Kamala Harris is set to begin airing a campaign advertisement on the Las Vegas Sphere starting Thursday, as announced in a press release from the presidential campaign on Tuesday. This marks the first instance of a political campaign utilizing the Sphere for advertising, forming part of an intensive get-out-the-vote effort amidst polls in Nevada indicating a close contest between Harris and Donald Trump.
The Sphere, a $2.3 billion structure inaugurated in late 2023, serves as a concert venue and features 580,000 square feet of LED displays capable of broadcasting advertising material. The cost of advertising on the Sphere is approximately $450,000 per day, although discounts are available for campaigns purchasing an entire week. Rates for peak days in Las Vegas, such as New Year’s Eve, can range from $1 to $2 million per day, as reported by PR Week. The specific cost of the Harris campaign ads has not been disclosed.
Harris’s advertisement, which is available on YouTube, features a red, white, and blue theme with messages like “vote for freedom” and “vote for opportunity,” alongside a photograph of the vice president. Phrases such as “when we fight we win” and “when we vote we win” also appear in the ad.
A political pin with the slogan “vote for reproductive freedom” is included in the advertisement, conveying a message that the Democrats believe will motivate voter turnout. The 2022 midterm elections experienced significant Democratic turnout, largely attributed to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Former President Trump appointed three justices crucial to the overturning of Roe and has previously claimed credit for impacting abortion rights in the U.S., although he occasionally attempts to distance himself from this stance due to its unpopularity.
Polling averages in Nevada show an extremely tight race, with FiveThirtyEight reporting Trump having a slight lead of 0.2% over Harris. Previously, Harris had a 1.2% lead in the state in late August.
Nevada is one of seven highly contested states where polling averages show narrow margins, as seen in Wisconsin (+0.1% Harris), Pennsylvania (+0.3% Trump), Michigan (+0.7% Harris), North Carolina (+1.2% Trump), Georgia (+1.5% Trump), and Arizona (+1.8% Trump).
According to a statement from the Harris campaign on Tuesday, “In the days before Election Day, Team Harris-Walz is pulling out all the stops to get voters to the polls. In Nevada, the Sphere activation will be a critical piece of our efforts, which also includes homepage takeovers of top newspapers, mobile billboards in Reno, Carson City, and Las Vegas.”
Additionally, the campaign has invested in radio remotes, food trucks near early voting sites, community Get Out The Vote block parties, and maintaining a strong presence at local events like the East Las Vegas ‘Cabalgata’ horse parade.
Harris is scheduled to make a visit to Nevada on Thursday, with Election Day falling on Tuesday, November 5.