"It's good to be the king"
Posted on 10/27/2008 1:21:46 PM PDT by edzo4
(CNN) – Presidential candidates are sold in much the same way a new product is: with an expensive, flashy, and ubiquitous television campaign.
And according to advertising figures provided by Campaign Media Analysis Group, CNN's consultant on ad spending, Barack Obama's campaign has spent more money selling its candidate on television than most major brand name companies do selling their products.
The Illinois senator's campaign is projected to have spent $250 million on ads in the last four months — a number that is equivalent to $750 million in a full year. Only AT&T, with a yearly advertising budget of about $1.3 billion, and Verizon, which shells out $950 million a year on ads, spends more than the Democratic presidential nominee.
But most major companies spend far less than Obama, including McDonald’s ($588 million), Sprint PCS ($482 million), T-Mobile ($404 million), Target ($388 million), and Wal-Mart ($335 million).
John McCain is projected to have spent about $110 million since the general election began.
"This advertising spending by Obama is big, and not just in terms of presidential politics but in terms of all commercial advertising – he has spent enough to be a mega-brand," CMAG's Evan Tracey said.
Obama's massive advertising budget is also a stark reminder of just how much it costs to finance a modern presidential campaign — and, predicts Tracey, it could just end the era of public financing.
"If Obama wins it is clear that the days of being on public financing are over and anyone thinking of running for president in four years will have to ask themselves one question before jumping in – Can I raise $600 million?" said Tracey.
(Excerpt) Read more at politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com ...
You know, the more he gets in peoples face the more we might not like him. Over saturation might be a mistake.
McDonalds is far healthier for America than Obama would ever be.
Ronald McDonald for President!
Of course the main difference is that if you eat Obama’s Happy Meal, you’ll help kill an entire civilization.
you deserve a Bar-ack today!
Can that pathological liar POS Odinga Hussein Obama claim the same thing about his citizenship?
I’m sick of comparing political campaigns to the advertising campaigms of private enterprise. All McDonalds wants me to do is buy a hamburger, not rule over me like a king.
And McDonalds doesn’t get money from illegal overseas donors either!
Kind of an ambiguous headline. Of course he spends more on ads than he spends on McDonald’s. I spend more on ads than McDonald’s too.
He’s selling Whoppers.
You can bet that Card Check will come to McDonalds first.
And he still can’t seal the deal?
I prefer the Big MAC
Hussein has to pay to cover-up his past.
When your product is not the best, you have to advertise more than the other guy.
I think Obama is going to lose BIG and the pollsters will all have egg on their faces.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.