Last fall, the Occupy movement amplified the voices of the 99% in cities and parks around the country, and in doing so literally changed the national conversation. 

In October, two filmmakers uploaded a 30 second video to YouTube with voices from the Occupy Wall St, and then it was posted on the crowdfunded advertising platform LoudSauce, and 168 people pledged over $6,000, and LoudSauce aired the first Occupy spot on national television, reaching over 3.2 million viewers with a message direct from the occupiers themselves. It even aired during Fox News' O'Reilly Factor. 

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Now, with the 2012 political campaign season underway, the national dialogue is again being controlled by the super wealthy. The influence of the 1% is channeling its voice powerfully through the Super PACs, whose average donation is $88,000 according to the Sunlight Foundation. 

We need to take back the conversation again. We need some kind of people’s PAC to amplify voices of the 99%.  

So this spring, we’ll reawaken the nation by occupying not just city parks but also America’s television sets. We're calling on filmmakers, online activists, and people like you to create and share 30-second spots capturing a message or vision from the voices speaking up for what's possible in the streets. 

And this time around, we’re raising the stakes- together we’ll raise $150,000 from thousands of regular citizens, showing millions more Americans on national TV what really matters to the 99%. 

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So whether filming the marches during May, inspired by a powerful poem shared on YouTube, or remixing voices from the news, go ahead and edit together a spot worth amplifying on national TV. We're asking that you making it 27 seconds, so they spots can be customized to include a final call to action and a powerful and transparent "Paid for by" with voices from the 99%.  

Then submit it on LoudSauce before May 21st with a strong headline and an audience that you hope to reach. At the end of May, the campaign will open up to funding from the public - and any spot receiving at least $1,000 will be aired on national TV. So get ready spread the word about your video, ask your friends and networks to chip in and get your video on national TV. 

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Another world is emerging, and it's time to amplify our vision to inspire the country again. By purchasing your own airtime for the messages that most represent your values, the movement can communicate directly with other people, without the media distorting our message. 

It’s time to transform our democracy, it’s time to occupy the airwaves. 

Join us: loudsauce.com/occupyspots

Together, we can reach millions.

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It's so inspiring to see the faces of the funders of this ad glittering on bustling Times Square. Kudos to UP Greek Tourism and the 333 proud funders of the Up Greek Tourism campaign.

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"Engaging new supporters online and turning them into donors is a critical task for any nonprofit organization, and a LoudSauce campaign can be a great tool to help them achieve it."

Thanks to Heath Wickline from the Uniting NC campaign for this comprehensive case study of how non-profits can use LoudSauce to grow their followers, collect press, and increase their impact. 

Crowdraising: Running a Successful LoudSauce Campaign for Uniting NC

Advertising can be a great vehicle to make a real, emotional connection with our audiences and to raise the visibility of a campaign or organization. But the expense of buying ad space can be a barrier to many nonprofits. Ads aren’t worth a thing if no one seems them, and ad prices are based on the number of eyeballs that will see them. That’s why Super Bowl spots are obscenely expensive while you see ads for local furniture stores in the middle of the night. It’s how the system works and it’s a conundrum.

Social media may now provide an answer. A new online platform calledLoudSauce is looking to change that difficult advertising equation by introducing a simple way for individuals to amplify ideas they like. Using a model similar to platforms like Kickstarter or IndieGoGo, LoudSauce’s users are putting their money where their mouths are by crowdfunding ads from good causes that highlight smart ideas, get people thinking, and change hearts and minds.

Last fall, I had the chance to pilot the service by helpingUniting NC, an organization working to make North Carolina a place that respects and values immigrants. For an exciting, statewide billboard campaign, we raised $3,500 through a combination of online crowdfunding and old-fashioned in-person fundraising. At least as important as funding this unusual campaign, were the additions to Uniting NC’s email list: a 5% increase, exclusively from people who had already demonstrated their willingness to open their wallets. And when the billboards went up, they attracted huge attention from local and regional press, vastly expanding the reach of the campaign and enhancing Uniting NC’s stature statewide.

This is how we did it.

Continue reading 'Crowdraising: Running a Successful LoudSauce Campaign for Uniting NC'

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"Drivers coming off the Bay Bridge in to the city during the last week of 2011 will probably recognize this curious billboard message from "The Bay Bridge". The billboard was part of a crowdsourcing experiment from San Francisco-based startup LoudSauce..."

Read more of the story behind the Bay Bridge billboarin the SFist. 

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This holiday season, LoudSauce is doing something a little different. You've been following progress with our San Francisco billboard project- going up off the Bay Bridge during the final week of 2012. We've asked you to help us brainstorm, design, and vote for the best ideas- now with the billboard design in hand, it's time to fund it!

To celebrate the season of giving, we're kicking off the 12 Days of LoudSauce. For the next 12 days, we'll be humming our own version of the old song-- all about the gifts that spring up when people come together.

Each day we'll be adding a line to the song and a creative image to spread over Facebook- so keep your eyes peeled and join the choir. Donate here today: http://loudsauce.com/campaigns/59

The 12 Days of LoudSauce

To follow the rest of the song, follow us on Facebook!

