Daniel Biss for Congress
Challenge
Elect Daniel Biss in a 15-candidate Democratic primary for Congress - withstanding $7M in AIPAC-funded opposition and a viral insurgent candidate with national progressive backing.
Impact
29.6% of the vote — winning in a 15-candidate field by 3.7 points.
$62 cost-per-vote vs. an opponent’s $272 —the most efficient campaign in the race.
24.7M impressions delivered at 99% video completion rate across 9 weeks
Our Work
Message Strategy
We used Daniel’s leadership against ICE, long record of progressive accomplishments, and local validators to define Biss early and build trust. By the time anti-Biss attacks hit, Biss's positive narrative was already firmly established with likely primary voters. We also established a clear contrast, drawing a direct line between one of our opponent’s outside AIPAC funding and her positions, that was echoed in earned and social media, as well as paid media.
Creative Production
We built a four-pillar creative program leveraging Daniel direct-to-camera, trusted community validators, endorsements from trusted progressives like Rep. Schakowsky and Sen. Warren, and sharp AIPAC contrast creative. Each pillar reinforced the others to build a cumulative case for Biss. Daniel's opening spot "ICE" drew a clear contrast on values and immigration, while "Trust" served as the closing argument. Community validators ran throughout the flight, reaching hundreds of thousands of unique viewers and reinforcing Biss's credibility and local connections at every stage of the campaign. And hard-hitting contrast messaging made the choice explicitly clear for voters.
Message Strategy
Novel managed $1.58M in paid media across broadcast TV, premium streaming, YouTube, CTV, and Meta — delivering 24.7M impressions at 99% VCR across 9 weeks of full execution. We opened with an integrated, multi-channel program on cable and digital to build cost-efficient frequency early. Then, as allies activated and the race tightened, we shifted weight to add broadcast and focus our YouTube spend in the final four weeks to capture the highest-turnout A55+ demographic. Informed by strong competitive reporting, we were able to rebalance our plan multiple times, staying nimble without sacrificing coverage.
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