Haslam Begins TV General Campaign With Full-Minute Ad
Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam (R) is launching his first TV ad of the general election today, a 60-second spot in which Haslam drops the "conservative" label and opts for the I'm-for-everyone approach.
The ad "For All of Tennessee", produced by Strategic Media Perception, is particularly noteworthy for name-dropping Dem statewide elected officials in a positive light, including the father of Haslam's general election opponent Mike McWherter (D). "Good people. Great leaders. Phil Bredesen, Ned McWherter, Lamar Alexander, Bob Corker. People who take our natural good and give it a shine," the ad's announcer says. He does not mention Haslam's party affiliation or ideology.
To date, Haslam is the only candidate in the TN-GOV race that has run minute-long commercials, and this one is significantly different from the last spot he launched in the GOP primary campaign. Haslam's "Enough is Enough" ad featured the mayor looking straight into the camera for the full duration without any background music or sound as he proceeded to defend himself from accusations by Rep. Zach Wamp (R-03) and then launched his own blistering critique of the congressman's record, calling him out by name.
Haslam does not even speak in his new ad. In fact, he doesn't even appear until the 25 second mark. With bouncy, light bluegrass music playing in the background, the announcer begins the ad by playing up Tennessee's nature and human resources, including its land, music and politicians. The male speaker eventually explains how Haslam is "another good man from Tennessee" who is running "not for any part of Tennessee, but for the good of all of Tennessee."
Long gone is any footage of Haslam discussing illegal immigration, deflecting attacks or promoting his conservative bona fides. Though Haslam's income related to his tenure running Pilot Corp. has been under scrutiny, along with a past price gouging suit previously brought against 4 Pilot stations in the wake of a hurricane, the new ad uses an image of trucks pulling out of a Pilot gas station to emphasize how Haslam "created thousands of jobs." One of his previous ads used a similiar clip on the topic of job creation but omitted the word "Pilot." The company name is well within focus on the new ad.
Haslam's approach to the ad comes in contrast with Mike McWherter, who's opted for more of a frequent rapid-fire approach to advertising. He's put 3 15-second TV ads on air since his 30-second biographical debut ad hit airwaves late last month, all of which feature the tagline "Endorsed by Governor Bredesen." SKDKnickerbocker produced all four ads.
McWherter took an indirect shot at Haslam in 1 adsaying, "As governor, I'll work for the folks who are filling up on the way for work, not the guy who owns the oil company." His other 2 short ads feature McWherter riffing on keeping taxes low and cracking down on gangs.
This is consistent with McWherter's general election strategy in which he is trying to run to Haslam's right on several issues. By focusing on low taxes and law-and-order, McWherter is attempting to make himself appeal to GOP conservative voters that might have supported Wamp or LG Ron Ramsey (R) during the GOP primary. He's even used some of their attack lines against Haslam, hitting him for raising taxes and his late membership into the NRA.
With Haslam holding a significant lead, and able to outraise McWherter in both self-funding and regular donations, McWherter will likely be attacking Haslam throughout the fall to bring his favorable numbers down while demonstrating that he can compete on the air at the same time. However, as he did during the primary, expect Haslam to try to stay above the fray with positive ads until the time comes, as he determines, to respond.