Chris Kofinis (202) 486-6422
WAKEUPWALMART.COM LAUNCHES MAJOR NEW VOTER EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IN MULTIPLE BATTLEGROUND STATES
THE CAMPAIGN WILL HIGHLIGHT WAL-MART’S RIGHT WING AGENDA AND TARGETS BOTH CONSUMERS AND WAL-MART ASSOCIATES
NEW BUSH/WAL-MART TV AD CAMPAIGN - 30 SEC AD ENDS WITH TAGLINE “WAL-MART: GOOD FOR GEORGE BUSH, BAD FOR AMERICA” (to see ad go to http://www.turnthefrownupsidedown.com/features/video.html)
Washington D.C. - In response to Wal-Mart’s announcement that it will attack Democratic candidates who joined with WakeUpWalMart.com to fight for a better America, WakeUpWalMart.com is launching a major new voter education campaign to highlight Wal-Mart’s continued support for a right wing agenda that is wrong for America. The voter education campaign, consisting of TV ads, direct mail, robo calls, door-hangers and canvassing, and in-store actions, will target both consumers and Wal-Mart associates in multiple battleground states.
The 2006 WakeUpWalMart.com Voter Education Initiative will officially launch on Monday, October 23rd, and will continue for 15 straight days leading up to Election Day on November 7th. The goal of the group’s voter education initiative is, in key battleground states, to educate consumers, voters, and Wal-Mart associates about how Wal-Mart’s support for a dangerous political and public policy agenda has hurt Wal-Mart’s own employees, hard-working families, and taken America in the wrong direction. In addition, the campaign will highlight Wal-Mart’s financial and public support for George Bush and right wing politicians.
“Wal-Mart’s decision to declare war on Democrats who are calling on the company to pay a better wage, provide affordable health care, and treat its employees with dignity and respect is a disgrace, and shows just how right-wing Wal-Mart has become. The bottom line is while Wal-Mart’s dangerous right-wing agenda may be good for George Bush, it is bad for Wal-Mart’s employees and bad for America,” said Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com.
To maximize the effect of WakeUpWalMart.com’s 2006 voter education initiative, the effort will be divided into two separate multimedia and on-the-ground campaigns. The first campaign will be focused solely on educating consumers and constituency groups, like women, African-Americans and Hispanics, who are adversely affected by Wal-Mart’s agenda. The second campaign will be focused exclusively on Wal-Mart’s own Associates, and will educate Associates on how Wal-Mart’s political agenda hurts its employees.
As part of the consumer campaign, the group will launch a new voter education website, www.TurnTheFrownUpsideDown.com. On the website, voters will be able to sign a pledge to put “America’s Families First,” register to vote, learn more about Wal-Mart’s right wing agenda, watch the group’s latest TV ads, mobilize and recruit new supporters, download campaign materials, and even sign up for an email reminder, called the “Election Day Wake Up Call,” to remind them to vote against Wal-Mart’s right wing agenda.
In addition, WakeUpWalMart.com will begin airing two 30-second TV ads in at least 7 battleground states (i.e. NV, PA, OH, MI, MD, MN, WI) conduct over 140,000 household visits (i.e. door knocks) in at least 10 battleground states (OH, MI, PA, CA, NJ, RI, NV, MN), and conduct over 250,000 phone calls targeting African American and Hispanic households.
As part of the Wal-Mart Associate voter education program, the group will launch an unprecedented series of store and community actions in over 30 states, including all targeted battlegrounds (i.e. NY, MO, MN, CO, CA, IA, PA, MD, WA, AZ, NJ, KY, SD, RI, CT, TX, IN, NV, OH, IL, MI, WI, MA, AK, GA, AR, NC, AL, HI, NM and Puerto Rico). In total, supporters of WakeUpWalMart.com plan to distribute a special Wal-Mart Associate Voter Education card to over 100,000 Wal-Mart Associates in public locations and at over 600 Wal-Mart stores beginning on Monday, October 23rd, 2006. The group will also run an “Open Letter to Wal-Mart Associates” advertisement in a series of community newspapers in targeted battleground states. The letter will educate Wal-Mart’s employees about Wal-Mart’s anti-worker agenda, ask them to learn the truth about Wal-Mart’s plan to attack Democratic leaders who are calling on Wal-Mart to be a better company that treats its employees with dignity and respect, and inform Associates on how they and their co-workers can join together to change Wal-Mart and America.
Materials for each campaign, including the TV-ads, door hanger, 2006 Wal-Mart Associate Voter Education Card, and the Open Letter to Wal-Mart Associates are available to be viewed at www.turnthefrownupsidedown.com and www.WalMartWorkersofAmerica.com.
A copy of the TV ad scripts are attached below.
Script “Greed”
They pursued a policy of outright greed
Shipped American jobs to Communist China
Failed to provide affordable health care
Opposed a living wage for hard working families
And now, they are pouring money into registering voters to defeat candidates fighting for a better America
No, we aren’t talking about George Bush and the right-wing
We are talking about Wal-Mart
So, remember that before you shop there.
Wal-Mart. Good for George Bush. Bad for America.
Script “Smile”
Why does George Bush smile when you shop at Wal-Mart?
Because Wal-Mart contributed 80% of its campaign money to George Bush and right-wing politicians
And Wal-Mart supports a right wing agenda that…
Ships American jobs to China
Fails to provide affordable health care
Denies workers a living wage
And, even lobbies against strengthening port security
Wal-Mart…Good for George Bush…Bad for America
This election, go to www.turnthefrownupsidedown.com and help America smile again
