ProsperUS

The coalition’s goal is to win big, equitable, public investment at the federal level that helps rebuild American’s economic prosperity – by raising wages, creating jobs, and ultimately eliminating poverty.

After the 2020 election, Democrats had an opportunity to pass a once-in-a-generation economic package. When ProsperUS reached out to Blue State, they needed help shaping the legislative debate in Washington after the election and during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Investment = progress

Public debate about the economy is often defined by conservative economists who focus on revenue streams and pay-fors. We wanted to help ProsperUS reclaim the conversation and frame the debate around people and progress. 

As the pandemic put issues of inequality and recovery into the spotlight, this narrative framework was crucial to our success. 

Together, we developed a creative package and paid media plan that centered around a :30s and :60s video concept delivered via targeted ad placement to shift opinion in favor of public investment. With a new administration in the White House, it was important to strike the right tone — bold, optimistic, and fearless — to engage their priority audience with an energizing vision of recovery for all. We recommended a comprehensive distribution and launch strategy that capitalized on the moment to efficiently and effectively get the video in front of the right audiences at the right time. 

You have less than a minute: Go! 

There are a lot of different ways to tell and share a story. When you have a powerful idea, strong convictions, and want to reach a large audience, the quickest and most effective way to inspire and mobilize people is through video. In this instance, video was also the medium that could uniquely turn the dense topic of COVID-19 economic relief into compelling content that would shift opinion in favor of public investment — all in under one minute. 

Our in-house video team handled the video production from concept and script to post production. Titled “We can’t return to normal,” the video embraced a no-holds-barred narrative voice that provided substance, explained the problem, and didn’t sugarcoat hard truths with platitudes. The script, grounded with stakeholder interviews and in-depth research, reflected a bold “wake-up call” tone to inspire action.  

To mirror the bold tone of the script, vibrant yellows, greens, and oranges emphasized the boldness of the message alongside paper cut-out style graphics. An energetic, percussion instrumental accompanied confident animation. The two versions of the video – one 30 second and one 60 second – were unapologetic, straightforward, and urgent. 

Explore all avenues

With the videos finalized, the goal now was to target a broad group of policymakers and progressives in the anti-austerity movement and racial justice spaces. 

To reach the audiences we intended, we established a comprehensive distribution and launch strategy across earned, owned, and paid media.

Our strategic communications and paid media teams were able to secure ad placements in top national outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, Vox, CNN, The Intelligencer, and more. Copies of the Washington Post with a printed cover wrap were delivered to the White House and congressional offices on The Hill. And, to engage broader audiences, our teams ran a cross-channel ad campaign that garnered over 15.8 million digital impressions.