Weeklies Ready Obama Election Coverage [Updated]
Businessweek digitally ages both candidates
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It's the Data, Dummy: Obama Re-Elected, but Nate Silver Knew That Already Stats, not punditry, win the day
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Eight Local Political Spots With Huge Pricetags Half a minute in a swing state like Virginia can cost a whole lot of money
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Will Ferrell Will Do Anything for You, If You Just Vote for Obama Tempting 11th-hour offer
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This Is What the Digital Election Looks Like The tools that demonstrate the Web's importance to the 2012 election cycle—and maybe its future
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Newspapers Lower Paywalls for Election NYT and WSJ offer unlimited online access for 24 hours
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Race Tightens, and So Does Ad Inventory Candidates use video ads not only as a fundraising tool, but also as a branding medium
Twitter Hikes Promoted Trend for Super Bowl
Looks to maximize revenues during biggest media days
Twitter's 24-hour Promoted Trend ad buy has sold for $120,000 per day during the last couple of years, allowing brands to occupy a prime slot on a popular site that…
Fast Chat: Michael Hastings Can't Quit the Campaign Trail
BuzzFeed and Rolling Stone reporter on Obama, Reddit, and winning elections
If the first draft of political history was written on Twitter during the 2012 presidential election, Michael Hastings wasn't far behind with his attempt at the second. Wasting no time…
Think Data Was Crucial in 2012 Election? Wait Until 2016
Digital is forever infused in politics
The 2012 election and big data are quickly becoming synonymous as the post-mortems and "How Obama Won" stories are published in the wake of the presidential contest. Speaking at Business…
Romney's Guy: No Apologies
Mitt's creative director Jim Ferguson on the thrills of being on the campaign trail
Jim Ferguson has a newfound appreciation for the rigors of presidential politics, having just spent a year as a full-time creative director on Mitt Romney’s campaign. Along the way, the…
Slate Scales. But Is It Too Late to the Game?
Online news magazine hits traffic milestone
Since Slate launched in 1996, there’s always been the question of whether an online news magazine can attract enough advertising to support high-quality original content without a companion print product.…
We've written before about the perils of tattooing one's face with commercial signage that could sooner or later become obsolete—making you, like the product or service advertised, an embarrassing relic.…
Advertisers Gird for Gridlock
Lobbyists brace for battle over corporate taxes and privacy regulation
The advertising business has, for the past four years, managed to dodge a barrage of bullets in Washington. But it might not be so fortunate in the years to come.…
BuzzFeed's First Election Night
Tuesday was a big night for Obama, as well as digital journalism
Just after 7 p.m., BuzzFeed's 12th floor newsroom is jammed with nearly 100 employees. Editor in chief Ben Smith, taking a brief break from his dual screens, surveys the crowd,…
Decision 2012: The Good, the Bad and the Funny
While Twitter roared, the election spotlight remained on TV
In a night of indelible moments, perhaps the most arresting spectacle was that of Fox News analyst Karl Rove aggressively disagreeing with the network’s decision to call Ohio for President…
Weeklies Ready Obama Election Coverage [Updated]
Businessweek digitally ages both candidates
Now that the presidential race is finally over—without being dragged out for days as many had feared—weekly news magazines can decisively plan their Obama victory covers. In some cases, that…
It's the Data, Dummy: Obama Re-Elected, but Nate Silver Knew That Already
Stats, not punditry, win the day
It's finally over. After nearly two full years of fringe candidates, mudslinging, punditry and speculation, Barack Obama won re-election this evening, made official by Mitt Romney's concession just before 1…
Eight Local Political Spots With Huge Pricetags
Half a minute in a swing state like Virginia can cost a whole lot of money
Regardless of your position on the free-market economy, it's got to be frustrating when it turns out that some vital product is in such scarce supply that demand goes right…
This Is What the Digital Election Looks Like
The tools that demonstrate the Web's importance to the 2012 election cycle—and maybe its future
The digital election. The Twitter election. First we speculated, then we declared it to be true. Whatever the outcome this evening (or perhaps even days down the road), there is…
Newspapers Lower Paywalls for Election
NYT and WSJ offer unlimited online access for 24 hours
Last week, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal lowered their paywalls to give readers unfettered access to Hurricane Sandy coverage. Today, newspapers are again demolishing their paywalls…
Michelle Obama and Joe Biden's Twitter Twist
Flotus and veep use social site like an email channel
First lady Michelle Obama and vice president Joe Biden have been using Twitter like a secondary email platform to get out the vote during this election cycle's last hours. The…
Romney Didn't Crack Top 100 Display Ad List Until October
Obama dominates digital display game, but Romney makes huge November push
