Obama TV Advertising: More Spots, Longer Spots

As Sen Barack Obama's campaign continues to expand its purchases on national network and cable TV -- including time on NFL football and MLB baseball broadcasts -- it has bought more 60-second spots on local stations and local cable. Sen Obama (D-IL) has started buying 120-second ads as well. That's in addition to the 30-minute infomercials he has purchased on CBS, NBC and Fox to air Oct. 29. As of last week, the Obama campaign had spent $154.5 million to air spots 292,463 times, versus the $94 million Sen John McCain's campaign and the Republican National Committee have spent to air spots 217,384 times. None of Sen McCain's (R-AZ) spots are for more than 30 seconds. "You don't do this if you are on public financing," said Evan Tracey, TNSMI Media Analysis Group's COO. "You don't drop this much money. They have the quantity, and now in the long form, you can say they have the quality." Jim Margolis, the executive at political advertising consultancy GMMB who manages the Obama ad team, said the longer-form ads offer some unique opportunities. "We think that every time Barack has an opportunity to talk to people and give them a sense of what he wants to do, it helps," Margolis said. "The longer format allows detail, gives him a chance to deal with issues and proposals in a deeper way." The longer format also helps the ads break through the clutter of campaign commercials, Margolis said.