Washington (AFP)
Advertising spending for the American primaries has crossed the billion dollar mark, an "unmatched" amount, half of which can be attributed to Michael Bloomberg alone, according to Advertising analytics.
The ninth richest man in the world in 2019, the Democratic nomination contestant has spent $ 539 million on television and radio spots, but also on digital ads since the launch of his campaign on November 25.
With four months to go before the Democratic convention, it has already far exceeded the record set by Democratic President Barack Obama during his re-election campaign in 2012 (338.2 million), says Advertising analytics.
The ex-mayor of New York draws on his approximately $ 60 billion in personal wealth to finance his advertisements, which has earned him strong criticism from his competitors.
Another billionaire, Tom Steyer, is contributing to this escalation, with $ 186.1 million spent to date.
Without having their resources, the socialist senator Bernie Sanders showed a "prodigious" capacity to raise funds near basic militants and was able to diffuse spots before his adversaries, notes the specialized company.
In total, the one who is a favorite of the Democratic primary after his success in the first polls spent $ 48.6 million on advertising.
For comparison, former vice president Joe Biden, who has long been at the top of the polls, spent "only" $ 13.9 million.
In total, all of the Democratic candidates have already consumed 969 million in advertising, while 67.9 million have been spent on the Republican primaries, a formality for President Donald Trump who is seeking a second term in November.
© 2020 AFP