The political ad game is basically over. And while the two candidates and their respective Super PACs have assailed TV, radio and the Web with their pleas, all that's left…
Voters Take to Social Media to Influence Election
Impact on final vote unknown
Getting out the vote has traditionally been a ground game, a combination of telephone calls and transportation to the polls. But this year, social media has come into greater play,…
Will Ferrell delivers the silliest and perhaps the most inspired presidential endorsement of the campaign season, donning a red smoking jacket and sporting a porny mustache as he offers to…
In Late Push, Candidates Target Big Ten Network
Fox Sports' RSNs drum up big business with Obama, Romney backers
Local sports have elbowed their way into the presidential election season, as both campaigns and the various PACs looking to sway voters have targeted RSNs in key battleground states. President Barack…
Obama's Twitter Bid on Election Eve
44's advocates buy up Promoted Trend and multiple Promoted Tweets
Who wins tomorrow seems to be anyone’s guess, as predictions are all over the electoral map. Advocates for 44’s re-election appear to have a firm grip on Twitter ads on…
Ad of the Day: OurTime.org
Errol Morris asks young people why they plan to vote (or not) on Tuesday
Last we checked in with Errol Morris, he was profiling sports fans whose passion for their teams extended into the afterlife. Now, he has embraced another seemingly grim topic with…
Race Tightens, and So Does Ad Inventory
Candidates use video ads not only as a fundraising tool, but also as a branding medium
Old habits die hard, even when it comes to new media and political advertising. As candidates hit the home stretch last week, they ramped up their ad spending on TV as…
With only a few days left, Charles Montgomery Burns has declared his presidential endorsement for none other than Mitt Romney. Sitting next to a few binders full of women, the…
Obama Dominating Web Down the Stretch
Both candidates learning about the perils of audience-based buying
As the presidential campaign trudges into its waning hours, the embattled Mitt Romney and Barack Obama election teams are ramping up their on-the-ground efforts while still flooding local and national…
TV Political Ad Spending Up More Than 80% in October
TV on track to top nearly $3.4 billion
With less than a week to go before election day, the campaigns and PACs have opened the political fire hose even wider. So far this year through Oct. 21, more…
In the event that your polling place was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, you can still vote for president early by smearing gum on the candidate you hate the most. Gum…
Ace Metrix Scores Most Effective Ads of Election
Pacs dominate most effective ads of election
If there was any doubt that PACs and other outside groups wield big influence in this presidential election, check out Ace Metrix's top 10 most effective presidential ads among independent…
Avengers director and geek-culture god Joss Whedon has an interesting take on why to vote (or not) for Mitt Romney: He's the candidate most likely to bring about the zombie…
TV Political Files Disappoint Public Interest Groups
Files were key to track spending by PACs
When the Federal Communications Commission required TV stations in the top 50 markets to move their political disclosure files online just in time for the election, public interest groups were…
Here's today's matchup of contrasting political ads, both released yesterday: The end of the world vs. Lena Dunham sex jokes. In the Republican corner, the Super PAC called Winning Our…
Political TV Ads Shatter Records
It's not over yet
Tired of all those political ads on TV? Brace yourself. The past few months were only a warm-up for the coming days leading up to Nov. 6, when about one-third…
Digital Lessons From the Final Presidential Debate
Hop on those trends, and don't be shy about declaring victory before it's over
So, the final debate has come and gone and all that's left is the spin. After obsessively watching and tracking the debates on Twitter, here are a few quick digital…
Some Surprising TV Shows for Reaching Independent Voters
News isn't the only game in town
Who knew that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia would be the top show in Washington, D.C., for reaching independent voters? Or that Ugly Betty in Miami, Heartland in Las Vegas…
Politically Connected
In battleground states, a deluge of campaign cash transforms local TV markets like Roanoke, Va.
Roanoke, Va., makes up half of the 68th-largest DMA in the country, and while it’s just a four-hour drive from Washington, D.C., it may as well be a world away.…
"If you don't vote, you can't complain," the old saying goes. But that's not a great foundation for an ad campaign about voting—it's the wrong way around. How about: "If…
I know, we're all tired of hearing about Mitt Romney's "binders full of women" comment at Tuesday night's debate, but I still wanted to share a fun fact: Over the…
Analyst: Political Ads on TV Stations Top $1 Billion
Television advertising up 26% in September
It doesn't take a pollster to see that political spending on local TV has already begun to accelerate as Election Day nears. By the end of September, political spending in…
You can set your watch to Spirit Airlines's dumb promotions tied to provocative current events. And sure enough, they're advertising a "Binders Full of Sales" deal today—a reference to Mitt…
Data Points: Mobile Election
Can your phone predict your vote?
