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Peduto Hits the Airwaves (With Video)

City Councilman Bill Peduto unveiled his first television ad of the Pittsburgh mayoral primary on Friday. High production values and that candidate’s family history paint a clear contrast between Pittsburgh’s past and its future.

It seeks to emphasize Peduto’s deep roots in the city as well as his thorough policy platform.

“That Pittsburgh is gone now,” Peduto says, against footage of him walking by run down places where his relatives used to work.

Bill Peduto for Mayor“I’m Bill Peduto, and my life’s work is building a new Pittsburgh. With a 21st century infrastructure plan, job training and a partnership with our universities, and strengthening neighborhood businesses.”

“We need a mayor who never forgets what we can be.”

The glossy spot was produced by DC-area Putnam Partners. It’s primarily a broadcast buy.

Peduto’s chief rival in the Democratic primary is former Pa. Auditor General Jack Wagner. He went on the air Thursday – 40 days before election day – with his own bio spot.

Given how uncommon it is for campaigns to debut on a Friday, and based on casual conversations with a few Pittsburgh television stations, it appears that Peduto’s camp accelerated its own TV plans in light of Wagner’s buy.

The candidates are spending similar amounts this week on KDKA (Wagner $12,700, Peduto $10,675) and WTAE (Peduto $7,850, Wagner $7,625) according to FEC filings by the stations. But so far only Wagner is listed on WPXI, at $19,000. And only Peduto is scheduled to air on WPGH, at $670.

Update: Peduto’s camp says their ad buy started as it had been scheduled and was not affected by Wagner’s move Thursday. They said additionally that they are on WPXI, although the FCC has yet to post details of the buy for the station.

State Rep. Jake Wheatley and activist A.J. Richardson are also running in the primary; neither has demonstrated the ability to win.

9 Responses

  1. Hilarious comment jiffy. Very good.

    On a serious note, this is a great ad. Very well done.

  2. Are all those kids Peduto’s? He has more kids than the Old Lady in the shoe? How will Peduto have time to Mayor with so many mouths to feed? This ad persuaded me that at least he (I imagined Peduto writing code just as a hobby) is not a neanderthal knuckle-dragger from a past age like Wagner? Being a courageous Vietnam Vet is so yesterday!!! http://youtu.be/xohOBku3yeU

  3. if wagner runs this race like he did for governor.he will lose.i do agree peduto got the ground game. wagner has the name game.too close to call.

  4. LOL. How about finds meaning in getting salary, benefits and pension from taxpayers?

  5. Lonely, dispirited man wanders post-apocalyptic landscape mourning people who lived two centuries ago.

  6. This ad is so much better than Wagner’s. It shows who has the better team. Wagner may be ahead right now but his team is not as good as Peduto’s. You watch. Wagner will lose this race.

  7. I am not a Pittsburgh voter, but as a political junkie I take exception to writers who determine winners and losers. Please, more reporting and less editorializing crystal ball reading.

    I think a better ending for the article would have been “State Rep. Jake Wheatley and activist A.J. Richardson are also running in the primary; neither has made an ad buy.”

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