The Capitol Fax Blog » Ozinga takes a page from Oberweis’ playbook

Ozinga takes a page from Oberweis’ playbook

Thursday, Apr 3, 2008

* Ozinga Bros. launched its first radio advertisements on WLS-AM to air through June. The ads promote a more environmentally friendly, porous concrete and mention the Ozinga name 8 times. Coincidentally, Marty Ozinga is also gearing up to run for the 11th District congressional seat.

The DCC questioned whether Ozinga was blurring federal election rules about electioneering. Candidates can be fined by the Federal Election Commission for overlapping and coordinating their business and campaign operations, like this blast from the past:

For example, Jim Oberweis, of Oberweis Dairy, ran television advertisements about the dairy - bankrolled by the dairy - that featured him prominently at a time he was seeking the GOP U.S. Senate nomination. The FEC fined his campaign $21,000.

The Democrats’ regional director, Ryan Rudominer said “Here you have Mr. Ozinga taking a page from the Oberweis playbook. The perception is that it’s like a campaign ad.”

* Although the timing of the Ozinga radio ad is “ironic,” the Ozinga campaign said that this is the first time the company has purchased radio advertising. Interesting.

“Go green with Ozinga,” the ad says, along with, “The next time you see the red-and-white striped trucks, remember Ozinga, your resource for a better tomorrow.” However, the ad never explicitly mentions Marty Ozinga, just the company.

Then there was this overly zealous defense by WLS for the ad:

It was the phone call from WLS general manager John Gallagher, who defended the ads, requested I send along the DCCC statement and generally went to bat for Ozinga, one of his advertisers.

“If the DCCC is raising an issue on it, and we’ve had run-ins over the years, I’d like to know the grounds they are making that claim and get attorneys involved,” he told me. “If the DCCC is going to come after them for that, they’d have to go after half the people running for office in the United States, no matter when the contract was signed.”

Question: Does this tightrope walking constitute a violation of FEC regulations, or is this fair game?

- posted by Kevin Fanning

34 Comments

- Levois - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 10:17 am:
The rules may say otherwise but I would say why not. Advertise you and your business, but without mentioned that you are a candidate for an elective office. I would have no problem with that then when the campaign gets into full gear if you have the funds available then get some campaign ads.

- wordslinger - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 10:26 am:
He’s way over the line. He sells concrete — the universe of concrete buyers is very small. A radio buy reaches a mass audience — it’s is an incredibly ineffective and wasteful use of media and marketing dollars. He’s clearly using his company to get his name out.

Oberweis could at least argue that there’s a mass market for ice cream and his chain of stores. If he got smacked, Ozinga should, too.

- GOP'er - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 10:33 am:
As often is the case, what’s sleazy isn’t always illegal. This can probably clear the bar as a legal matter. But that’s a high bar. If these guys stick to their lame story, there won’t be much any agency can do.

But come on, this is such a scam. The fact that the company’s never done radio ads before says it all. That’s just not a cost efficient way to reach their customers for that business.

Fortunately, this can be handled in the court of public opinion. Voters should reject someone who is trying to play them for fools. I suspect they’ll reject Ozinga in a big way for this and other reasons.

If he is slated, he’ll be trounced in November.

- grand old partisan - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 10:41 am:
I can understand why this raises eyebrows, but what is more troubling: a business owner using his company’s money to raise his name ID, or an incumbent franking out “newsletters” on the tax-payers’ dime to remind everyone of what a great job they are doing?

Just last week, I was driving home from work and I saw some new traffic signals going up at an intersection, and there were big signs crediting the project to Linda Chapa LaVia. I wonder, if we drove around the 40th district, if we’d see anything similar touting the work of Debbie Halvorson. Those signs are paid for by someone, and it ain’t the DCCC. What other purpose do those sorts of signs serve other than to suggest the value of re-electing (or giving a promotion to) that public official? At least Ozinga’s ads can legitimately be claimed for another purpose.

- southsiderGOP - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 10:50 am:
Kevin, you left out the fact that, according to the Southtown, the ads began running two weeks before Balderman dropped out.
Wordslinger, most people have concrete walks, driveways, etc. If there’s a new type of concrete provides better drainage, consumers might ask their concrete contractors about the product. Perhaps it IS inefficient advertising, but much (if not most) advertising is ineffective. Perhaps we should have the government regulate advertising effectivess? The way Ozinga’s business will help him is that it shows he’s capable of bringing high-paying jobs to Illinois. He’s actually done it.

