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Obama Campaign Buys $5 Million Of Olympics Spots
Wow:
WASHINGTON (AdAge.com) -- It's official. Sen. Barack Obama's campaign will be among the TV sponsors of NBC Universal's Olympics coverage. In the first significant network-TV buy of any presidential candidate in at least 16 years, the Obama campaign has taken a $5 million package of Olympics spots that includes network TV as well as cable ads.
AdAge editor Ken Wheaton tells Ben Smith that this makes Obama the first candidate to use national broadcast advertising since Bob Dole in 1996.
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Will he announce the VP before the Olympics? Me thinks so, which could explain all the moo-la being thrown at it.
July 23, 2008 6:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
That never occurred to me. I think I'm abnormal - I never think about who Obama might pick - I don't think about Veeps; I'm not terribly interested. The exception is Cheney because he's the evilest motherfucker on the planet.
July 23, 2008 6:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Understandable, they aren't terribly important. I think the timing would be right to do it before the Olympics though. Don't want them stealing our thunder...
July 23, 2008 7:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Donors, meet results. :)
I like this return on my investment.
July 23, 2008 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
The advertising barrage continues. Hoping against hope that Americans will have learned from the last two elections to disregard campaign propaganda and seek out hard information.
July 23, 2008 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
What makes you think most Americans have time for that?
July 23, 2008 6:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
No doubt Obama is benefiting from the Surge.
July 23, 2008 6:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hope it's more beneficial than Dole's obviously was.
But then, Dole didn't have The Surge to help him along.
A noun, a verb, and The Surge.
July 23, 2008 6:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not sure The Surge could have helped Dole - He was taking enough Viagra to raise the Titanic - or at least, so it seemed back when he was the spokesman for erectile disfunction.
July 23, 2008 6:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
A noun, a verb, and The Surge.
I prefer...
A wink, a smirk and The Surge
...LOL!!!
July 23, 2008 6:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, I like that. That fits.
Bob Dole and John McLame - two dirty old men. LOL!
July 23, 2008 6:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's a lot of money. And I assume the bigger package buyers will have the plum spots, including the break before the US team enters and the break before the lighting of the torch.
Have all spots been sold, or can McCain rush out and buy a package as well?
I would assume it will be an ad with Barack and his VP, and will be all about the two and their vision, but it better be a helluva ad. Do we know the length of the ad? 30 seconds or a minute?
July 23, 2008 6:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
New NBC/WSJ poll just out, BO 47% JM 41%
http://thepage.time.com/
(scroll down a little bit)
July 23, 2008 7:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I particularly like the fact that Obama's naturally positive message will harmonize with --and be amplified by-- all of those Olympic peace and brotherhood-sisterhood-number-one-in-the-hood vibes that will be emanating from the NBC mothership. If McCain tries to run any of his "it's a scaaarry world...BOO!" shtick, it will be a major buzz-kill, and no one wants their buzz killed when they're trying to enjoy the Olympics. So, if McCain tries to run any ads during the games, he's going to have to show some ads in which he pretends not to be an egotistical, self-serving hot-head who will say and do anything to be elected president.
July 23, 2008 7:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good points, ADad.
July 23, 2008 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's a terrific point.
July 23, 2008 7:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nailed it.
July 23, 2008 7:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
joe-c, CT, and Buckeye:
Thanks for the positive feedback. The goods vibes are workin' already.
BTW, Buckeye, GO BUCKEYES! This is their year, baby!
July 23, 2008 8:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Go BLUE!!!
Hail to the Victors.
July 24, 2008 12:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
It figures. There's always some Michigan fan lurking out there trying to make my feel good go away. We'll settle this on November 22nd. Until then, let us sit in blissful awe and be at one with the One.
July 24, 2008 1:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
THIS IS EXCELENT NEWS!!!! FOR McCAIN!!!!
July 23, 2008 7:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
No its not McCain doesn't even have enough money to spend on the ads for the olympics.
Video of Meghan McCain and media get together at McCains house
July 23, 2008 9:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Incredible...that is sooooo over the top!!!
July 24, 2008 12:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
General Electric and the rest of the military-industrial complex are happier than all shit . . .
Way to go Big O!
July 23, 2008 9:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Breaking:
This just in:
McCain campaign have purchase Olympic TV Time for spots to be run during the coverage of the shuffle board finals, and the Get Off The Lawn competition.
July 23, 2008 9:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is a smart move at a time when the nation's attention will be focused on the games and not politics. Because a number of piddly regional market ads will not do much to keep up the buzz from this international trip. Interesting thing is if McCain also buys spots, it will smell of so much me-too-ism that he has been trying to pull of this week. Especially with the silly ad buys in Berlin, Pennsylvania, Berlin Wisconsin etc. It will be a game of "follow the leader." I hope this pays off for Obama.
July 23, 2008 9:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Even though the corporate media will do what they can to get McCain elected -- so the CEOs can keep their tax breaks and so the FCC will continue to be populated with political hacks -- they're glad to take Obama's money. Our airwaves, leased for next to nothing to the greed-heads; our contributions, going in their pockets to spread the political word. Something's wrong with this...
July 23, 2008 11:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
What did Marx say about the capitalists selling the rope to the revolutionaries with which they will eventually be hung?
July 24, 2008 8:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Um, that was Lenin.
July 24, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink