(Newser)
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Mitt Romney has been raking in the big bucks, and the Washington Post takes a look at what he has done with some of that campaign cash: assembled his own "Mad Men" team. The candidate has hired a motley crew of Madison Avenue all-stars to bolster his advertising campaign, and they're spending as many as 14 hours a day on the project. The team is focused on telling the stories of people affected by the troubled economy; they hope their "trail of tears" will add an element of emotion to the campaign.
And they're not your average political consultants. Fergie Ferguson is covered in tattoos (a cyclone on his ring finger reminds him not to marry again), for instance ... but he also came up with the famed "Beef, it's what's for dinner" slogan. Vinny Minchillo lists lawnmower racing among his resume-worthy skills, and lists JCPenney and Subaru among his former clients. With backgrounds advertising everything from Big Macs to BMWs, they hope to tighten up Romney's message. Most political ads try "to shove 10 pounds of (junk) in a two-pound bag," says Ferguson. Instead, they should "get that one simple idea out there ... 'It’s the economy, and we’re not stupid.'"
