The Team Behind Zohran Mamdani’s Viral Campaign Wants More Political Candidates to Get Candid on Social Media

Zohran Mamdani’s campaign and subsequent win for New York City mayor last year has become a case study in how politicians can use social media.

At ADWEEK’s Social Media Week, a trio of people behind Mamdani’s social videos—including the creative duo of creative and production agency Melted Solids and Donald Borenstein, director of video at the Zohran for NYC campaign—broke down what made the mayor’s videos break out. Melted Solids is made up of co-founders and executive producers Anthony DiMieri and Debbie Saslaw.

Throughout his campaign, Mamdani stuck to his social video strategy instead of treating it as a one-off, said Borenstein. The strategy was to “model and self-advocate things people actually watch, things that reach people on social media but without bending too far from what you want the message to be or how we want to create a message.”

Don’t overthink the message

A core part of Melted Solids’ work with Mamdani during the mayoral race was letting the politician riff a bit in front of the camera, and then later developing content based on what happened while shooting.

“Don’t go in stuck on the deliverables you thought you were going to do—maybe something appears during the day that is its own video,” DiMieri said.

Mamdani was also open to shooting videos in unconventional locations, such as food trucks, to drive home messaging about his campaign. For example, one video focused on “halal-flation” and the rising costs that street vendors have to pay for the permits needed to sell food.

“This felt like it evolved and boiled up out of the culture itself,” said DiMieri.

The video follows a formula Melted Solids has made core to its work: asking people on the street about how policies impact them and letting what they say steer the direction of the final video.

Another campaign video filmed in a bodega focused on Mamdani’s proposed plans to help small businesses navigate rising costs like rent and food.

While the video was posted on Instagram’s vertical-oriented Reels, it was not filmed vertically, Borenstein said. By filming it horizontally, the team hoped to better establish a sense of place in a local store. The video also leans into the harsh overhead light in the bodega. Mamdani’s face is also centered so that he is making eye contact with the viewer—a crucial step that most brands mess up, Borenstein said.

“These are conversations—they’re one-sided conversations, but that conversation is still happening on the other end,” Borenstein said.

Learning charm

Going forward, Melted Solids is hoping more political candidates will lean into authentic social video. Part of the reason Mamdani’s content resonated is because of his own charisma, which is a trait that can be learned, argued Borenstein.

“A lot of it comes down to both practice and coaching, but also understanding who you’re talking to while you’re making these videos—thinking about the actual audience,” Borenstein said.

Even with charisma, every politician needs to be steered a little, Saslaw said.

“Because we are all filmmakers, directors, and have professional experience in and out of the ad world, we know that even the most charismatic politician has to be directed, even just where you’re standing for focus,” Saslaw said. “That’s what we’ve tried to bring to the table and will continue doing. Some of the political media coming out that is trying to copy what Donald pioneered is lackluster.”