OkCupid’s New Ads Focus on Politics, BDSM and Other Make-Or-Break Dating Factors

Two years ago, dating app OkCupid was the darling of the creative world. The brand’s “DTF” campaign from Wieden + Kennedy New York twisted the original meaning of the acronym with dozens of new sayings designed to move dating away from just hookups. The bold campaign–a first for OkCupid, founded in 2004–significantly boosted buzz, made…

We Don’t Need a Ban on Political Ads—We Need a Foundation of Real News

There’s been much speculation as to whether Facebook will follow Twitter and Google’s lead in restricting political ads. And, indeed, it feels like political advertising has tipped into particularly dangerous, manipulative territory hastened by microtargeting and real-time analytics. But as many marketers have experienced, Facebook’s ad filters can be dangerously imprecise when labeling content “political.”…

Watching the Dismissive Nature That Helps Spread Disinformation Firsthand

Last week I sat with my friends to count our blessings and rejoice in the season of winter festivals. It will not surprise you to learn that we had some unexpected guests: the president of the United States along with the speaker of the house, the Senate majority leader, several sitting senators and congressional representatives…

6 Takeaways From Political Spending Ahead of the 2020 Presidential Race

As we head into the 2020 presidential election year, experts are forecasting a record-breaking amount of money spent on political advertising. With new avenues to reach voters, including a slew of social media platforms and OTT devices, campaign ad dollars will likely shift from traditional channels. Here are six key insights from the race gathered…

Facebook Cracks Down on Misleading Information About the 2020 US Census

Politicians’ freedom to run ads and post content on Facebook without being subject to fact-checking apparently does have limits–when it comes to the 2020 U.S. census. “Scammers, criminals, fraudsters, online trolls, unscrupulous opportunists and malicious actors are potential sources of disinformation that we expect to face with the 2020 census,” U.S. Census Bureau deputy director…

Why Political Marketers Need to Focus More on Marginalized Voters

Just when we thought the smoke had cleared from the 2016 presidential race, here we are, in the blink of a proverbial eye, readying for the 2020 campaign. Candidates on both sides of the aisle have linked their Madison Avenue consiglieri and strategist, with their street teams and war room colleagues. They are running projection…

Why Tech Platforms Have a Responsibility to Reel In Political Ads

It’s hard to recall a more fateful election in the U.K. since the one post-World War II. Yesterday’s election is one where the outcome will have far-reaching consequences outside the U.K. The future of the European Union is at stake, and the world is watching. A whirlwind of political moves has seen everything from a…

A Look Into Why Joe Biden’s Campaign Is Investing in OTT This Election Cycle

If you’re in Iowa and identify as a “cord-cutter,” you’ve likely seen a message Joe Biden approves on Hulu. The former vice president is investing in the medium this presidential election as part of a larger ad buy in early-voting states as the race gets closer to choosing a Democratic nominee. For political candidates and…

Influencer Marketing Is Becoming a Priority for Political Candidates

In 2016, college voter turnout was only 48.3%, but now it’s expected to nearly double as 80% of Gen Z college students prepare to cast ballots in 2020. Gen Z is about to make big waves in the next election, but the scope of that impact won’t just be shaped by the information it concerns….

Google Updates Political Ads Policy in Hopes of Restoring Voters’ Confidence

Ahead of the 2020 U.S. general election, Google has announced global updates to its political ads policies, which it hopes will promote confidence in digital political advertising and trust in electoral processes worldwide. Google is now limiting election ads audience targeting, meaning political advertisers can now only target audiences based on age, gender, general location…

Amazon Just Pulled Off the Most Dramatic Front-Page Ad Takeover for ‘The Report’

It’s been over five years since the Senate Intelligence Committee released its investigation into the CIA’s detention and interrogation program after 9/11. The story, which took over newspapers’ front pages and websites’ homepages, didn’t stay in the news cycle very long, according to Daniel J. Jones, the former U.S. Senate staffer who led the investigation….

Why the Oath of Office Played Such an Important Role in This Candidate’s Reelection Ad

A Virginia congresswoman running for reelection told her story by going back to when she took her first oath of office–at age 17 in the United States Naval Academy. The spot, from U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., contrasted her commitment to service with a strong message in favor of impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump,…

Fiverr Launches Freelance Marketplace Just for Political Gigs

As political ad spending is projected to reach record-breaking heights during the 2020 political season, a new website for freelancers is creating a marketplace for campaign-related tasks. Fiverr, a platform that connects freelancers with projects, is opening what it’s calling a “politics store” with specific jobs related to running a campaign, from copy-editing campaign materials…

Rock the Vote Now Has Brands Behind Its Message

Rock the Vote, the nonpartisan nonprofit effort to energize young people to register to vote (and then actually go out and vote) is expanding its mandate to workplaces with a new cause called Brands for Democracy. The initiative launches on Nov. 5, almost exactly one year from when the next president of the United States…

McClatchy Will Ask Readers to Pay for Political Coverage

As media organizations ramp up their coverage of the 2020 presidential race, McClatchy is tapping its network of local journalists to create a special, subscription-based news source. The new compilation of coverage, Impact 2020, kicks off Tuesday, Nov. 5. As part of the project, McClatchy will offer a free, daily political newsletter and is bringing…

The Knight Foundation Puts Millions Into Researching Internet Governance

The Knight Foundation is investing more than $3.5 million in various research projects that will dig into how the internet, and in particular social media, is governed. The nonprofit John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will spread the funds among several research projects including: exploring the economic impacts of regulating digital platforms at Yale…

Twitter Will No Longer Accept Political Ads, Says CEO

On Wednesday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey took to the platform to let politicians around the world know their money wasn’t good there anymore. “We’ve made the decision to stop all political advertising on Twitter globally,” said Dorsey in a tweet thread. “We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought.” A political message earns…

Advertising Blacklists Are Bad for Journalism—and Democracy

The advertising blacklist isn’t a new trend. But as digital ads become more important sources of revenue for news organizations, these blacklists are taking an unintended toll on journalism–and our democracy. Advertising blacklists are primarily used by brands to dictate where they don’t want their ads to run, usually next to articles with controversial terms…

The Duo Behind AOC’s Viral Campaign Ad Is Building a ‘Corporation-Free’ Streaming Service

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s rise was a swift one. And a lot of that was thanks to her advertising. A campaign video–dubbed “The Courage to Change”–showed AOC getting ready in the morning in her New York apartment, then commuting on the subway and speaking with New Yorkers. In the video, she laid out her beliefs: Medicare for…

People Apparently Don’t Want Brands to Take a Stance on Political Issues, Study Says

It appears as though people want more brands to channel their inner Ellen DeGeneres. According to a study conducted by creative agency DNA Seattle that surveyed 2,000 Americans, 54% of respondents agree on some level that brands should help build common ground and avoid taking sides. Additionally, more than half at least somewhat agree that…