For the first time since Reconstruction – nearly 140 years – the Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives will be a Republican. And Innovative Advertising led the effort to make it happen.
Through an aggressive mail campaign, Innovative successfully unseated four incumbent candidates, including one who was entrenched for 24 years.
The Mississippi campaign was the culmination of a three-year plan to achieve a conservative and pro-business majority in the house, starting in 2008 with research and targeting of vulnerable districts. This data was later instrumental when redistricting altered the layout of the election. Conservatives were well prepared when Democrats tried to slant the new districts in their favor.
Advancing Louisiana Education
In addition, Innovative served as consultant and marketing firm for the Alliance for Better Classrooms PAC, led by Baton Rouge businessman Lane Grigsby. With Innovative's vision and execution of the campaign, candidates of the burgeoning reform movement swept the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary education elections, giving a supermajority on the board to reformers.
The Times-Picayune specifically cited Innovative's work as the key in BESE District 2, saying that the incumbent was "broadsided" by mailers, leading to her replacement. An aggressive combination of television ads, PR and mailers won the sweep for reformers. Click here for a Times-Picayune article about the victories.
Overall, Innovative had 13 wins in Louisiana and Mississippi, including three Louisiana House of Representatives wins and the successful re-election of Gordon Burgess for Tangipahoa Parish President.
In the past few years, Innovative has scored several major victories like these, including the first GOP majority in the Louisiana House in 125 years, first GOP majority in the Louisiana Senate since the Civil War, the first GOP majority in the North Carolina senate since the 1800s, and three of four GOP congressional pickups in 2008.
Click here to watch the ad that helped unseat incumbent BESE Board member Dale Bayard.
Click here to see our winning TV ad for Kira Orange Jones for the Louisiana BESE Board.
Click here to see the ad that unseated incumbent BESE member Keith Guice.
