New: Harris Campaign Starts Spending $ Targeting Young Men with Ads
It's small so far, but it's a start
Last week, we noted that while the Trump campaign and numerous super PACs supporting them had been targeting young men with ads, the Harris campaign had not. That seemingly changed in the last few days. While the amount is still small, the Harris campaign has started running online ads specifically targeting men 18-34 on Google (which includes Youtube) The new buy, which started October 2, is between $17,400 and $28,300 so far. Overall, the Harris campaign has spent $28.7 million on Google ads. The Dem-aligned PACS are still not spending any dollars on online ads targeting young men (so far).
The Harris ads targeting young men cover a variety of topics, with almost 100 buys, nearly all less than $1000, presumably testing the messages that resonate most. Interestingly, they all seem to be negative or contrast, as opposed to a purely positive Harris message (not that we’re opposed to that: read Peter Hamby’s account of the negative messaging about Harris aimed at young men in North Carolina). While many of Harris’ ads center on Project 2025, and Trump having total control, so far, we like “Mind Your Own Business” best- which closes with the words of Governor Walz. (additional ad transcripts below)
Harris: When I am president of the United States we will pass a bill to restore reproductive Freedom
Walz: We respect our neighbors and their personal choices that they make. Mind your own damn business!
The Trump committees advertising (America PAC, Donald J. Trump For President 2024, Inc., Duty To America PAC, Make America Great Again Inc., Right For America, and Securing American Greatness Inc) have spent between $2,188,000 and $2,722,600 so far in the campaign on online ads that specifically target young men. As we noted last week, many of those ads are filled with content specific to the audience: Zyn nicotine pouches, gambling, and MMA influencers, as well as inflation.
On Meta (which includes Facebook and Instagram), none of the $5 million Harris’ campaign and Harris HQ have spent in the last week is targeted specifically to men. Similarly, Harris has not targeted young men on Snapchat.
In a tight election, persuading every swing demographic could be the margin of victory, even those, like young men, that have not historically turned out in large numbers. But it’s clear that the Trump campaign and its allies view this demographic as one worth competing for and spending money on. It’s a good sign that the Harris campaign is starting to see what works here and there is still time to ramp it up. Hopefully the PACS will get in the game as well. We’ll be interested to see how this strategy evolves in the weeks ahead.
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Other Harris Campaign Ads Targeting Young Men
Project 2025 is Donald Trump's plan to seize total power. Project 2025 would weaponize the Department of Justice, ban abortion nationwide, end the Affordable Care Act and eliminate the Department of Education.
Donald Trump wakes up thinking about himself. How to enrich himself and his billionaire friends stay out of jail and give himself more power. Kamala Harris will work across the aisle and fight for a future that's not just about getting by but getting ahead.
Harris: Donald Trump fights for billionaires and large corporations
Trump: They're rich as hell. We're going to give you tax cuts
Harris: I will fight to give money back to working in Middle Class Americans we will build an opportunity economy
VO: This is Project 2025 a 922 page agenda to give Donald Trump unprecedented unchecked power to do whatever he wants.
Trump: And I will wield that power very aggressively. The Authority is total.
VO: If we put Donald Trump behind this desk again, we all know what happens next. Project 2025, his 922 page plan to give himself unprecedented and unchecked power, installing MAGA loyalists to ban abortion nationwide, gut Medicare, end the Affordable Care Act and eliminate the Department of Education. He wants total control. Only we can defeat him.
VO: Ask yourself. Do you really want this? Again? Or this? Or this? But what if we could move past all of this and have a president like this? Someone who believes in opportunity for all. Who believes in freedom for all. Who believes in the promise of America for all of us. We are not going back to this. It’s time for this.
Harris: We will build what I call an opportunity economy. An economy where everyone can compete and have a real chance to succeed. Under my plan more than 100 million Americans will get a tax cut. Donald Trump, he wants to impose a massive tax cut. And give billionaires massive tax cuts year after year. If you want to know who someone cares about, look who they fight for.
Grisham: I worked for Donald Trump
Troye: Trump was my boss
Scaramucci: And what anyone who worked for him learned is we cannot reelect this man
Troye: His second term would be way worse.
Scaramucci: He will make Project 2025 a reality
Troye: I saw the draft of it when I was in the White House
Scaramucci: It’s gonna be all about vengeance
Troye: He’s gonna purge the entire government and replace people with complete loyalists
Scaramucci: There are no guardrails this time
Grisham: I love my country more than my party. For the good of my country,
Troye: I’ll be voting for Kamala Harris
Scaramucci: Kamala Harris has my vote.
Woman: Bob and I both voted for Donald Trump.
Bob: I voted for him twice. I won’t vote for him again. January 6th was a wakeup call for me.
Woman: Donald Trump divides people. We’ve already seen what he has to bring.
Bob: He didn’t do anything to help us. Kamala Harris, she cares about the American people. I think she’s got the wherewithal to make a difference. I’ve never voted for a Democrat
Woman: Yes, we’re both lifelong Republicans.
Bob: The choice is very simple.
Woman: I’m voting for Kamala
Bob: I am voting for Kamala Harris.
Yesenia: My husband and I are going through IVF treatments now. It could be our only chance to have a family. But Donald Trump's plan could ban IVF in some states. My husband is in the military. He volunteered to serve. We are patriots and we go where he is assigned. What if we end up in a state where IVF is no longer legal? What will we do then?
Harris: I’m Kamala Harris and I approve this message
Harris: Look, because of Donald Trump more than 1 in 3 women of reproductive age in our country lives under a Trump abortion ban. The stakes in this election could not be higher. And his extreme Project 2025 agenda would limit access to contraception and would enact a nationwide abortion ban even without an act of Congress.
We are not going to let that happen