Tale of the promos.

MSNBC and Fox News have new promos out and both have more in common than you might think.

First off they are both directional based, perhaps a nod to the Foursquare generation.

And secondly their new slogans are starkly different from where they had previously been - MSNBC was "The place for politics" and Fox News, of course, were "Fair and Balanced".

That said while MSNBC clearly has staked out what they hope is a new long-term positioning with "Lean Forward", Fox News' "Move Forward" feels more tactical, like it was cut to counter what their rivals (albeit distant) are doing.

Here's the full breakdown:

MSNBC: Lean Forward

Inherent contradiction: MSNBC doesn't lean. Its philosophy decidedly veers sharply in one direction. 

Direction: Left. 

Tone: Artful, thoughtful, exploratory, hopeful, boring. 

Character it would play in the new Geico commercial featuring a sensitive, namby pamby patient and a tough-assed drill sergeant therapist: Namby pamby patient.

Type of vehicle it would be: Hybrid station wagon.

FOX NEWS: Move Forward

Inherent contradiction: Moving forward is what progressives do. Fox News is decidedly anti-progressive. Their philosophy looks back to an earlier, less complex and more conservative era.

Direction: Back to the pre civil rights era, most probably the fifties. 

Tone: Crude, bombastic, boastful, unapologetic, confrontational.

Character it would play in the new Geico commercial featuring a sensitive, namby pamby patient and a tough-assed drill sergeant therapist: Tough-assed drill sergeant therapist.

Type of vehicle it would be: Chevy truck (Made abroad)