Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage during Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, USA on August 22, 2024.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
Personal matters are becoming political.
In the week leading up to Election Day, Democrats are targeting swing state voters by spending heavily at nail salons, lifestyle magazines and shopping malls — places where they might typically seek an escape from the news.
The Democratic National Committee’s seven-figure ad buy aims to reach tens of millions of voters in key demographic groups with a message to the polls that may be the last they hear before Nov. 5.
The latest “I Will Vote” campaign, launching Tuesday, will run digital ads in more than 40 publications, ranging from Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine and Women’s Health to Serious Eats” and the fashion blog Hypebeast.
The final effort is focused on voters in seven key battleground states that could decide the election between Republican Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
The tone of the ad will be tailored to the market to appeal to different audiences.
One featured a kitten peering out from behind a ballot box, a reference to the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape in which Trump bragged about grabbing women’s genitals.
Another look that’s reminiscent of a military draft poster: “BE A PATRIOT,” in all caps. “Stop the fascists.”
The Democratic National Committee also acquired the digital pages of Teen Vogue, Glamor, Vogue and Good Housekeeping, as well as audio ads that will run on Spotify, iHeart Media and Pandora.
Voters in swing states have been hit by political ads, but the situation has been worst in Pennsylvania, which has by far the most ad spending in the election cycle.
The deluge isn’t stopping: By Friday, advertisers had spent more than $65 million booking future presidential ads in the Keystone State alone, according to one count. advertising influence.
Democratic National Committee ad.
Source: Good Housekeeping
To cut through the noise, the Democratic National Committee is deploying “customized advertising that works for Americans,” Monica Guardiola, the organization’s acting co-executive director, said in a statement.
“Now on Election Day, voters will receive the Democratic Party’s message of freedom as they turn to their most trusted sources of news, culture, entertainment and recreation,” she said.
The message will be delivered in less traditional places, including nail salons, malls, transit centers and grocery stores.
Most of the ads show Democrats leaning toward reproductive rights issues, where the party can both mobilize its base and potentially win over independent and moderate Republican women.
“Women will decide this election. Your daughter should have no less rights than your mother,” one ad read.
Another bubbly letter font featuring a pink and orange plaid background declares: “Your vote matters. Period.”
To make sure it hits the mark, the ad also depicts a sparkling intrauterine device (IUD).
Democratic National Committee ad.
Source: Teen Vogue
The DNC will also run some ads targeting competitive House or Senate races in key areas of Florida, Iowa, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Kansas and Oregon, a spokesperson told CNBC .
Many of the publications included in the campaign, such as Allure, Better Homes and Gardens, Cosmopolitan, Elle and Women’s Health, have a female-skewed audience.
It’s a smart voting strategy in an election where pollsters are surprised to find such a deep gender divide among voters. female voters Harris defeated Trump and became the first female president of the United States.
recent research It also suggests that white women — a large voting bloc that supported Trump over his Democratic rivals in both 2016 and 2020 — are leaning slightly toward Harris as the election approaches.
But the DNC is also buying space in publications that cater to black and Latino readers, including Ebony, Essence, Complex, Madame Noire, Black Enterprise, HipLatina and Latina Magazine.
These ad buys come as Harris raises Puerto Rican On Sunday, he blasted racist comments from Trump rally spokesman Tony Hinchcliffe, who called Puerto Rico a “trash island.”
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Trump gaining support among Latino men, all but erasing Democrats’ longstanding demographic advantage.
The Democratic National Committee is also running ads in Bleacher Report, Men’s Health and Vice in an effort to reach a more male-skewing audience.
Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee’s podcast ads prioritize economic issues.
“What’s on the ballot this election?” the speaker asked in 30 seconds. “Affordable housing. Student loan forgiveness. Good-paying jobs. Reproductive freedom. Our future.”
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