WASHINGTON, October 26, 2010 – This week, Campaign Money Watch, a project of the nonpartisan Public Campaign Action Fund, began an aggressive campaign to get voters—especially those aged 20 to 40, with a focus on African-American voters in that age group—to the polls for midterm elections across the country on Nov. 2.
The core premise of this new campaign—called “They Win. U Lose.”—is to break through the corporate-funded advertising noise to urge voters to get out to vote and not let special-interest money choose the next U.S. Congress. Following Campaign Money Watch’s mission to hold politicians accountable for their opposition to campaign finance reform and help average Americans take greater control over the political and policymaking process, “They Win. U Lose.” emphasizes transparency, accountability and empowerment in political races.
Among the campaign’s many facets, celebrities from a wide range of backgrounds are supporting campaign efforts. Grammy Award–winning musician and former Haitian presidential candidate Wyclef Jean is debuting his new song “Election Time” on the “They Win. U Lose.” website, where it can be streamed. See the site for frequent updates and a “who is who” of celeb supporters.
The $750,000 paid- and earned-media campaign is specifically encouraging voter participation in six key states: Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
“Americans believe that big-business dollars have too much influence on our elections, but we also must remember that a vote is a powerful weapon in combating the power of this special-interest money,” said David Donnelly, director of Campaign Money Watch. “Traditionally, midterm elections suffer from low participation, but this year voters need to understand that apathy and complacency are not an option, because more than seats are at stake—the change that the country committed to in 2008, and President Obama’s presidency, is in jeopardy. Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent, choosing not to vote means letting the corporate interests win. And in this election, there are very clear choices between candidates who will fight for change and those who will hand Congress over to the special interests.”
Because young people have integrated digital and social media into their lives—and use social media increasingly as an agent of social and political change, according to a new global survey from Euro RSCG Worldwide—the campaign is placing a special emphasis on those media.
On the campaign’s website (www.theywinulose.com), a Twitter feed (@theywinulose) helps find younger voters where they live and drive attention to the campaign, and a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TheyWinULose) designed as a pledge-to-vote campaign is ensuring that voters follow through on the commitment they’ll make there, publicly, to get to the polls.
In addition, a video comparing quotes from President Obama with candidates’ positions—to highlight the importance of voting in the election— is running on Facebook, YouTube and the “They Win. U Lose.” website, among other outlets.
In the 48 hours before the election, “They Win. U Lose.” will push into overdrive, with a celebrity satellite media tour and a Tweetathon—48 hours of continuous tweeting designed to get people who are tweeting to meet in real life, to significantly raise awareness and visibility for the need to get out and vote.
About Campaign Money Watch
Campaign Money Watch is a project of the nonpartisan Public Campaign Action Fund. The organization works to hold politicians who are against comprehensive campaign finance reform accountable for where they get their political donations. Contact info@pcactionfund.org with any questions or go to www.campaignmoneywatch.com for more information.
About Euro RSCG Worldwide PR
Euro RSCG Worldwide PR is the public relations arm of Euro RSCG Worldwide, a leading integrated marketing communications agency with 233 offices in 75 countries. Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, North America, is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Chicago and Pittsburgh. It is part of Adweek’s first-ever Healthcare Agency of the Year (2010) and Medical Marketing & Media’s 2010 All-Star Network of the Year. The agency provides communications services, social brand momentum and thought leadership, among other services, in core areas ranging from CSR and health care to content creation and social media.
Contact:
Beth Kitzinger
Euro RSCG Worldwide PR
212-367-6822
beth.kitzinger@eurorscg.com
Cindy Tanenbaum
Euro RSCG Worldwide PR
917-538-1259
cindy.tanenbaum@gmail.com