Ashley Moody for Attorney General – “Unity”

“Unity” was the closing ad for Ashley Moody’s successful campaign for Florida Attorney General.   In addition to showcasing the breadth of her support among Sunshine State Sheriffs, the ad had three objectives: First, contrast Moody’s experience as a judge and prosecutor with her opponent’s relative lack of experience; second, quickly and credibly disarm attacks made in Shaw’s recent ads; and third, appeal to Independents and soft Democrats by demonstrating bipartisan support for her candidacy.

Ashley Moody for Attorney General – “Radical”

“Radical” was the second ad in Ashley Moody’s General Election campaign and her opponent, Sean Shaw, had aired an attack only days before.  “Radical” was rapidly cut and shipped so it could run at the same time.  The purpose of the ad was two-fold: First, blunt Shaw’s attacks without amplifying them.  Since the ads were running simultaneously, “Radical” was engineered to visually “inhabit” Shaw’s attack ad—discrediting his attacks and leveling our own within the same visual space.  Second, polling showed that Florida voters expected their Attorney General to be the state’s top prosecutor, so we highlighted Shaw’s unfitness for the post, closing with this line: “Shaw’s never even prosecuted a case.  His first one, shouldn’t be as Attorney General.”

• “Radical” appeared online and on TV.
• “Unity” appeared online and on TV. 
  • Awards: Telly

Keith Perry for Florida Senate

Florida’s 8^th Senate District is home to one of the state’s liberal bastions: The University of Florida.  While surrounding rural and exurban areas make the seat competitive for the right Republican, statewide GOP candidates typically lose the district, which has been trending blue.  Last cycle’s “blue wave” didn’t bode well for Keith Perry—a middle-aged white man running against a female doctor in a college town—and SD8 was billed as a prime pickup opportunity for Democrats. Millions were spent in this swing district and Consensus served as media consultant to the campaign and the Florida Republican Senate Campaign Committee, cutting a series of ads that injected humanity and humor, showed Keith to be a likeable problem-solver and created “commonsense” contrasts that stemmed the blue tide in suburban areas surrounding Gainesville.   Ultimately, Perry overcame a tough year, a tough opponent and changing demographics with help from relatable, honest and (occasionally) humorous ads, one of which went on to win a national award.   

• “Fixing Things” appeared online and on TV.
  • Awards: Telly
• “Crazy Ideas” appeared online and on TV.
• “Doesn’t Fit the Mold” appeared online and on TV.

Anti-Amendment 1 Campaign

in 2018, Consensus served as media consultant for a 7-figure digital advertising campaign to defeat Amendment 1 in Florida. This campaign proved to be the only successful “NO” campaign in Florida in 2018 (out of a dozen), unexpectedly bringing down a popular and seemingly uncontroversial measure.

• “Across the Board” appeared online.
• “Bad News” appeared online.

Republican State Leadership Committee – “Junior” (Pennsylvania HD 48)

In 2018, the Republican State Leadership Committee invested heavily in a Pennsylvania Special Election for HD48.  Republicans had not controlled the seat since 1988 and their candidate, retired Army Ranger Tim O’Neal, had hit a ceiling (6-points down) with only weeks to go.  Consensus’ digital and TV ad (dubbed “Junior”) proved a game-changer for O’Neil, scoring 35,000 hits on YouTube and ultimately giving the GOP an 11-point victory.  Newsmax called the PA win “the biggest upset of the year.”

• “Junior” appeared online and on TV.

In Florida, the $60 million battle over Amendment 3 was years in the making, involving some of the country’s most powerful industries and necessitating a wide array of websites, digital programs and broadcast advertising.  We selected this 2018 case study to illustrate the breadth and versatility of our work as a media consultant and web developer.  In some cases, we sought to persuade voters.  In other cases, we targeted opinion leaders or earned media outlets.  In every case, the media strategy was cohesive and goal-oriented.  The result was a 71% victory.

Voters In Charge – Website

As the sponsors of Florida’s “Amendment 3” initiative, Voters in Charge required a complex website that could accommodate tens of thousands of daily visits (due to digital advertising traffic) and serve a variety of functions, including as a grassroots platform, rapid-response outlet, and digital storefront for the amendment campaign. Our site was heavily search-engine optimized, scoring first place on nearly every relevant google search by the end of the campaign, and was available in both English and Spanish. View the Site. 

Facebook Carousel

After a robust series of focus groups and polling, we determined that one of the top “selling points” for Amendment 3 was that it took time-consuming (and widely covered) gambling issues out of the hands of politicians, allowing them to instead focus on issues like education and traffic reduction.  Most voters felt that gambling issues—which had dominated several consecutive legislative sessions—were a “time suck” that distracted lawmakers from more important issues.  This message was easily serialized via different iterations of a Facebook carousel.  For example, it enabled us to target “education voters” and “healthcare voters” with YES on 3 messages that may not have resonated otherwise.

Facebook Graphics – HobNob Series

In Florida, voters can be hesitant to vote YES on constitutional amendments because of the perceived “risk” of altering the status quo.  To reduce the perceived risk—and to magnify grassroots support—we created a series of Facebook ads that celebrated local straw poll victories.  The colorful series proved to be a favorite among supporters, who readily shared.

Other Selected Digital Works

A combination of colorful graphics and simple gifs helped drive engagement for this down-ballot issue and reinforce the underlying theme of the campaign: Amendment 3 empowers VOTERS, not politicians.  A battery of broadcast, cable, radio and digital pre-roll advertising layered atop this thematic foundation, bringing more specific messages to bear.

NoCasinos – “Less for Florida” Website

Every year, over 120 million people visit Florida, making it a prime expansion target for Las Vegas-style casino gambling.  International gaming interests poured millions into a slick, polished effort to secure public support for casinos, including a website promoting their venture called, “BestForFlorida.”  Consensus was tapped to run the digital counter-campaign, which included a “spoof site” that parodied “BestForFlorida” called, “LessForFlorida.”  The spoof site reproduced the “look and feel” of the pro-gambling website but edited, marked-up and scratched out misleading words, phrases and messages.  The move galvanized gambling opposition in the legislature, earned media attention and shifted the course of debate in favor of our client’s issues and terms. View a mockup of the site here.