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Voters all over the country have begun to see more and more campaign ads in recent weeks, but they haven’t all been about presidential politics.
Congressional campaign advertising took off in January, with dozens of candidates already on television due to the unprecedented earliness of the primaries, several special elections and the political interest spurred by both sides’ drawn-out and competitive presidential nomination process.
Early advertising is most often used to introduce candidates to the public. It is generally cheaper and more accessible the earlier it is, but it also risks being forgotten quickly because people are not yet paying attention.
Political advertising expert Ken Goldstein said the early timing of the first ads represents a significant departure from cycles past.
“It might not be relevant in the decision-making when voters go into the ballot box,” Goldstein said. “But what these ads are trying to do is change the dynamic now, early on, and get some free media.
“Things have been getting earlier and earlier in the presidential race, but that is way earlier for congressional races.”
Many are aimed at simply introducing the candidates early enough so that they are taken seriously in the months ahead. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the ads are serious.
Colorado congressional candidate Jared Polis and Oregon Senate candidate Steve Novick are out front on that account, launching quirky ads to help them overcome tough primaries.
Polis, a businessman who is one of three Democrats raising big money to run for Senate candidate Rep. Mark Udall’s (D) seat, launched an ad last week featuring the blurred-out bare backsides of people in hospital gowns.
“When it comes to healthcare, people all over Colorado are walking around with poor coverage,” states the ad, which was produced by the same Minnesota company responsible for the memorable ads of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) and former Gopher State Gov. Jesse Ventura (I).
Novick continues to play off his unusual physical traits in his ads as he takes on a Democratic opponent supported by the national party for Sen. Gordon Smith’s (R) seat.
His first ad featured three polished and statuesque actors pretending to be Novick, followed by the real thing, less than five feet tall with a hook for a left hand. This week, his campaign began running an ad in which he uses his “left hook” — he was born without a left hand — to open a companion’s beer.
Novick said he is trying to lengthen the campaign so it doesn’t become an air war in the final weeks before the May primary — a battle his better-funded opponent, state House Speaker Jeff Merkley, would likely win.
“Our feeling is that the more attention people pay to this race for as long a period of time as possible, the greater the odds of our winning,” Novick said.
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