli (Goddard Claussen was purchased by Porter Novelli in 1999), advocating human cloning for therapeutic purposes on behalf of CuresNow. The second ad was the subject of a lawsuit by the HIAA who claimed that they owned the characters; however, a court ruled that the characters were owned by Goddard Claussen, and it aired during a showing of The West Wing on NBC.^[2] Also see: 2002 (number). ... Although genes are recognized as influencing behavior and cognition, genetically identical does not mean altogether identical; identical twins, despite being natural human clones with identical DNA, are separate people, with separate experiences and not altogether overlapping personalities. ... “The West Wing” redirects here. ... The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ...

This ad was one of several prominent political attack ads parodied in the 78th Academy Awards (March 2006). An older couple sitting at the kitchen table bemoans the "foreign-sounding names" of the best actress nominees, then praises Reese Witherspoon for having an all-American name. The 78th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 2005, were held on March 5, 2006 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. ... Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976),[1] known simply as Reese Witherspoon, is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ...

References

1. ^ Birnbaum, Jeffrey H.. "Returning to the Genre He Started", K Street Confidential (column), The Washington Post, November 29, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-07-26. 
2. ^ Larson, Mark. "Revived 'Harry and Louise' ads spark a lawsuit", Sacramento Business Journal, May 10, 2002. Retrieved on 2006-07-26. 

The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C.. It is also one of the citys oldest papers, having been founded in 1877. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Goddard Claussen web site
• Porter Novelli web site