Working with New York-based agency Berlin Rosen and partners Valerie Berlin and Alex Navarro-McKay, Epandmedia produced and directed several TV ads for 2012 State Senate races in New York.
In New York’s 37th District two Epandmedia-produced TV ads led to a November win for Assemblyman George Latimer against Republican businessman Bob Cohen. The first – “Fire” – criticized Bob Cohen for proposed funding cuts to Westchester County emergency services. It showed a family home burning to the ground – because emergency services were cut to a point in which they were no longer timely enough to be effective. The ad was paid for by VOTE COPE, a non-partisan political action arm of New York State United Teachers and its affiliates.
A second ad, funded by Empire State PAC – “At Stake” – highlighted George Latimer’s positive record on issues important to women, such as health care and family benefits, as well as his key endorsement by influential US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Both were directed by Len Epand and edited by Senior Editor Paul Levin.
In the fall of 2012 Berlin Rosen commissioned EpandMedia to direct and produce a TV ad to influence the race for the New York State Senate seat in Monroe and Ontario county, the 55th Senate District. The ad – “Hanna” – paid for by the New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV), was created to defeat Republican and NY Assemblyman Sean Hanna in his bid for State Senate. The ad attacked Hanna’s wrong and dangerous stances on environmental issues especially critical to the region. “Hanna” portrays the candidate as a sleepy, ignorant science student and slams him for voting to loosen laws against dangerous pesticides, and for voting against the regulation of toxic chemicals in children’s products.
Directed by Len Epand and edited by EpandMedia’s Paul Levin, the ad was credited with helping Democrat Ted O’Brien defeat Hanna November 6.