Political Ads: Funnier Than Your Average Comedy Show
Ah, politics. The only field where the more you spend, the less people seem to trust you. In this electoral season, it appears that parties have thrown caution—and their entire bank accounts—to the wind, vying for the attention of our ever-distracted, scroll-happy population. And let’s be honest, what’s more entertaining than watching politicians invest millions on social media in a bid to convince us they aren’t just terrible at their jobs?
According to a study conducted by Easy Digital Agency, a staggering $8.6 million was invested in advertising on Meta between July and September alone. That’s right, folks, while we were munching on avocado toast and giggling at cat videos, our political candidates were busy throwing our money into the digital ether. A true waste…uh, I mean, investment of resources!
Top Spenders: Who’s Buying Our Votes?
The drama unfolds as we take a closer look at the big spenders. Leading the charge is Javier Garcia of the National Party, who shelled out an eye-watering $1,074,374. That’s right, folks; one million dollars in ads! For that kind of cash, I’d expect a personal visit from the candidate, complete with a cupcake and maybe a heartfelt hand-written apology for their existence!
Not far behind, we have Andres Ojeda from the Colorado Party, flaunting a not-so-modest $731,844 investment. And to round out the top three, Space 40—another gem from the National Party—crashed the party with $726,100. They really hit the ground running, didn’t they? More dollars spent than sense, I’d say!
Shiny New Ads for Better Candidates?
Next in line, we’ve got Yamandú Orsi of the Broad Front dropping $524,473 and let us not forget Pablo Mieres from the Independent Party who put down $275,021. And just a quick side note: have any of you seen these ads? Because I have a feeling some of that money might have been better spent on, I don’t know, actual policy changes?
Those ‘Small’ Investments
In the world of political advertising, even the “little guys” are getting into the action, with several minor investments hitting the charts. Looks like competition is fierce among candidates trying to squeeze out every last dollar, with amounts flying around like confetti at a particularly spicy wedding.
The reported spending on ads within the glorious $100,000 range includes stars like:
– $188,981: 404 list from PN
– $152,639: Pedro Bordaberry
– $147,635: Alvaro Delgado
– $131,866: Juan Sartori
– A whole host of others playing in this high-stakes game of ‘Who Can Shout Loudest?’
Where Does All That Money Go?
In the scramble for our precious attention, most of this investment has, unsurprisingly, focused on Montevideo, racking up a jaw-dropping $3,989,397. It’s almost as if politicians think we have no clue what goes on outside the capital—as if all our votes can magically be secured through flashy social media ads. Spoiler alert: they can’t!
As if that wasn’t flashy enough, political parties are also strutting their stuff across other platforms like YouTube, X, and TikTok. Seriously, it’s a full-blown digital carnival, with politicians as clowns. Let’s just hope no one tries to juggle promises!
Conclusion: A Comedy of Errors
At the end of the day, it’s truly remarkable to see how these investments are playing out. Are they genuinely convincing us or merely making us more skeptical? It’s hard to know! But one thing is for sure: the only winners here might be the advertisers themselves. And maybe, just maybe, a few comedians looking to capitalize on this political circus.
So, who will take home the trophy for the most ridiculous political expenditure? Put on your popcorn and grab a seat, folks—this circus has only just begun!
In the electoral campaign, each sector and party fights for the attention of potential voters, and the presence of political propaganda has become more acute in recent times, both in public and in the media and digitally. A study carried out by the company Easy Digital Agencyshowed that between July, August and September $8.6 million were invested in advertising on Meta (platform where social networks are integrated Instagram y Facebook).
Within the data provided by the report, investments that exceeded $100,000 during the period studied were taken into account for this note.
The highest investment was $1,074,374, and was made by Javier Garciaof the National Party (PN). It is followed by the one carried out by Andres Ojedacandidate for the Presidency for the Colorado Party (PC), which reached $731,844. And the top three closes with the $726,100 invested by the Space 40of the PN, to which García also belongs.
Sebastian Da Silva and Javier Garcia.
Photo: Ignacio Sánchez.
The Broad Front candidate Yamandú Orsi invested $524,473 in advertising in Meta, and the sector The Vertientefrom the Frente Amplio (FA) about $324,436. The list of the five largest investments closes with $275,021 invested by the candidate of the Independent Party, Pablo Mieres.
The space growfrom the vice presidential candidate for the PC, Robert Silvacontracted advertising spaces in Meta for a value of $229,328, while the Popular Participation Movement (MPP) did it for $215,474.
Blanca Rodriguez, Alejandro Sanchez, Jose Mujica and Lucia Topolansky.
Photo: Ignacio Sánchez.
On the other hand, investments within the range of $100,000 also stand out, which are divided into guidelines of parties, candidates and also sectors and lists. There are the following: $188,981 of the 404 listdel PN; $152,639 of Pedro Bordaberry (made by Juan Bordaberry); $147,635 Alvaro Delgado; $131,866 by Juan Sartori; $121,028 of Rodrigo Goñi; $116,226 Andres Lima; $112,042 of Socialist party; $107,227 of Space 1001of the FA; $104,036 of Open Town Hall; and $102,523 from Progressives with Yamandu.
The study, which was done for the first time for this electoral campaign, was carried out through direct analysis of the data provided by Meta. It detailed the investment made by each political sector, the number of scheduled campaigns and the departments in which the content was chosen to be shown.
According to the data, in the three months analyzed, the department in which the most was invested in advertising in Meta was Montevideo, where spending—among all advertisers from different parties—reached $3,989,397.
It must be taken into account that along with the advertisements in Meta, political parties have gained visibility on other platforms such as Youtube, X y Tik Tok.
Andres Ojeda and Robert Silva.
Photo: Ignacio Sánchez.
Advertising experts consulted by El País agreed that this has been a special year at the level of guidelines, since private and public companies, as well as other organizations, have had to compete with political parties for the space available to establish their advertising campaigns.
As evidenced by the data, in the three months analyzed, the department in which the most was invested in advertising in Meta was, obviously, Montevideo, where spending—among all advertisers from different parties—reached $3,989,397.
In the interior of the country, the investment ranged between $95,293, spent in Flores, and $746,418 in Maldonado.
The departments with the most investment on the platform, after Maldonado, were: Canelones ($594,868), Salto ($438,208), Paysandú ($414,733) and Rivera ($356,035).