- OneMan - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 10:56 am:
wordslinger.

BASF doesn’t sell to people either but I see their ads on TV.

- Rob_N - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 10:57 am:
I wonder how big Ozinga’s “first radio buy” was with WCPT…. (/snark)

- Rob_N - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 10:59 am:
One, BASF advertises on programs with high numbers of stock investors.

They’re not looking to sell their products. They’re looking for investors.

- Mark Johnson - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 11:05 am:
It’s public relations and branding. The guy has a right to run his company and spend his money how he wants on making people realize they are responsible company. Is it over the line, no. Meaning it dosen’t break the letter of the law. Is it skirting the law, probably. By the way. I heard the Ozinga ads on WLS before Baldermann dropped out so it dosent appear the ads were created because he might be getting the nomination. He might have extended them because he is a frontrunner to be named, but it dosen’t change the fact that after he is a candidate they probably shouldn’t run if you want to stay in the spirit of the law.

- grand old partisan - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 11:07 am:
No hard feelings, Kevin, but southsiderGOP is right. You should update the post to reflect the fact that, as the paper reports, the ad was created and scheduled before the primary that Baldermann won, let alone before he dropped out and created the openning.

- chiatty - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 11:09 am:
It’s cheesy, if not sleazy, and very reminiscent of Oberweis’s ridiculous spate of ice cream commercials which always coincided with his numerous electoral failures. Ozinga will suffer the same fate.

- Kevin Fanning - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 11:24 am:
GOP -

Obviously this was a savy business move. I hear jingles over the air all the time to buy a few tons of Ozinga concrete.

Wordslinger said it best, the universe of concrete buyers is very small. Why would he buy the spot? You don’t think that he might have caught wind that Balderman was dropping out before he officially declared it?

- Bruno - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 11:33 am:
I’ll start to worry about Ozinga and Oberweis using their viable, taxpaying, job-creating businesses for pumping up name recognition when Mayor Daley, the Cook Co. Machine, and the rest of the Illinois political class stops using their tax-supported, job-destroying patronage armies for their campaign infrastructure.

chiatty may be right that this fails, but that will likely be due to the quality of the candidates, and not the increasing of their name recognition.

The idea that successful businesspeople can’t use their businesses to further possible political careers when the existing political uses every scheme in the book to further theirs is hilarious.

- Underdog - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 11:33 am:
This whole post is a stretch - comparing a legal ad to one that received a fine is irresponsible.

D trip doesn’t even say it’s wrong - they are just dying to tie a new face to the image of Oberweis.

Don’t take the bait - at least post some balance that’s included in the story.

- Joe Schmoe - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 11:34 am:
Wordslinger:

Do you know what they call Italian ice in the St. Louis area? Concrete.

Honest

- Kevin Fanning - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 11:42 am:
lol

- Squideshi - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 11:42 am:
Go Green with Ozinga? Could that slogan possibly have anything to do with the fact that he’s running against Jason Wallace?

- Plutocrat03 - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 11:47 am:
Why should someone advertise concrete? As a consumer, I may not have heard that there is a new form of concrete out there. Since I am planning a new driveway and patio this year, I am actually interested in learning about a new hard surface product. I my case it is very timely.

Is it any different than the drug companies who advertise prescription medications so that patients will ask their doctors that they want the blue (or whatever) pill.

As far as propriety, I have 3 observations.

Is it not advertising( with taxpayer dollars) that the Toll Road is run by the Gov, or the City of Chicago is run by the Mayor? These signs are not taken dow before the election cycles begin.

As mentioned above the phony newsletters paid for by taxpayer funded franking privileges are more iffy than advertising paid for by a private party.

Finally, I see from the comments above that the bias is partisan. The dems like that status quo. Anything a republican does is evil and cannot be tolerated.

- GOP'er - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 11:48 am:
Kevin, exactly right. If there is anyone out there who honestly thinks Balderman advised the world the very same day he decided to turn tail -that person should really get back on the turnip truck.

This scam’s been in the works for awhile. The empty suits at the Illinois GOP are good at scams. Not so good at winning.

