Visible Measures Blog

On this week's WSJ Presidential Ads Chart, the anti-Romney Big Bird spot dominates, coming in at number one with over 3 million views. Big Bird by the Obama team takes advantage of Romney's comments made during the first presidential debate, when he said that he would cut funding to PBS. The ad was likely fueled along by Sesame Street's request that the ad be taken down. There are more than 30 copies and derivatives of the original clip, a sign of virality. 

Coming in at the top of the WSJ Presidential Ads Chart this week is comedian Sarah Silverman's PSA with super PAC Jewish Council for Education & Research. Let My People Vote gains more than one million views this week. The video slams voter-ID rules with colorful language typical of Sarah Silverman's comedic routines. The video's view count grew organically, but was boosted by placements on MoveOn.org, Huffington Post, and was also widely shared in social media. 

On this week's WSJ Presidential Chart, an ad by the conservative political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity comes in on top. Has Obama Earned Your Vote? debuted earlier this month, airing on TV in battleground states, but it makes a first appearance on the chart this week, thanks a healthy dose of paid media. The ad features voters disillusioned by President Obama, declaring that they won't vote for Obama again in this coming election. 

On this week's WSJ Presidential Ads Chart, Mitt Romney's VP pick Paul Ryan stands at the center of attention. The top ad of the week is Obama's Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan: Back to the Failed Top-Down Policies, which generated over 875,000 views, doubling last week's view count. In second place is Romney's America's Comeback Team, which uses footage from Ryan's Norfolk, VA vice presidential nomination speech. The spot generated over 780,000 views this week, with help from paid media. 

On this week's WSJ Presidential Ads Chart, nine new ads debut, with super PAC Priorities USA Action at the top with Understands. The controversial ad by the pro-Obama group features an employee of GST Steel who lost his job when Bain Capital shut down the plant. The worker goes on to tell the story of losing his health care, and his wife dying of cancer shortly after. With the help from paid advertising, the spot grabs over 725,000 views this week. 

On this week's WSJ Presidential Ads Chart, Barack Obama debuts three campaigns on the chart, with The Choice coming in at the top. The ad features a relatively simple, straightforward approach with Obama speaking directly to the camera, laying out the choices that Americans will face in the next four months. The spot has generated 1.3 million views this week.

On this week's WSJ Presidential Ads Chart, Mitt Romney returns with two campaigns, including the new Shame On You spot. The campaign criticizes Obama's use of negative ads by featuring Hillary Clinton saying "Shame on you, Barack Obama" in response to negative ads against her in the 2008 Democratic campaign. It claims the number five spot with 210,000 views. Romney's Day One also returns on the chart, grabbing ninth place with 120,000 views. 

Obama's attack ad We've Heard It All Before rises to to the top of the WSJ Presidential Ads Chart this week, driving over 600,000 views with help from paid media. The ad highlights Romney's economic record while he was govenor in Massachusetts. It nearly tripled in views this week.

On this week's WSJ Presidential Ad Chart, we see some familiar political ads, with Obama's Go campaign moving up to the top spot, with 310,000 views. The campaign focuses on how the economy recovered after Obama took over the presidency. Conservative group Crossroad GPS's Obama's Promise, looks at Obama's broken promises with the nation’s housing problems, takes the runner-up spot.

The conservative advocacy group American Future Fund continues its domination of the WSJ Presidential Ads Chart, generating over 870,000+ views this week. Justice for Sale sees a 30% decline in views, but still keeps the top spot, in part due to paid advertising.