Chicago Bus Ads

[Kalash]

I started taking public transportation about a month ago, and the buses all have TVs in them... showing news, and ads.

The company that does the broadcasting on these TV's is a national company...

They don't allow political Ads in LA, but they do in Chicago and Milwaukee.

LA's out, so I'm out, but the information is available.


An hour is 8 spots - 30 seconds each (longer times are available - if we want longer ones they're available, but I didn't get a price.)


For Chicago - it's $40 per hour, minimum purchase is a "block" of 8 hours - so $320 to advertise to 63,000 people - a TV ad with picture and audio - to an audience that CANNOT change the channel - and has nowhere to go. (I.e. no snack breaks... no bathrooms during the commercials...)
Two options - watch the TV and listen to what its saying...
Or listen to it and start out the window.


For Milwaukee it's $50 per hour...
Minimum purchase of 8 hours (8 times per hour, 8 hours = 64, 30 second ads) = $400 for 73,000 riders.


Here's the email I got back.
We'd need a 30 second video - or if we raise more funds, longer and we'll need to discuss the costs...

And I need people in Milwaukee and Chicago.

They only need 3 days before the ads run - we can get them in before the primaries!

Below is the actual email I got back.

Feel free to contact me if you can/will organize this - with a chip-in or whatever.

I'll get you Tom's information (the sales guy at TransitTV).


These things are CHEAP and should be really targeted - people using public transportation will be hit by this economic crisis the hardest.

Easy pickings.
Get on it!

Mike@revolutioni.st
866-701-7714 (Temp not working - but you can leave a voice message. Please leave an email address - I need to get my phone fixed >_<)



Pricing for the criteria you have outlined is as follows:

Chicago PACE Transit system, (all Chicago suburbs):

$40 per spot. Spots are purchased in 8 hour blocks. Blocks are available either 6am-2pm or 2pm-10pm. Eight spots per hour...One block is $320.00 and delivers 63,000 transit riders per block



Milwaukee:

$50 per spot. Spots are bought in 8 hour blocks. Same block times as above. One block is $400.00 and delivers 73,000 riders per.

Our advertisers are strongly encouraged to buy an equal number of morning/afternoon blocke to insure maximum impression count.

This quote is for 30 second spot. Additional length is available. We require a 3-day window prior to air for tapes and traffic and cash in advance (of course).

Let me know what else I can do to help. Tom

[dkim68]

How is the rotation of the ads handled?

I mean, if other advertisers have already purchased blocks for their own ads, how frequently would ours even get seen?

[RPinUptownChi]

I'm in on this, I pledge to buy a block if we can get four others to do so as well...

kalash please drop me a PM and let's coordinate this effort...as far as the 30-second, i think in chicago we need a 30-second clip made up of a few comments from Ron Paul and then show the website address on the screen...

I believe the 'Who Is Ron Paul?' and 'Google Ron Paul' ads are great, it gets people to involve themselves...

[Kalash]

HA!
I abandoned this thread.

Sorry.
>_<


That price is for 8 ads (30 seconds each) per hour...
So the block of 8 hours - $320 - is for 64 showings of the ad.

That's the basic outline on it.
For more specifics...
I'd have to write back and ask.

[RonRules]

Wrong demographic !

[roshi]

Nobody takes PACE, try putting outside bus ads on the CTA.

[RPinUptownChi]

I am in charge of this project. I will have a website with a chip-in widget and the whole shebang up by Friday, hopefully sooner.

This is a great way to reach a captive audience. I have lived in Chicago for over ten years and will select the appropriate bus routes so don't worry about demographics.

The size of the GOP turnout here in IL will be FRACTIONAL compared to the Obama-gasm dem primary here, imo. The key to getting Republicans in IL outside of Chicago will be pushing RP's Pro-Life stance (I had a 10 minute conversation with the head of IL Citizens for Life this morning and am sending him a batch of RP lit in the mail in the morning), his immigration position and prescient forecasting of our current economic crisis.