With the rise of mobile devices to stay caught up on the news and candidates starting to use them for advertising and fundraising, it's no wonder people are calling this…
Obama Ad Ruffles Big Bird's Feathers
Sesame Workshop says it's nonpartisan
Big Bird may have gone to Congress to push the government to preserve public broadcasting budgets, but that doesn't mean the Sesame Street character likes to be in the thick…
Can Steve Martin and a wad of paper save Bob Kerrey's bid to become a U.S. Senator for Nebraska again? For months, polls have suggested Kerrey is in deep trouble…
Infographic: 24 Hours After Debate, Romney Sees Social Boost
Republican challenger saw biggest spike on Facebook
By this time in the campaign, most everything that can be said about social media's impact on the 2012 presidential election has been said, written, reblogged and, of course, tweeted.…
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report have proven to be reliable sources of political analysis and news nuggets, so they don't need to sling mud at…
On the University of Denver's main quad, amid a sea of food trucks, fleets of motorcycle cops, and indie concert acts, it looked more like a music festival than the…
Oh, this is bad. During tonight's presidential debate, KitchenAid posted a nasty and poorly spelled comment on its Twitter feed about President Obama's grandmother, who died shortly before he took…
Infographic: Presidential Digital Duel
Obama takes the lead online
Both President Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney have poured plenty of money into Internet campaigns to lure voters and raise cash, but Obama's may have the edge in the…
Another day, another Republican political campaign running into copyright issues. The Southern Poverty Law Center is suing an anti-gay group—called the Public Advocate of the United States, of all things—for…
Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role from Adam Mansbach's "Go the F**k to Sleep" in this new pro-Obama video titled, "Wake the F**k Up." The four-minute short film attempts to…
Fast Chat: Can Nate Silver Predict the Election Again?
'New York Times' stat guru talks info diet, picking a winner in 2012 and fantasy sports
Whether it’s baseball stats or political polling results, Nate Silver has made a living sifting through scores of data and making predictions, most of which seem to come true (Silver…
Full Frontal Freedom, a self-described anti-PAC created by artists committed to enhancing civil discourse by removing their clothes as frequently as possible, has scored a viral hit with its parody…
Here are a couple of little-known factoids: 1) There's a day devoted to voter registration dubbed, appropriately enough, National Voter Registration Day. It's Sept. 25, which is Tuesday. And 2)…
"Don't let these assholes steal your vote." That's one of the less foul-mouthed utterances Sarah Silverman makes in her latest election-themed appeal, as she targets the new voter-ID laws in…
Preparing for the Political Ad Push
Some campaign spots bumped for PACs as the battle for TV ad inventory heats up
Between now and Nov. 6, there will be nowhere to hide from the onslaught of political advertising set to hit more than $3.3 billion on TV. Behind the scenes at…
Obama Taps Video Games for Early Voting
Partners with EA to spur early voting in swing states
How crucial are the swing states in the presidential race? So crucial that President Obama is once again taking the chase for votes to the virtual battlegrounds of the video…
Study: Obama Bounce Tied to Ad Strategy
Overall convention spending was light
President Obama may have his ad strategy to thank for his post-Democratic National Convention 6 percentage point bounce. Both parties avoided a heavy ad schedule during the convention weeks. But Obama and…
Barack Obama leads Mitt Romney by 16 points in the only poll that matters: the 7-Election. Yes, 7-Eleven's politically themed promotion is back, letting shoppers enjoy their coffee in blue…
Meet Print's New Politicos
Lifestyle magazines are getting serious about their presidential election coverage
Time, Newsweek, The Nation: These are the kinds of magazines where political junkies expect to find election news. But at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, delegates rubbed elbows with…
The Chamomile Tea Party, an organization created by graphic designer Jeff Gates and dedicated to easing the gridlock of partisan politics, has ponied up cash to buy billboard space on…
Infographic: Real-Time Sharing of Obama and Romney Ads Up to Election Day
Unruly Media tracks viral path of election videos on Twitter, Facebook, blogs
"If you're sick of hearing me approve this message, believe me, so am I." Barack Obama acknowledged, in his speech at the Democratic National Convention, that the "avalanche" of presidential campaign…
Larry Flynt Offers $1M Reward for Mitt Romney Tax Returns
Hackers, on your mark!