- grand old partisan - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 11:53 am:
Kevin,

Of course it’s possible that Ozinga “caught wind” that Balderman was planning to drop out. But I still think it would have been better to lay all the facts out there, and then spectulate about whether or not that was the case.

Again, it’s nothing person, and I’m not trying to bust your chops. You’re doing some fine work. Just need to keep you honest, that’s all!

- Kevin Fanning - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 11:59 am:
Haha thanks, and none taken. You were right to point it out, the truth is that I didn’t think about that aspect, and it was a good catch.

- Crimefighter - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 12:05 pm:
Joel Tjumberland did it here locally for a county board seat. The commericals weren’t new, just recycled from past ad runs for the car dealership.

- Bill - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 12:42 pm:
It doesn’t matter. Marty could give everybody in the district a free driveway and he still wouldn’t beat Halvorson. I can’t believe these so-called businesssmen waste their own money like this.

- Sock Puppet Express - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 12:54 pm:
Did not realize ChopperJim was doing campaign consulting now too. Maybe he can help Schock and Fast Eddie’s pal, Fast Tony P. too! Add CaptKirk to the list.

- southsiderGOP - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 12:55 pm:
I was going to pay for my driveway with the $5000 from Hillary. But I don’t need a driveway or car anymore cause Blago is giving me (and all seniors) free transportation. I can’t believe so-called public servants waste the taxpayers’ money getting elected.

- fed up - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 1:09 pm:
I much prefer this to Blago wasting taxdollars to put his name all over the tollway

- RMW Stanford - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 1:16 pm:
#

“Go Green with Ozinga? Could that slogan possibly have anything to do with the fact that he’s running against Jason Wallace?”

Probably not, I am guessing that Jason Wallace and all other Green party candidates are pretty far down on the list of concerns of both Democrats and Republican candidates.

- VanillaMan - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 1:21 pm:
“A copy of the contract with WLS shows the contract was entered into Jan. 21. The radio advertisement began running Feb. 7 - two weeks before Baldermann stunned the GOP establishment and dropped out. So Ozinga Bros. was working on the ad and scheduling its release before anyone knew of a potential opening on the GOP ticket.”

Those who see a conspiracy simply don’t want to believe the facts. Instead they would rather lie to suit their political beliefs.

Never believe what Ryan Rudominer says.

- VanillaMan - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 1:23 pm:
“Ozinga takes a page from Oberweis’ playbook”

This thread title states this as a fact. It is not. At least you guys can put a “?” after it!

- Napoleon has left the building - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 2:05 pm:
Joe Schmoe is way wrong. A concrete is frozen custard with stuff mixed in. Italian Ice is shaved frozen sugary juice.

I may not know much about politics, but don’t challenge me on desserts!

- Rob_N - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 4:32 pm:
Vanilla (and others),

Even if the production work was done and contract signed before the primary, the slating of open positions happens after the primary and Mr. Ozinga may very well have been planning to make himself available as an after-the-fact candidate for state lege to be placed on the ballot by the GOP.

Anyone know if the State Rep and State Senate seats (or County Board seats, etc.) are open in his district?

Just a thought.

- Squideshi - Thursday, Apr 3, 08 @ 4:45 pm:
RMW Stanford wrote, “Probably not, I am guessing that Jason Wallace and all other Green party candidates are pretty far down on the list of concerns of both Democrats and Republican candidates.”

Not in Will County and especially not in the 11th Congressional race. Jason Wallace is in a unique situation, being an Iraq War veteran, who is opposed to the continued occupation, does not accept corporate money, and is opposed to the proposed airport near Peotone. He’s cutting across party lines and both urban and rural constituencies.

- candycane - Thursday, Apr 10, 08 @ 7:27 pm:
Should we ban all candycanes because they are red and white striped like Ozinga trucks,perhaps the real reason they advertise a new type of concrete now is because the new construction is just starting dah;;and they have had a green division since last summer. I am sure they were thinking of the election then.maybe he should change the name of his whole company till he wins the election.Do you pepole have nothing else dumb to think of ?

Pingback WurfWhile - Halvorson Campaign Poll Says She’s Beating Ozinga In 11th Congressional Race - Tuesday, Jun 3, 08 @ 11:29 pm:
[…] Polling “before [the Ozinga]campaign has spent one dime on paid media?” Well, perhaps technically - but it is interesting how Ozinga’s namesake cement supply company started radio ads around February. Very interesting. […]

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