Gov. Scott Walker launched four new TV ads today, each with a message on Foxconn tailored to the region in which it will run.
Since the state’s incentive package was announced a year ago to lure the Taiwanese manufacturer to Wisconsin, the Marquette University Law School has regularly found voters skeptical that the investment of public dollars is worth the cost or will improve the economy. That’s particularly true of those living outstate from the Racine County plant site.
The four ads include different scenes to emphasize the project’s impact on local businesses. For example, the ad slated to run in the Green Bay market talks about the innovation center Foxconn is opening there and work being done by Boldt Construction, which has nearby offices.
In the Milwaukee spot, meanwhile, Walker says the state is “on a roll” for job creation with Amazon, Haribo, Generac and Milwaukee Tool.
In the ad that will run in the Wausau market, Merrill Steel President Fred Schwalbach says it will “help companies like mine in Schofield” as a headline is shown on the company landing a $14 million contract from Foxconn.
All four, however, include similar themes. In each, Walker stresses that “Foxconn will earn tax credits based on actual investment and job creation. No jobs and investment, no credits.”
All four spots also conclude with the line the company will “keep Wisconsin working for generations to come.” Walker delivers the line in three of the ads, while a man in a hard hat identified as Shawn, of Mauston, says it in the spot slated to air in the Eau Claire and La Crosse markets.
Walker’s campaign said along with TV, the spots will run on online and social media platforms.
