This campaign ad was inspired by Broadway
Plus: Trump’s fundraising is up, but he’s spending a lot to get it
Hello, in this issue we’ll look at…
This campaign ad was inspired by Broadway
Trump’s fundraising is up, but he’s spending a lot to get it
The American Alliance of Museums is adding diversity and accessibility standards to its accreditation
A Republican candidate included a photo with Obama in his ad. Obama’s spox called it “misleading.”
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This campaign ad was inspired by Broadway
Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) turned to theater for her campaign ad “Helpers.”
The ad is meant as an introduction to voters new to Underwood’s district due to redistricting. It’s set like a play, with an actor portraying a young Underwood on simple sets against a black background.
“I have seen stuff that maybe has been on the stage, but usually it’s a white stage,” said Matt McLaughlin, a Democratic ad maker who worked on the ad. “Having the sort of darkness around the scene allows you to fall into it.”
The camera rotates around opening sets depicting a living room and swimming pool as Underwood tells the story about being helped by medical professionals when she was a kid after an emergency during swimming lessons. She says the experience inspired her to eventually become a nurse so she could help other people too.
Then, candidate enters stage left: “Hi, I’m Lauren Underwood. I’m a nurse and helping people is my calling.”
Underwood continues through scene changes from a graduation to a food bank event with campaign supporters. In the next scene, Underwood walks in front of sets depicting a doctor’s office, grocery store aisle, and school classroom as she talks about healthcare access, food and gas costs, and community safety.
It ends with Underwood walking into a congressional office saying, “In Congress, helping people has been my priority, and it always will be.”
The ad is earnest, a value well served by the medium of community theater, and it’s also unique. Biographical campaign ads usually rely on B-roll and testimonials. By looking to Broadway for inspiration, the former Girl Scout was able to tell her story in a much more creative and visually compelling way.
McLaughlin said the ad was a risk and most candidates prefer playing it safe.
“If it wasn’t for her, these ads wouldn’t get made,” he said. “I think she understands that and she is part of a new generation of leaders.”
Trump’s fundraising is up, but he’s spending a lot to get it
Former President Donald Trump’s Save America Joint Fundraising Committee raised 41% more in the third quarter than the previous quarter, but it wasn’t cheap: He spent 91 cents for every $1 raised.
The joint fundraising committee spent $22 million in the third quarter and raised $24 million, according to Federal Election Commission filings reviewed by Bloomberg.
Trump’s numbers were goosed by $2.2 million raised in just two days in August immediately following the Mar-a-Lago raid, according to Politico. Trump has fundraised off the FBI’s search, which he’s called a “witch hunt.” The FBI seized thousands of government documents from Mar-a-Lago, including about 100 that were classified.
Trump’s fundraising windfall was reinvested in building his donor list. About $7.3 million was spent on online ads, another $7.3 million on SMS text messaging, and $2.8 million on donor list rentals.
A Trump spokesperson told Politico the increased spending on renting donor lists helped the committee grow its own donor list, and about 30% of their donors hadn’t previously made donations in 2021 or 2022 using WinRed, a Republican fundraising platform.
The Save America Joint Fundraising Committee is also spending on super PACs and midterm candidates, and $158,000 went to buying copies of Jared Kushner’s book “Breaking History.”
The American Alliance of Museums is adding diversity and accessibility standards to its accreditation
The American Alliance of Museums announced an initiative Monday to update its museum accreditation standards to include diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion practices.
The organization counts 1,096 fully accredited institutions and a membership of 35,000 museums and museum professionals. The three-year initiative is the first change to its accreditation standards in two decades.
Currently, accreditation takes eight to 16 months and includes standards like being a good neighbor in the community, meeting scholarly standards, and being financially stable.
A Republican candidate included a photo with Obama in his ad. Obama’s spox called it “misleading.”
Former Army National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos is running for U.S. House in Oregon, and the Republican is hoping that props he got years ago from former President Barack Obama will give him an edge in the deep blue state.