Defend Our Future launches major digital ad campaign in Colorado

Ads aid $2 million effort to drive Millennials to vote on climate issues

September 17, 2014
Keith Gaby, 202-572-3336, kgaby@edf.org
Mark Eddy, 720-201-4251, marke@markeddycomm.com

(Denver – September 17, 2014) Defend Our Future, a project of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), announced today it is launching a $450,000 all-digital ad buy in Colorado to support its effort to drive young voters to the ballot box to show their support for action on climate change.

“Millennials consume information online and our all-digital ad buy is designed to meet them there,” said Dr. Alicia Kolar Prevost, who is running the non-partisan effort for EDF. “These online ads support our on-the-ground efforts to mobilize young voters and show politicians from all parties that this age group wants them to address climate change now.” 

“The ads are specifically designed to attract the attention of Millenials,” Prevost said. “It’s no longer good enough to put your TV commercials on the web and say you’re doing a digital campaign.

The video ads will appear on thousands of local and national sites that reach voters in Colorado, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. 

Defend Our Future’s get-out-the-vote effort in Colorado launched Aug. 26 and is part a test run for a larger national effort going forward. Defend Our Future combines on-the-ground organizing with a mix of new and proven technologies in digital, social and data targeting honed in the 2012 campaign. The effort aims to collect 100,000 pledges to vote in Colorado this election. The campaign’s website is defendourfuture.org.

The message of Defend Our Future focuses on empowerment for voters under 35. Younger voters represent the leading edge of a growing demographic wave that is far more supportive of climate action than older cohorts of voters. Organizers are on the ground at Colorado State University and University of Colorado, Boulder. 

“It’s going to take all of us working together to solve the climate crisis,” Prevost said. “Millennials now outnumber baby boomers and this age group cares about climate. They’re sending a strong message to all elected leaders, candidates and policymakers.”

You can see the new ads here.

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