Ellis Verdi

The business of politics has never been better for the people who make campaign advertisements.  read more »

The business of politics has never been better for the people who make campaign advertisements.New c  read more »

I look at a Madison Avenue adman, Ellis Verdi, who's getting into politics, taking on what he sees as "the same five hacks making the same five ads over and over." David Axelrod and David Garth fire back, while Ogilvy chief and Politicker icon Shelly Lazarus takes Verdi's side.

Terry Golway reviews the state of the Republican Party -- "As the wife of a man who has done time, Ms. Pirro does bring a certain perspective to law enforcement that none of her Democratic challengers can match" and also reviews Richard Reeves's new Reagan book.  read more »

Matt Schuerman tries to decipher the doings at the Javits Center, whose plans still seem determined in part by a stadium that doesn't exist. He does not, however, find anyone with -- in Joe Bruno's phrase -- his hand in his butt. He does find Richard Brodsky forcing Charlie Gargano to reconfigure the $1.4 billion expansion plan, and maybe put it on those train yards that the Jets abandoned.

And don't miss Jason Horowitz's inauguration day with Liza.

Much of Freddy's brain trust gathered at a glassed-in conference room in the office of his consultants today to release two very different new television ads.

The English language one, by Ferrer aide Jonathan Prince (along with Ellis Verdi's production company), is called "Poverty." It's a single shot, closing in on Freddy's face as he speaks in a park on the East Side, a bridge visible over one shoulder. (Trivia question: Which bridge?)

"Two things rose in New York City last year, the salaries of the wealthy, and the poverty rate," it begins, ending with the tag line: "It's a great city. It could be greater."

The spot includes a poverty stat -- New York as the only big city in the country with an increase in the poverty rate -- that Census officials cast partial doubt on recently. But there's little question that this isn't Mike's favorite topic; as Wayne Barrett recently noted, the Mayor has apparently only let the word "poverty" pass his lips once in his entire term.

The Spanish language ad is probably the one that will have people talking. It is as passionate as the English one is cool, and is all about ethnic pride. It shows a triumphant Ferrer hitting it just right during the brief Spanish section of his primary-night speech. Freddy's words are innocuous, but the text makes the point: "On September 13th, we made history."

Freddy needs to get Hispanic New Yorkers excited about him in a way they notably weren't in the primary, and this seems the thing to do it.  read more »

(The two spots should be up a little later today on Freddy's site.)

Mayor Mike's new television spot was unveiled this afternoon at campaign headquarters on West 40th street and featured, in a dig on Freddy, "Bronx native" and salsa star Willie Colon. In the ad, (no link available) Colon spins around and blows his trombone as Mike stands, with conspicuously less rhythm, on the other side of a split screen in a frozen grimace or talking with school kids. Fernando Mateo, director of Latino outreach for the Bloombrg campaign, performed some salsa steps as the commercial played, and said the ad helps "bring out the flavor of who we really are." The 30-second spot, which will start airing immediately on Hispanic television channels and cable shows in the city's Latino neighborhoods, is an effort to cut into Ferrer's base. But the commercial's fast, wheeling pace and lack of a traditional voiceover suggests a move to anticipate Freddy's expectedly unorthodox Ellis Verdi ads. "Salsa moves all Hispanic people," said Mr. Colon, who was on hand. "We hope it moves them to the voting booths." - Jason Horowitz  read more »

Were I among the reporters receiving adamant denials from the Ferrer campaign of The Politicker's report last week that the candidate was parting ways with its second round of media consultants (Oh, wait, I was among them...), I might be a bit irritated today to get a chipper press release today thanking Doak for his work and announcing a third round of admakers. As reported, Ferrer aide Jonathan Prince is leading a team of Madison Avenue types that include a firm owned by Ellis Verdi, who played a role on Hillary's 2000 campaign.

Verdi's known for somewhat unconvential and attention-getting forays into politics, though his central advice to the Clinton campaign in 2000 (of which more later) was rejected.  read more »

So whatever their effect on the public, Freddy's new ads should entertain the press.