It’s no secret that Larry Flynt, the often-controversial founder and publisher of Hustler magazine, is not a fan of Mitt Romney. (Maybe that’s because the Republican nominee has said that…
As Conventions Wrap, Democrats Win Round One of Social Media Fight
Conventions show campaigns can't buy social conversations
The first round of the presidential social media dogfight wound down Thursday night with the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C—and it appears Democrats walked away with…
Data Points: Bad News
Coverage of the candidates is increasingly negative
If watching coverage of the presidential race leaves you with a touch of nausea, there's good reason: The portrayals of the candidates in the news has never been more negative,…
White House Updates Mobile App in Time for Election
App boasts open source code and easy access to live Obama events
Not one to miss out on a digital trend, the Obama White House announced a reboot of its Apple and Android mobile app on Wednesday (Sept. 5) just in time…
It's DNC's Week, but Romney Owns Twitter Ads
GOP-leaning groups buy up Promoted Trend ads
Republican groups have owned the Promoted Trend ad spot on Twitter so far during the week of the Democratic National Convention. On Tuesday, the Republican National Committee bought the marquee Twitter…
Analyst: Political Advertising to Boost TV Coffers by 23%
New forecast based on spending surge in August
With just 61 days to go before Election Day, Wells Fargo analyst Marci Ryvicker is raising her estimates for political ad spending from $4.9 billion to $5.2 billion. She upped…
Man, I hope this Chuck Norris ad puts a stop to all those Republican jokes about Obama's teleprompter, because ads like this are what happens when you don't use one.…
The Internet's Role in the Democratic Platform
The Web is now a big part of the political discussion
With many of president Obama's top financial contributors in Silicon Valley—Microsoft and Google PACs are the second and third biggest contributors, per Open Secrets, a website that tracks political contributions—it…
YouTube: Now for Political Junkies
The video site is jumping on the election coverage bandwagon, with mixed results
Even as YouTube pumps $100 million into original content, it's unlikely that every one of its 100 new channels can or will succeed. Take it's recently launched Politics channel. Despite…
The Obama Campaign's Brilliant Social Media Response
The GOP has its evening, but Obama sneaks in three-word rebuttal
Social media managers, take note. This is how you protect your brand. The incumbent candidate always has a media advantage in a presidential election, but this week, with 15,000 or so…
Mitt Romney's Speech in 140 Characters
Twitter ad copy sheds light on the GOP leader's big speech
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's promoted trend ad on Twitter today sheds light on what will likely be the major themes of his prime-time speech at the GOP's national convention…
Internet Gets Big Play in GOP Platform
Tech industry part of policy discussion
Internet issues are no longer an afterthought in American politics. For the first time, both political parties are expected to incorporate Internet governance policy in their platforms. In the GOP platform,…
Fast Chat: Twitter's Peter Greenberger Dishes on Ann Romney's Ad Buy
Sales lead predicts Twitter will grow in political realm
Want to know what aided Ann Romney, wife of presidential hopeful Mitt, in creating such a buzz on Twitter with her convention speech on Tuesday night? GOP operatives bought promoted…
Romney First Presidential Candidate to Run Pricey Twitter Ad
Social ad known to cost $120K
Republican Mitt Romney tomorrow will be the first presidential candidate to ever run Twitter’s promoted trend, an ad unit that costs $120,000 per day. The ad will go live at…
Here's the frontrunner for 2012's most inane election-themed ad brought to you by a brand that has nothing to do with politics. If Democrats and Republicans would just share a…
Reddit to Bring the Internet to the People
Social news website plans cross country bus tour
In early October, candidates will be wheeling across the country, feverishly shaking hands and kissing babies. It's a familiar, thoroughly rehearsed, and perfectly choreographed routine. But this fall, the candidates…
If you're at all like me, you've probably wondered what Barack Obama and Mitt Romney would look like in meat-sculpture form. Well, now we know. Jack Link's and ad agency…
Democratic consultant James Carville and Republican consultant Mary Matalin are on the road to becoming advertising's "it" couple—that is, when brands want a commercial that weds their product to marital…
Depending on your ideological leanings, a viable third-party presidential candidate may sound like a good thing right about now. Even if he's undead. A pasty-faced decaying dude named A. Zombie,…
Todd Akin, the Republican Senatorial candidate in Missouri who's under fire for claiming a woman's body can fend off pregnancy after a "legitimate rape," released this TV spot on Tuesday…
Brother, Can You Spare $2,500?
