In 2003 and 2004, the New Democrat Network, NDN's predecessor, produced cutting edge media campaigns to rebuild and strengthen the Democratic brand in tough places across the country, including Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. These campaigns focused on how the Democratic agenda would Restore the Promise of America.
By setting up a compelling contrast to the reckless leadership of the Republicans in both English and Spanish, these TV, radio, and Internet ads generated concrete gains in support for the Democratic agenda. The National Journal's Hotline described the campaigns as "the first serious attempt we've seen any Dem group make in trying to revive the Dem 'brand' in non-Dem places," and in January 2005 the campaigns won four prestigious "Pollie" awards for excellence in political communications from the American Association of Political Consultants. Below are a sample of these ads, available on our YouTube account. For more information about the New Democrat Network, which paid for these ads, visit its archive website.
Note: The above ads paid for by the New Democrat Network.
In 2006, the NDN Political Fund launched a new national media campaign to bring the powerful values and agenda of the Democratic Party to tens of millions of Americans.
The campaign, “Mas Que un Partido” (“More Than a Game”), brought these values – opportunity , responsibility, fair-play and the notion that we’re all in this together – to life through the passion and power of the world’s most popular sport: soccer.
The campaign was conducted primarily in Spanish, under the NDN Political Fund’s Hispanic brand “Democratas Unidos,” and focused on our nation’s rapidly expanding Hispanic communities.
“In the Latino world, soccer is an iconic sport. This campaign will use a uniquely powerful and resonant vehicle to bring Democrats’ values and agenda to the nation’s fast-growing Hispanic communities.”
"Es Tu Equipo" ("This Is Your Team")
"This is Your Team" highlights Democrats' desire to engage Hispanics in the political process and is part of a broader effort to bring progressive values - opportunity , responsibility, fair-play and the notion that we're all in this together - to life through the passion and power of the world's most popular sport, soccer.
"Empty Stadium" was the first ad in the "Mas Que Un Partido" campaign and introduced the brand, bringing the powerful values and agenda of the Democratic Party to tens of millions of Americans.
For those of us who supported the bi-partisan McCain-Kennedy bill it became clear that the Republican leadership in Washington is more serious about scoring political points then they are about solving this important national challenge. And that's why NDN launched a new issue advocacy campaign encouraging the Republican leadership to stop playing games with people's lives and get serious about passing McCain-Kennedy.
The new ad, "How Little They Know Us", began running in late April, 2006, on Spanish language radio stations in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas and Washington, DC. Starting Tuesday, May 16, 2006, it expanded to 18 key markets in Phoenix, Tucson, Fayetteville, El Centro, Fresno, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Sacramento, San Francisco, Stockton, Aspen, Denver, Las Vegas, Reno, Austin, Dallas, Houston and Lubbock. The campaign aired on the syndicated Spanish-language radio programs El Piolin and El Cucuy, which rank among the most popular programs in the country, and whose DJs have played a leading role in the coalition working for comprehensive reform.
Continuing to help lead a conversation about how our vigorous national economy is no longer creating broad-based prosperity, NDN joined a broad coalition of progressive organizations in campaigning for an increased minimum wage. We worked to pass ballot initiatives in two states, Arizona and Colorado. And we did so by deploying our expertise in reaching the Latino community by participating in media campaigns in each state encouraging Latino families to vote for Arizona’s Proposition 202 and Colorado’s Amendment 42. We worked closely with the Civic Participation Campaign’s Mi Familia Vota campaign, a non-partisan effort designed to encourage Latino participation in American civil society. The propositions raised the hourly minimum wage to $6.75 in Arizona, and $6.85 in Colorado, from the current national minimum of $5.15.
