Advertising Age - Campaign Trail

Health-Care-Debate Advertising Runs Risk of Overexposure

Can Consumers Find One Clear Signal in $100 Million Worth of Noise?

Posted by Evan Tracey on 09.16.09 @ 03:06 PM


Evan Tracey

As health-care ad spending nears $100 million and the president makes his rounds on most of the talk shows, is it possible that the American media consumer is on the verge of a health-care overload? Now I know between cable TV, Facebook and a good book (on your Kindle, of course), there are plenty of ways to escape this media onslaught, but it's getting harder to do so and soon may become impossible.

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Will a New Harry and Louise Return to Airwaves This Fall?

One Series of Ads Helped Derail Health-Care Reform Last Time Around

Posted by Evan Tracey on 07.20.09 @ 06:00 AM

Evan Tracey

The parents of modern issue advocacy advertising, Harry and Louise, could be poised to make yet another comeback in a new campaign promoting a national health-care agenda. It is fitting that the power couple of advocacy make their return in this latest round of health-care reform, even if they take a different point of view than they did in the 1990s. Without them, this debate would be like having Thanksgiving dinner without your crazy uncle.

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Is President Obama Putting Too Much Too Soon on the Brand?

With Responsibility Comes Risk, but Also Greater Rewards (and Re-Election)

Posted by Evan Tracey on 02.25.09 @ 11:09 AM

Evan Tracey

It's been an interesting month in our nation's capitol, and the Obama administration is hard at work addressing the country's problems. As with every first-term administration, its primary challenges are to engage lawmakers on Capitol Hill with its new policy agenda and assemble a team that will instill confidence in the American people. If they succeed, in four years they will be rehired. In essence, this process is the political equivalent of establishing the brand.

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Obama Can't Sell Stimulus Without TV Ads

Campaign's Biggest Spender Is No Longer Using His Most Effective Weapon

Posted by Evan Tracey on 02.09.09 @ 12:14 PM

Evan Tracey

As President Barack Obama prepares to give his first prime-time news conference tonight to sell his economic stimulus package to the public, he finds himself fighting this political battle without one of his most powerful weapons: TV advertising.

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McCain Needs a Message More Than Money

It's the Only Way He Can Combat Obama Ad Onslaught

Posted by Evan Tracey on 10.17.08 @ 03:05 PM

Evan Tracey

Sen. John McCain has a problem. His campaign trail rival, Sen. Barack Obama, is outspending him by historic proportions on TV ads in swing states, as well as nationally on network and cable TV. If the McCain campaign were a football team, all their remaining games would be played on the road and the roar of the hostile Obama crowds would make it too difficult for his campaign to even call the plays.

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Obama Airs 25,000 Commercials in Past Four Days

Will Spend More in Final 25 Days Than McCain Will in Entire General

Posted by Evan Tracey on 10.10.08 @ 05:03 PM

Evan Tracey

What a week. If a 30-minute purchase on network TV is not enough evidence that Barack Obama has more money than there is TV time left to buy, then I have a Bridge to Nowhere to sell you. In terms of message imbalance between the two presidential campaigns, it is clear that a critical mass has been reached. Obama is on pace to spend more on TV in the final 25 days of this election than John McCain's entire $85 million matching-fund check. For those keeping score at home, Obama has aired more than 25,000 commercials in the past four days alone.

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As End Game Begins, Obama Controls the Media Board

Campaign Is Spending $2.8 Million a Day on Ads

Posted by Evan Tracey on 10.03.08 @ 01:17 PM

Evan Tracey

This week, Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign made the second big advertising move of the general election. Just as Sen. Barack Obama pulled ads from Georgia in September, Mr. McCain abandoned Michigan on Thursday. However, both candidates' national network buys will still be on the air in these states and could afford them a reason to go back in the final weeks.

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McCain Picks Bad Time to Cede Battleground

Suspends Campaign Just as Obama Ramps Up Spending

Posted by Evan Tracey on 09.25.08 @ 12:08 PM

Evan Tracey

Yesterday, John McCain took a bold step and suspended his campaign to go to Washington to help resolve the country's economic crisis. On the one hand this move is consistent with his "country first" brand, but on the other hand a total suspension of his campaign may jeopardize his party's chances this fall.

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Talk of More Battleground States Evaporates

Palin Pick Brings Change (in Tone and Battleground)

Posted by Evan Tracey on 09.15.08 @ 11:04 AM

Evan Tracey

A time-proven tactic in politics is to steal messages and themes from those behind you in the race and claim them for your own. For the first time, I believe we have seen the trailing candidate, John McCain, successfully steal themes from the leading candidate, Barack Obama. McCain picked Sarah Palin as his running-mate and has made off with Obama's theme of change, altering the tone and battleground of the campaign.

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Let the Real Battle Begin

Obama Has Huge Cash Edge, but It Hasn't Helped Much So Far

Posted by Evan Tracey on 09.05.08 @ 05:47 PM

Evan Tracey

The conventions are over, balloons have dropped, columns were removed and contrasts drawn. It's time to get down to the business of electing the next president of the United States. With the campaigns now in the home stretch, media markets become the chessboard, with ad buys as the game pieces.

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