Radnofsky Launches 19th Century Ad Campaign

Houston, Texas

October 31, 2006

"Mark Twain Would be Proud"

Barbara Ann Radnofsky, launching 5th wave of radio on the Iraq war, lauds latest 19th Century campaign:

While we’ve had great national coverage on our innovative use of technology, award-winning website, and TV puppet commercials, we've also benefited by campaigning with technology from the days of Mark Twain.

The book: Mark Twain hit the road for book and lecture tours out of financial necessity. He lost his fortune on what he ruefully admitted were harebrained investments. Finally learning his lesson, Twain wrote of the day he drove a crackpot from his door, refusing to purchase a half-interest in the most preposterous invention of all. The charlatan looking for Twain's support: Alexander Graham Bell.

Barbara Ann's book, written on her BlackBerry, was published October 1 with a press conference in San Antonio and a write-up in the New York Times. This prompted an ABC News story on the book, which in turn led to a world championship "BlackBerry type-off" in which Barbara Ann was crowned champ.

The book was also promoted at a signing with Liz Carpenter. "I enjoyed the book signing immensely,” says Barbara Ann. "Of course, it helps to be co-owner of the bookstore promoting the book."

Small town newspapers: We've taken out big ads at great prices in small newspapers. It dovetails beautifully with our vote plan and is well worth the investment. It helps since my opponent has a weekly free column in many papers, using an old photo from more than ten years ago. The Radnofsky photo is old-fashioned, surrounded by red, white, and blue bunting at one of 560 campaign stops around the state. We understand that my opponent hasn’t spent a single dollar from her $9.5 million war chest in these rural newspapers.

Radio: Popularized by Marconi in 1895, radio emerged full bore in the roaring twenties, followed by FM transmission in the 1950's. The Radnofsky campaign relies heavily on this cheap and effective form of communication. It also puts dollars back into the voters’ communities. Our opponent has refrained from radio ads, preferring to hoard her campaign dollars for other uses after “cutting and running” from her senate seat, if re-elected.

We started July 31, 2006 knowing how parents and kids travel before school starts. The radio waves were uncluttered with campaign ads in August, resulting in a massive jump in the polls in September, with my opponent dropping to 45 percent, prompting this comment from Zogby in September: "Texas’s Senate contest is suddenly closer than the incumbent would no doubt like [---] With the race now in single digits, Hutchison looks marginally vulnerable."

The campaign has posted all the radio commercials online. Listener feedback has helped refine the message, and airing commercials on over 175 stations has reached Independents, enthusiastic Radnofsky Republicans, and loyal Democrats. The Internet allows delivery of new commercials to all of the radio stations for immediate copy change. Using the Internet, in less than 24 hours a new message can be aired. We purchased key time slots for the final weeks well in advance to ensure maximal coverage.

Radnofsky’s book, "The Dancer's Dead" is available at www.lulu.com, on Amazon, and at the Brazos Bookstore in Houston. BAR

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