LONDON: Kamala Harris is gearing up to launch the largest digital ad campaign in American political history, according to a report by the Financial Times on Sunday.
The Democratic presidential candidate has earmarked $370 million for advertising in the crucial period between early September and the US election in November.
Of this, $170 million is allocated for television ads across the nation, including key battleground states, while a significant $200 million is dedicated to digital advertising.
Harris campaign representatives confirmed on Sunday that they are “on pace to spend more on digital persuasion media than any political organization ever.
“These reservations are centered around early investments in the most sought out publishers and platforms like Hulu, Roku, YouTube, Paramount, Spotify and Pandora.”
“In making these early reservations, the campaign has secured the most premium inventory, locked in significantly more efficient pricing, and reserved before Trump and his allied groups had a chance to,” they said.
According to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Thursday, Harris has expanded her lead over Republican nominee Donald Trump by an additional 1 percentage point, bringing her total advantage to 4 percent.
Harris also leads in four out of seven battleground states, buoyed by a significant increase in enthusiasm among Democratic voters in recent weeks.
Jen O’Malley Dillon, the chair of Harris’ campaign, described the ad buy as part of a broader strategy to gain a “strategic advantage” on both the airwaves and online battlefronts, with plans to also purchase ad slots on Fox News.
Earlier in August, the Harris campaign announced a “significant eight-figure investment” in national TV placements, noting that these spots are less likely to be crowded with back-to-back political ads, a common issue as election day nears.
These latest reservations come on top of an already massive $150 million ad blitz across seven swing states, underscoring the campaign’s commitment to securing every possible voter in the upcoming election.