Web platform helps fund creative projects. But will it help journalism?
Kickstarter has emerged as something of a life raft for the struggling journalism industry. The crowdfunding Web platform, popular for small-scale tech and creative projects to raise capital, is being…
2012 Election Gets a Little Closer on the Digital Front
Romney campaign narrows the gap in display ad impressions
For those looking at the 2012 election through a digital lens, there was plenty to talk about last week. A Pew Research Center study making the rounds among media outlets…
Analysis: Presidential Campaigns in Need of a Brand-Aid
Both Obama, Romney must shift campaigns into high gear
Neither presidential candidate is doing a great job in building the kind of brand that will motivate voters on Election Day. Take a look at any of the nation's major…
Yahoo to Join Crowded Digital/Social Space With #HashOut
List of panelists suggests a heavy politics focus
It would appear everyone is looking to bring the social arm of the Internet into the digital video sphere. Yesterday, The Huffington Post kicked off HuffPost Live, a sometimes manic…
Public Interest Groups Prepare to Review TV Political Ad Files
Spending info goes online today
Public interest groups are practically salivating that starting today TV stations must begin posting online political disclosure files containing information about who is spending what in the 2012 election. And…
Romney Will Announce Vice Presidential Pick via App
Campaign hopes to leapfrog the press, break news
It would appear that the Mitt Romney campaign loves apps. With less than 100 days to go, Mitt Romney's digital team this morning announced an iPhone and Android app called "Mitt's…
Sarah Silverman's latest piece of political theater/activism finds her offering to engage in sex play with mega-rich casino kingpin and rabid right-winger Sheldon Adelson if he agrees to donate $100…
Pols Ramp Up Online Behavioral Targeted Ads for 2012
Few worries about privacy and data collection issues
Like a lot of things in Washington, policy doesn't always match up with practice. On the one hand, lawmakers and regulators ponder what policies should be adopted around privacy and…
How to Reach Off-the-Grid Voters in Ohio
Romney's digital director stresses importance of online advertising
Yesterday at Personal Democracy Forum, a yearly gathering of technologists and political elites, Mitt Romney's digital director Zac Moffatt laid out an interesting challenge facing his boss and President Obama—particularly…
Romney Digital Director Dishes About the Election
Zac Moffatt talks privacy, memes and engagement strategies
It's rare during an election season to hear from the folks behind the curtain, but attendees of this year's Personal Democracy Forum were privy to a panel discussion with Republican…
Republicans Pounce On Obama's Jobs Statement With Twitter Hashtag
Savvy promoted tweet may still be a missed opportunity for RNC
The latest battle in the political hashtag war kicked off at 11:01 A.M. today, when president Obama told reporters, "We've created 4.3 million jobs over the past 27 months—over 800,000…
A San Diego church paid $3,000 for a four-week run on a billboard in North Carolina apologizing for that state's recent vote supporting an amendment defining marriage as a union…
Make Your Own 'Amercia' Mittstagram
Misspelling now trending nationwide on Twitter
In an effort to connect with voters and drum up some digital grassroots support, the Romney campaign released its own clever little camera app to “customize photos with a variety…
There's an App for Giving Obama Your Money
Blue State Digital pushes mobile fundraising product Quick Donate
As we head in to what is expected to be the most expensive campaign cycle in history, candidates are trying to exploit every possible advantage to raise the cash necessary…
Political TV Ad Rates Complicate Election Season
Controversial new FCC rule requires TV stations to post political ad rates
Along with the headache of making sure TV ads that get bumped by politicals are quickly rescheduled, advertising agencies also will have to cope with the Federal Communications Commission’s controversial…
The Heartland Institute disputes global warming, but that didn't stop the conservative social-issues group from turning up the heat with a suburban Chicago billboard showing a typically crazy-faced portrait of…
BuzzFeed Tries Its Hand at Election Night Coverage
Social publisher teams up with Comedy Central for #UnSuperTuesday
Joining what seems to be a growing trend for online political outlets, the social publishing pioneers at BuzzFeed ventured into new territory last evening (April 24), teaming up with Comedy…
With Mitt Romney winning five late, largely irrelevent primaries on Tuesday night, the tumultuous Republican primary season is coming to its inevitable close. Below, Adweek takes a look back at…
Like any good consumer product loathe to alienate half the population, Etch A Sketch has released new ads addressing its recent cameo in the country's political conversation—by saying it's basically…
Alec Brownstein, the guy who landed a Clio and a job at Y&R by buying up the names of famous creative directors as Google keywords, is back with his next…
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