Here in Chicago its a little more complicated. There is no GOP presence to speak of in Chicago. I've never seen a republican win anything in this city. There is a significant GOP presence west of the city in DuPage country but that's not my world. When I get outside of the city I see a lot of Ron Paul signs and never see a Romney sign.

Back to the city -- If we can get a significant chunk of 1) Catholics 2) Muslims and/or 3) Obama YUPpies in Cook County to go for RP it will have a huge effect on the primary state-wide, since there just aren't many people living in the rural parts of the state that are traditionally strong for the GOP. Weather could be bad as well which will make it relatively easier for urban voters to get to a polling station.

These bus ads are going to target the obama yuppies as well as the artist/hipster community in Wicker Park, Bucktown, East Village and Ukrainian Village. I want to keep it simple and target these two groups with the bus ads.

To that end I want to run two different ads --

1) The first ad will target financial professionals and other folks who commute on express buses from the north side of the city to the loop. This is an EXTREMELY long bus ride in the morning on Lake Shore Drive, no one gets on or off the bus for a good half an hour during rush hour, and many riders spend up to an hour on the bus.
Of the 30 second ad I want 10 seconds on the Economy, 10 seconds on RP's anti-war position and the final 10 seconds needs to highlight the MSM and GOP-establishment opposition to RP, fading to the website address...

2) The second ad is going to target people who want to vote Democrat and/or think Ron Paul can't win.

For this 30 second ad I want 10 seconds of a very clear set of charts illustrating the disparity in participation between the GOP and Democrat primaries here in IL. The next 10 seconds needs to be some really flashy thing about how GOP votes 'weigh' more in IL when considering participation levels and Obama's popularity. The final 10 seconds will encourage people to use the Feb. 5th primary to hijack the GOP primary and 'frame the presidential argument' for this fall.

My goal with this campaign is to:

- Introduce people to RP
- Make people want to google RP when they get off the bus and go to the dreaded cubicle (boredom is our friend here folks)
- Hopefully end up with a viral buzz for RP here in Chicago

The first two goals I think are not difficult at all. I think the third goal can be achieved with the proper message and execution of the plan (this is still a working plan and I'm open to constructive discussion).

I know that lots of bored people ride the bus to work here in Chicago and if we could get a mention in the RedEye (a free local paper) or maybe have a piece get on the local news I think we could have something pretty good going...

The final part of this plan is to have RP people BE THERE on election day at EVERY POLLING STATION, with a notecard listing the RP delegate slate people should vote.

That's the plan at this point, I will update this thread on the status of the website once its operational. If people want to discuss the plan I'm up for that as well, if anyone has production experience and is here in Chi I'm all for design ideas on those themes...

To be honest I will need some assistance with producing the videos, I have a pretty good idea what I want the message to be like but I have zero experience getting a finished product together...i'd really like to find someone locally who would like to collaborate and get something done this saturday and sunday...

Let's deliver IL for RP!

EDIT-

If this is something only available on Pace I think its still a good idea but I will look into Bus Ads on the side of CTA buses as well.

[BS_]

I grew up in Chicago and now live in Bloomington, about two hours south of Chi-Town. The unfortunate thing is that even though most of the state in area is rural GOP land, the state of Chicago holds all the votes which go to the Dems every time.

Post the website and I'll pitch in a few bucks.

[RPinUptownChi]

exactly so if we can convince 10% of the people who are going to participate in the Democrat primary to vote for RP in the Republican Primary I think that would be enough to take first place right there, given the super low turnout...

i just woke up but am on the website thing, its a cold one here!

[BS_]

No kidding... it feels like it's -20 down here...
Also, if you get a chance, post up the info to http://centralillinois4ronpaul.org/
There is a decent amoutn of support down here that I think would be willing to send a few dollars up there. Chicago votes affect us more than our own.