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SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Today, NextGen America launched a new $4 million digital ad campaign to encourage young Americans across 11 battleground states to cast their ballots in the upcoming midterm elections. The ads, “Show Up” and “Last Chance,” draw on NextGen’s groundbreaking message research to motivate young people to make their voices heard by electing progressive candidates in November. The ads will run from October 15th until Election Day and will target more than 4.3 million young people across 11 states.
“This year, young Americans have the power to reshape politics as we know it, and they’re registering to vote and making their voices heard like never before,” said NextGen America Executive Director Heather Hargreaves. “As more and more young voters tune in to the midterm elections, digital ads are an increasingly important part of every campaign — and we’re going to do everything we can to reach young voters where they and remind them of their political power.”
NextGen America is one of the top digital ad spenders in the 2018 cycle. “Show Up” and “Last Chance” will go live on October 15th, and will run until Election Day on platforms including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Reddit, Hulu, Vevo, Spotify, Pandora, Google search, and the gaming platform Twitch. “Last Chance” highlights the ability of young voters to ensure the protection of the Affordable Care Act by voting out Republicans who want to repeal it, and “Show Up” includes a segment of Barack Obama speaking to the power of young voters to create a political system that reflects their values if they show up and vote.
The ads were created with original research conducted by NextGen America, which found that explaining to young people that politicians won’t listen to their needs if they don’t vote and that as the largest eligible voting bloc, they have the power to bring about change is the most effective motivational message. Because encouraging young voters to make a plan for voting on Election Day has proven to be a useful motivational tool, both ads end by urging young voters to find their polling place.
The power of digital ads is not hypothetical. To boost Andrew Gillum’s campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Florida, NextGen America ran a six-figure digital ad campaign targeting half a million Floridians under 40 years old. Record-breaking youth turnout levels in the Florida primary propelled Gillum to victory, proving that a strong digital campaign is a highly effective means of educating, motivating, and turning out young people.
The $4 million ad campaign is part of NextGen Rising, the $33 million program to engage, register, and turnout young voters in 11 states across the country. With a presence on over 420 campuses, nearly 6,300 volunteers, and over 700 staff, NextGen Rising is the largest youth organizing program in American history, and has registered over 245,000 young people to vote since January. |
