Advertisement
Advertisement




WisPolitics Release: 2006 AdWatch Winners Announced
12/19/2006

For Immediate Release

Contact:
JR ROSS
WisPolitics.com Editor
608-441-8418

WISPOLITICS.COM 2006 ADWATCH WINNERS ANNOUNCED

MADISON -- Ads done for Gov. Jim Doyle, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, state Rep.-elect Cory Mason, the Greater Wisconsin Committee and the National Rifle Association's PAC have won 2006 WisPolitics.com AdWatch Awards.

The winners were announced Tuesday Dec. 19, at the WisPolitics.com luncheon at the Madison Club.

Winners were selected by a panel of judges on the basis of effectiveness, appearance, and clarity of message. The judges were: Jeff Mayers, WisPolitics.com president; JR Ross, WisPolitics.com editor; Brandon Scholz, Republican commentator, lobbyist and president of the Wisconsin Grocers Association; and Mike Wittenwyler, an elections law specialist and former campaign manager who is an attorney with Godfrey and Kahn in Madison.

The judges used but were not bound by the nominations submitted by WisPolitics.com subscribers and viewers in the days just before and after the Nov. 7 election. Go to the AdWatch page at WisPolitics for links to dozens of ads: http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Content=24

WisPolitics.com is an independent, non-partisan government and political news service founded in 2000. It also operates IowaPolitics.com, WisOpinion.com and WisBusiness.com 

Here are the categories and the winners:

***Best TV or radio ad by a statewide CANDIDATE campaign
 
Winner:  "Six Times," Doyle campaign.
This ad features Jody Montgomery of Verona and her 4-year-old daughter Maddy, who has juvenile diabetes, talking about the importance of stem cell research. The ad helped make stem cells a winning issue for Doyle, judges said.
 
Ad producer: Jim Margolis, GMMB
 
See the Doyle campaign press release on the ad: http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=67372
 
See the ad: http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/large/060724sixtimes.wmv

 
Runner-up: "You Decide,'' J.B. Van Hollen campaign.
In this ad, J.B. Van Hollen's campaign clearly drew the contrast between Van Hollen, a county and federal prosecutor, and Kathleen Falk, the Democratic candidate and Dane County executive, helping him to become the lone statewide GOP winner in 2006, according to the judges.
 
Ad producers: Rex Elsass, president of the Strategy Group for Media, and Darrin Schmitz, Persuasion Partners
 
See the ad: http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/061031VanHollenYouDecide.wmv


***Best TV or radio ad by a statewide ISSUE/INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE group

Winner: "Angry Cow,'' WMC.
The state's big business lobby led its multi-million dollar negative slam on Falk with this ad, painting the former public intervenor as being light on criminal prosecution experience but heavy on an alleged willingness to harass business and farmers -- and even cows. True or not, this well-produced ad began a well-focused attack on Falk's image from which she never recovered, the judges said.
 
Ad producers: Cliff Pintak, TenCAPITOL and Jim Pugh, WMC

See the ad: http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/060920AngryCowWMC.wmv

 
Runner-up: "Team,'' GWC.
The pro-Dem issue group launched this ad in early September, lumping Doyle challenger Mark Green with "Big Oil,'' Halliburton and the like. The ad features little football figures with dollar signs set against their purple uniforms. Judges noted that purple is the color of the hated Vikings.
 
Ad producer: Bill Christofferson of Campaign Communications with editing and production assistance from Visuality (Matt Larson and Jay Sapiro).

See the ad: http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/large/gwc_team.wmv


***Best TV or radio ad by a LEGISLATIVE/CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE
 
Winner: "Late Night Ad,'' Rep.-elect Cory Mason.
The Racine Democrat may not have won because of this ad, but judges were won over partly because it was a bright spot in an relentlessly negative year.
 
Ad producers: Cory Mason, campaign manager Nate Schwantes and GOTV coordinator Mike Quieto.
 
See the ad: http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/061102MasonHQ.mov


Runner-up: Tie, Gard and Kagen campaigns for their ads, "Doctor'' and "Medicare,'' respectively in the hotly contested 8th Congressional District, won by Democrat Kagen. Gard led the way with the "Doctor'' ad that charged Kagen, a wealthy doctor, with choosing "profits over patients'' because he didn't service seniors on Medicare; doctors delivered the message. The Kagen campaign quickly responded with an ad showing a group of seniors, apparently patients of Kagen's, skewering Gard and his message. Judges thought both ads were well done and effective considering the heat of the battle was intense.
 
Kagen ad producer: Doc Schweitzer, the Campaign Group
See the Kagen ad: http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/061103KagenMedicare.asf

Gard ad producer: Unavailable
See the Gard ad: http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/061102DoctorGard.mp4


***Best TV or radio ad by an ISSUE/INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE in a state legislative or congressional race
 
Winner: "Trash,'' GWC.
This spot portrays Eau Claire-area GOP Sens. Dave Zien and Ron Brown as anti-environment while showing footage of a landfill. Judges liked the ad for its frugal effectiveness -- hitting two targets in one media market with one ad -- and the unflattering image of having a face framed by trash. Both pols lost.
 
Ad producer: Bill Christofferson of Campaign Communications with editing and production assistance from Visuality (Matt Larson and Jay Sapiro).
 
See the ad: http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/gwc_trash_2_ACT.wmv

NO RUNNER-UP IN THIS CATEGORY, ACCORDING TO THE JUDGES


***Best direct mail piece by any group or candidate in any race
 
Winner: "Dump Doyle,'' NRA.
The direct mail piece from the pro-gun rights group was part of a coordinated statewide campaign. Judges picked this one because it had a simple, effective message that people could remember in sorting quickly through their mail.
 
Ad producer: NRA Political Victory Fund
 
See the piece: http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/061010NRADumpDoyle.pdf
 

30-30-30


Printer-friendly version      Send this article to a friend