Owens launches first TV ad, "What Matters"
Bill Owens, the Democratic candidate for the 23rd Congressional District, rolled out his first television ad this morning. It's a "get to know me" piece focusing on his military service as well as his work with the Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corp.
My boss, Bob, said he saw the 30-second spot between 6:30 and 7 a.m. during a newscast on WWNY-TV 7 in Watertown. Jon Boughtin, Mr. Owens' spokesman, said the ad, which was produced by Murphy Putnam Media, is being aired in all of the district's markets.
I watched it twice. It's a good first ad, and I, of course, commend it for being positive.\
UPDATE: A reader made a very good argument that Mr. Owens should not be standing in front of an empty plot of land when he talks about how many jobs he created. It's a disconnect between what he's saying and what we see.
Here's the transcript in full:
"I come from a family of soldiers. My great grandfather served in the Civil War, my great uncle in World War I and my father in World War II.
"I'm Bill Owens and I was a captain here at Plattsburgh Air Force Base before they closed it down. Since then, I've worked to redevelop the base. In all, I've helped attract over 2,000 jobs to upstate New York.
"I'm running for Congress and I approved this message because my family taught me to fight for what matters.. And right now we need to fight for upstate New York."
The ad comes on the heels of campaign offices opening this past weekend in Watertown and Plattsburgh. (The Plattburgh office is at 373 Route 3, for the record. Mr. Boughtin tells me that between 70 and 80 people came out to meet Mr. Owens at his new State Street office.
Dede Scozzafava, Mr. Owens' Republican opponent, rolled out a Web ad, "Principled," on Sept. 10. It was produced by Lions and Eagles and shot by Reed Dawson Munro, who also shot the indie film "Frozen River, according to the New York Daily News.
Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party's candidate, has no TV or Web ads that I'm aware of.
Here's Mr. Owens' video:
