On November 1st, the Agency released a simple, powerful visual that switched the colors of the two candidates and asked Americans to “Let the issues be the issue”.

The image was attached in an e-mail to 70 people with the request that each pass it on to their friends. Street posters were posted in New York City. The effect was global: it was covered by news networks including CNN, BBC and Reuters, blogs such as Cool Hunter, Gawker and hundreds of others, was the top item on Digg. It appeared in the UK Guardian, the cover of a French daily newspaper and it was even taught in schools on election day. Immediately the blogs and news networks picked it up, a global discussion was underway, and by Election Day 37 million people had seen the image.

More than 37 million people viewed the image in just five days. It was featured and discussed on blogs and websites as well as covered by CNN, Reuters, numerous newspapers including The French national daily Le Monde. CNN held a panel discussion featuring a representative from the agency. Schools in three states used the image as the basis for a lesson plan.The goal of this was awareness. We reached 37 million people in five days with a media budget of $5,000. We wanted to reach as many people as possible. We were able to reach 37 million.