Underfunded candidates struggling to get their message heard need to think creatively. Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, taking a cue from the “Adopt-a-Highway” promotion, is offering supporters the chance to “Adopt-an-Ad.”
A mere $9 will pay for a spot for the candidate on CNN in Council Bluffs, Iowa, an e-mail sent by the campaign to the candidate’s supporters advises. Other Iowa ad-adoption options: $100 will foot the bill for one ad during “Meet the Press” in Sioux City, $300 reserves time during the “Late Show with David Letterman” in Des Moines, and $600 buys a commercial on the evening news in Cedar Rapids.
Donors, unlike those who sign up for the highway program, won’t get the thrill of seeing their names splashed about, but breaking down the ad costs in such specific terms does personalize the process. The Adopt-an-Ad gimmick is part of a push to raise $200,000, and it looks like the goal will be reached.
Asked about the costs of an ad during an “American Idol” broadcast around California as the Iowa caucuses approach, Biden aide Eric Carbone said he hadn’t gotten that far ahead of the game but added, “I’m hoping we can afford that.”
