Post-Super Sunday Special
On Taylor, Travis, RFK Jr, and Streamers
The Big Game is behind us, and the earth is still rotating on its axis despite the Taylor and Travis Experience reaching stratospheric heights. The game delivered on the field (sorry niners fans) while the ad world stepped up for the big day with spots that were, as the kids say, mid.
For now we will leave that analysis for ad insiders who have done the really deep dive on how the ads performed on the big game. Check it out if interested, but for now let's talk politics.
RFK, Jr. Super PAC Muffs the Punt
Many viewers were caught offsides by an ad for Robert Kennedy, Jr. just before the end of the first-half courtesy of American Values 2024, a pro-Kennedy Super PAC that spent $7M on the spot.
Dripping with nostalgia, the ad was geared toward…baby boomers that crave Camelot c.1960, and political junkies who collect campaign buttons?
Not sure what the strategy was here but if you spend $7M on, quite literally, the most watched broadcast in the history of TV and you are running against two of the most famous (and flawed) politicians on the planet, you definitely want to use that opportunity to differentiate.
That did not happen.
The spot was met with collective eye-rolls and groans at our super bowl party, but it did remind me of this classic ad that I share with my students as the first-ever political ad on broadcast TV.
So here is one for the political button collectors (and RFK fans?) out there.
Biden Splits the Uprights on Social; Trump Misses Wide-Right
Dark Brandon made a post-game appearance with a post that blew the internet up with nearly 1M likes on Instagram and 200M(!) views on “X.”
Like brands, politicians and their teams need to use caution in their social media strategy but Team Biden has found a way to tap into the zeitgeist by taking the “Let’s Go Brandon” meme and turning it on its head.
They may want to stick to the play sheet and stay away from audibles as social platforms can be a cruel and unforgiving place, especially for candidates that try way too hard.
Meanwhile, former President Trump used Truth Social to add his unique perspective to the Big Game by calling on Swift not to endorse Biden and be “disloyal to the man (Trump) who made her so much money.”
His plea to Swift (and Kelce, at least sort of) may have gotten more reach had he taken Elon Musk up on his offer to return to Twitter/X, but perhaps Team Trump is waiting for Truth Social to take hold, and Trump Media & Technology Group stock (currently trading at $0.56 a share) to take off.
Streaming Viewers Trend Dem but Paramount Plus Scores (slightly) with GOP
A recent study by MRI-Simmons and reported on by Variety shows that “Democrats are more subscribed to almost all of the major streaming platforms than are Republicans.”
Expect to see a major uptick on advertising on streaming in 2024, including from political campaigns who will look to connect with audiences that are increasingly cutting the cord and moving to a hybrid streaming/ad supported model. In addition, cookie-based targeted advertising is becoming less of an option for political advertisers, and streamers and CTV can offer advanced targeting capabilities that will allow candidates and advocacy groups new and sophisticated ways to reach voters.
While the study doesn’t explain exactly the “why” behind these numbers, our poll offers readers a few options to choose from.
Comment below as well if we missed something!
Biden up Big in the 1st Quarter on Social Spending. Where is Trump?
Data from the fantastic FWIW, a Substack newsletter tracking digital spends and trends in campaigns, shows Biden significantly outspending Trump on digital on a weekly basis. These numbers are surprising, knowing how Trump’s team has consistently used social advertising to drive support from his base as well as raise money from smaller donors.
According to the latest finance reports from the Federal Election Commission (Feb 2, 2024), Trump’s campaign has raised over $76M, with outside groups supporting his campaign adding another $63M. Of course, some suggest the majority of his spending is going towards various legal defenses but that alone would not explain this differential. Keep a close eye on this data moving forward to see where spending is going.
While this spending is significant, it still pales is comparison to the total advertising projections for social media in 2024 from all advertisers in 2024 ($75B). Expect to see massive increases in digital ad spending from candidates over the coming months.
What’s Next?
Awards season is in full gear with the Oscars in less than a month. Will political ads show up for these big-ticket moments? Expect to see more punch lines from show hosts’ about the candidates’ advancing age than big budget political ads, but you never know!
We will keep an eye out on things for you. Until then — happy advertising!
PS - Share any ads or content (good, bad, or awful) here.
Also on the lookout for contributors. If you have something to share about the ad world and Election ‘24 reach out.
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