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The scene: The New York City metropolitan market in the dog days of summer. Hillary Clinton had just dropped out of the race for Democratic presidential nominee, leaving Barack Obama and John McCain with five very long months to saturate the television airwaves with a barrage of political advertising. But amid this sea of left-versus-right 30-second attacks was proof that television can still be used to sell honest-to-goodness products.
Like iced tea, for example. For six weeks in June and July of 2008, Turkey Hill Dairy, makers of the nation's best-selling refrigerated iced tea, purchased 15-second TV ads throughout the New York City region, followed by a four-week airing of extended 30-second versions in July and August. The schedule also included a two-week flight of Spanish spots in Long Island on three networks, including Telemundo.
The Lancaster County-based dairy - already known in several mid-Atlantic states for its wholesome...