AFP Launches Major Ad Campaign Elevating the Voices of Those Struggling with Inflation, High Gas Prices

Jul 13, 2022 by AFP

Series of testimonials highlights painstaking tradeoffs and appeals to Washington to change course.

Arlington, VA – Americans for Prosperity today extended its “True Cost of Washington” campaign with the launch of a series of testimonial ads about how rising costs have been putting pressure on individuals and families and what Washington needs to do to provide real relief. The significant seven-figure buy will target constituents across 9 key states through television and digital, including 165 gas stations as people continue to pay near record-high prices to fill up their tanks.

The ads feature real people explaining their struggle to weather the increased costs on everything from groceries to gasoline and how Washington’s excessive spending and restrictive energy policies are contributing to the pain. Many of the testimonials come from individuals who participated in one of the dozens of AFP-sponsored gas station price drops, in which AFP partners with gas station owners cover the cost of rolling back consumer prices to before President Biden took office.

Sample Ads at the Pump:

Americans Are Tired of Paying More, and Getting Less | True Cost of Washington (:60)

Reckless Spending Is Making Prices Skyrocket. Americans Want It to Stop. (:30)

Gas Prices Don’t Have to Be This High | True Cost of Washington (:30)

Sample TV and Digital Ads:

Everyday Americans on How Inflation Impacts Them, and How We Move Forward (:60)

Everyday Americans on How Inflation Impacts Them and the Way Forward | True Cost of Washington (:30)

The ads will run in major markets in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the Washington, DC / metro area. AFP President and CEO Emily Seidel issued the following statement on the campaign:

“The fear and concern expressed in these ads is the same concern we hear every day from people of all different backgrounds and perspectives. Washington should listen closely to what they’re saying because they speak for many more than just themselves.

“Unfortunately, today these voices are being ignored. Americans are feeling the squeeze of the worst inflation crisis in 40 years, yet Democrats and the Biden administration seem intent on making a last-ditch effort to push through more spending and a trillion-dollar tax hike – even in the face of a shrinking economy.

“AFP will work relentlessly to oppose these failed policies that are causing so much hardship and stress for millions and show Washington there’s a better way. The tax and spend policies being proposed now are the same ones that led to where we are today. We can’t continue down this path and expect to wind up somewhere different.”

AFP’s True Cost of Washington Tour has been crisscrossing the country partnering with gas stations to offset the cost of gasoline and bring it back to what it was the day before President Biden took office. The dozens of events have provided meaningful relief for consumers, while drawing attention to the misguided policies that continue to drive costs higher.

To learn more about the campaign and see the next tour stops, visit TrueCostofWashington.com. To read about a better approach that clears government burdens to help expand opportunity for all Americans, visit AFP’s legislative roadmap: Empowering People, Emerging Stronger.