Compelling Creative Used To Keep Washington's Governorship Blue
Trilogy served compelling creative in the nation’s most restrictive digital advertising environment to defy political headwinds and keep Washington’s governorship blue.
The Blue-State Race Keeping Democrats Up at Night
Heading into 2024, Washington state voters were fed up. They were deeply worried about crime, homelessness, and the cost of living — and they blamed career politicians, mostly Democrats, for the lack of progress.
Republicans had a formidable candidate for the gubernatorial race: Dave Reichert, a moderate former congressman and Sheriff of the Year famous for bringing the notorious Green River Killer to justice.
Reichert had a record of winning in a battleground district, plus a public-safety reputation that bolstered his support in urban areas. To keep Washington’s governorship blue in the face of terrible headwinds, the Democratic Governors Association turned to Trilogy to discredit and disqualify Reichert.
Sophisticated Media Plans and 15-Second Ads
As the digital firm behind Governor Jay Inslee’s three big gubernatorial wins, Trilogy had accrued years of experience in digital advertising in Washington. That experience was indispensable. Unlike most states, Washington prohibits political advertising on some of the most popular advertising platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google Search, NBC Universal (Peacock), Paramount, Samsung, Pandora, Spotify, Snapchat, and X.
Our media team produced sophisticated advertising plans that made the most of the platforms available to us. Our plans leaned heavily on pre-roll and in-stream video, with additional investments in audio, in-app, and native ads.
Meanwhile, our creative team produced a set of 15-second ads focused on a part of Reichert’s record he couldn’t run from: his votes against abortion rights in Congress. "Reichert’s Resume" grabbed attention by spoofing the LinkedIn interface familiar to Seattle’s sizeable moderate white- collar audience, driving home the point that Reichert was the “wrong hire” for Washington. We also scripted video and audio ads featuring local validators sharing deeply personal stories about the risks of giving Reichert power to control reproductive rights in the state. While many abortion-themed ads of 2024 were slow-paced and predictable, our “Survivor” ad bucked the trend, relaying one woman’s story, a heartfelt tone, and an impactful political attack, all in just 15 seconds.
Washington Voters Respond by Rejecting Reichert
Given Reichert’s compelling biography and reputation in the state, we knew we had to execute a powerful digital program to defeat him. We strategically maneuvered around a difficult political environment, and Washington state’s restrictive digital advertising environment, to reach targeted voters with a compelling and relevant message. On Election Day, voters rejected Reichert and his extreme abortion views, propelling Democrat Bob Ferguson to an 11-point victory.
