A Triumph for Trump?!

The Republican National Convention was recently held in our hometown, Cleveland, Ohio. While many Clevelanders have questioned the value of this distinction with all negativity surrounding the election, many people, including the folks at Hulu’s Funny or Die, saw the opportunity to have some fun with the event.

Posing as legitimate market researchers, the week before the convention the producers recruited real Trump supporters for a “focus group” at a real focus group facility in Cleveland, ostensibly to gather feedback on some Trump campaign TV ads. Of course, to sustain the illusion they needed a real focus group moderator. Enter Ideas in Focus’ own Jeff Hyde.

Positioning what were actually fake campaign videos as “provocative” and “edgy” Jeff led the group through an increasingly ridiculous discussion involving port-a-potties to capture illegal immigrants, bling that acts as a shock collar, and abortion clinics that double as casinos! What the participants also didn’t know was that Triumph the Comic Insult Dog was in the viewing room, adding his biting and acerbic commentary to the proceedings!

In the end, the producers revealed it was all in fun and for a TV comedy special. The participants were all good sports and signed waivers allowing use of their images on TV and the web. The special has been an unqualified success with outstanding reviews and nearly 3 million vies on YouTube alone!

John Benson, Segment Producer for Funny or Die/Hulu, said:

“We couldn't have asked for a better experience than what Jeff provided. Despite late notice, little preparation, fluid goals and extremely complicated challenges, Jeff never so much as flinched on his way to delivering exactly what we needed with a cool head and smile on his face. He was as quick on his feet as any improviser I've met, and his intelligence and empathy were key to helping us thread the needle of a very complex situation. The level of commitment Jeff showed to achieving our objectives was exemplary; I only wish we shot with focus groups more often so that we could have the chance to work with Jeff again."

Watch the video here: