Capitol Ad Watch

This edition’s winner: Lightsquared (5)

Runner Ups: General Motors, T-Mobile and AT&T (4)

August 1 and 2 showed a plethora of different ads sponsored by various companies among four of the biggest Capitol Hill newspapers. The majority of ads, however, came from the communication industries.

The company with the most advertisements was Lightsquared, which posted five advertisements throughout the newspapers in the two day period. Lightsquared declared that their wireless broadband connectivity is not interfering with GPS services and is indeed increasing connectivity around the world.

Tied for second was General Motors (GM), T-Mobile and AT&T, with four advertisements each.

GM creatively publicized their company’s environmental improvements in two-page ads, larger than any other advertisements in the newspapers we surveyed. Among the accomplishments listed by the auto-maker was recycling all materials and not partaking in landfills. GM also boasted that its factories utilize the largest rooftop solar panel installation in the world and its new cars are reducing carbon emissions to 8 million metric tons.

T-Mobile and AT&T utilized their advertisements to announce their merger that would ultimately provide Americans with better phone coverage. 

The “No Takeover Project” sponsored an advertisement against the merger. Additionally, Sprint sponsored two advertisements requesting that the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) stop the merger in order to preserve competition in the wireless marketplace.

CTIA - The Wireless Association and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) appeared to have an advertisement battle, fighting for and against the new spectrum auction bill. The Consumers Electronics Association sponsored an advertisement advocating that the voluntary incentives auctions would be financially beneficial for broadcasters.

With current unemployment over nine percent, FMC Industrial Chemicals, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Goldman Sachs declared in advertisements that their companies will provide much needed jobs.