Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate vying for the 2024 Republican nomination, has not run a television advertisement in the early contest states of Iowa or New Hampshire in over a week. Instead, Ramaswamy has been critical of spending on presidential television ads, calling it “idiotic” and a trick used by political consultants to deceive candidates with low intelligence. In a post on social media platform X, Ramaswamy stated that presidential TV spending has a low return on investment (ROI) and that his campaign is taking a different approach by following data. Ramaswamy teased a "big surprise" coming on January 15.

Tricia McLaughin, a spokesperson for the Ramaswamy campaign, confirmed that they have not run television ads in Iowa or New Hampshire since December 17. This decision could raise concerns as the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary are less than 30 days away, and Ramaswamy aims to exceed expectations indicated by current poll numbers, where he is significantly trailing his opponents in both states. The Iowa caucus is scheduled for January 15, followed by the New Hampshire primary on January 23.

Former President Donald Trump, who currently leads the Republican primary field, responded to Ramaswamy's campaign going dark on TV ads by expressing his belief that Ramaswamy will endorse him. However, Trump acknowledged that Ramaswamy is a good man who is not finished yet.

McLaughin explained that the campaign's decision to halt TV ads is based on their internal data, which suggests that Ramaswamy's voters are not traditional broadcast television consumers. Instead, the campaign plans to use addressable advertising, mail, text, live calls, and door-to-door outreach to communicate with their voters and turn them out for the caucuses. This unconventional strategy allows the campaign to be nimble and hyper-targeted in their ad spending.

In early November, the Ramaswamy campaign announced a significant advertising buy in Iowa and New Hampshire, but their spending on TV ads has decreased in December. Ad tracking firm AdImpact reported that Ramaswamy's campaign has spent $1,865,039 on advertising in Iowa and $1,307,402 in New Hampshire so far, with much of the funding coming from Ramaswamy's personal funds.

Ramaswamy's recent dismissal of TV ad spending contradicts his previous statement in August, where he acknowledged the need to be on TV in the early states to compete. However, a study from Cambridge University published in 2021 suggests that the primary impact of political television advertising is to persuade voters by providing information rather than mobilizing them to turn out to the polls.

Howard Hubbard, the Iowa Davis County chair for the Ramaswamy campaign, believes that Ramaswamy's younger audience may consume ads on social media instead of traditional television. Ramaswamy has made efforts to attract young people, including campaigning on college campuses with open bars and engaging in TikToks and podcast interviews.

While Ramaswamy's campaign has shifted away from TV ads, other GOP contenders are still investing significantly in television advertising. According to AdImpact, Nikki Haley's campaign has spent $4,512,174 in Iowa, while Trump has spent $4,227,139. In New Hampshire, DeSantis has only spent $896 on digital ads, while Haley has spent $3,174,102. Trump's campaign has spent $2,911,808. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has spent $358,877 in New Hampshire and nothing in Iowa.

Overall, Ramaswamy's decision to halt TV ad spending has raised eyebrows as the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary draw near. The unconventional approach reflects the campaign's focus on data-driven strategies and targeting non-traditional television consumers. Only time will tell if this strategy pays off for Ramaswamy and leads to a major upset on January 15.