On the tenth day of LoudSauce, the people made a pledge to the top 10 billboard ads of 2011,

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Imagine if next year's Grammys were hosted by Planet Earth. Check out this awesome video from Pacha's Pajamas, the story and music album that teaches kids about the environment through pop culture.

Help Pacha's reach millions of kids by chipping in to spread the story of Pacha through the most popular YouTube videos. Donate today by visiting Pacha's LoudSauce campaign page.

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Banned on the Hill (and in Europe!) from Franke James on Vimeo.

Wondering what's possible with a LoudSauce campaign? Check out this awesome video from Franke James, the artist who ran a LoudSauce campaign to take her blacklisted art to the streets (bus stops!) of Ottawa. 

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Cross-posted from Huffington Post San Francisco and Huffington Post Occupy Wall St

I remember ten years ago, as a middle schooler witnessing the tides change in our country -- seeing burning towers on the TV screen and in the months that followed, watching a war unfold. Over the last decade, Americans have faced a series of major upheavals, from housing crisis and the onslaught of the recession, to a historic election that stirred our guarded optimism. 2011 punctuated this decade of upheaval with a wave of unrest and revolution that spread from Tunisia to Wall St. As the year draws to a close, I can't help but feel as if a new era is approaching. What if the message that defines 2012, and this emerging era, came from the crowd?

For this historical moment in time, it feels especially meaningful to live in the Bay Area. I recently moved from Washington DC -- which I had long considered to be our nation's center of gravity -- fed up with working to affect change amid the political mudslinging, gridlock, and compromise. Here in San Francisco, I am in awe of the revolution that is taking place regardless of the political climate -- all around me, individuals are tossing out the rule book, redefining the game, rebuilding and re-imagining whatever systems and industries stand in our way.

Days after I arrived in San Francisco, the whole country suddenly was swept up in a major wake-up call -- people flocking together, deciding enough is enough, the current political and economic system has got to change. What inspires me most about the Occupy Movement is the collective realization that the wait is over -- across cities and towns, people are rejecting the notion that we'll have to wait for change to happen to us, for the economy to recover, for the jobs to be created, for the policies to change, for the conversation to start.

Simultaneously in San Francisco, entrepreneurs, innovators, and builders are already at work using their own ideas, creativity and strength in numbers to build a more just and sustainable system. There's Square -- which is revolutionizing small business transactions via mobile payments, and Benefit Corporation based out of the Hub San Francisco -- that believe business can do good and do well -- as well as Kiva,CarrotMob, and countless other ingenious and inspiring groups that have refused to wait for change.

One Bay Area start-up is concerned in particular with the role of media in bringing about meaningful change. LoudSauce, co-founded by Colin Mutchler and Christie George, takes inspiration from tools like Twitter and Facebook, which have enabled us to influence our friends and networks. LoudSauce is working to expand the definition of social media, to take people-powered messages one step further by providing people with the tools to reach beyond their current social network -- occupying billboards, bus stops, and TV ads with messages created and funded by the 99%.

It seems fitting that at the cusp of 2012, one of San Francisco's major commercial billboard spaces will be occupied by a message envisioned, designed, chosen and paid for by the people. Starting with community-generated ideas (via Facebook questions) and with the help of a handful of Bay Area designers and creative types, LoudSauce is asking the Bay Area to vote over the next three days on which message should go up on the billboard and greet over 600,000 drivers after crossing the Bay Bridge during the final week of 2011.

This project is just one of the many springing out of the Bay Area, showing the world that together, crowds of people everywhere can literally shape the kind of world we want to live in. I'm resolved in believing that 2012 will begin the era of the positive, entrepreneurial and crowd-driven spirit that will revitalize this country.

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This holiday season, LoudSauce is asking you to help to shape the message that greets drivers crossing the Bay Bridge into San Francisco during the final week of 2011. First, we asked for your ideas on Facebook- tons of great slogans and concepts came in. Next, we held a brainstorming party to takes these ideas to the next level and enlisted Bay Area creative types to come up with some designs. 

Drum roll please... The LoudSauce Highway 101 Billboard Campaign is now LIVE - now it's your turn to tell us which billboard design you LIKE best. The most popular design will be the one that goes up on Highway 101 and reaches hundreds of thousands of Bay Area commuters after the holidays.
 

Here's how it works:

1- Check out the billboard designs below or by visiting the campaign page

2- To vote, click the "Like" box under your favorite billboard design 

3- After you've liked your favorite design, invite all your Facebook friends to like it too!

The billboard page will show up in your newsfeed, making it easy to invite, tag, post, and share with co-workers, relatives, friends, and housemates.

4- Don't forget to chip in- By donating, you'll be bringing this billboard to life. As a creative and meaningful holiday gift, you can also donate in honor of a friend or family member. 

Let's usher in the new year by sending a powerful message to over 600,000 Bay Area drivers and showing the world how together, we can shape the kind of world we want to live in. We need you to help make this happen- which billboard should we bring to life?

Happy Holidays from the LoudSauce team,

Colin, Caroline, Adrian, and Nick 

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Last night's Billboard Happy Hour at the Hub San Francisco was a major success and a lot of fun.

Our friends from Compost Modern and Big New Ideas, and the Presidio sustainable MBA program, as well as long-time LoudSauce advisors, Christie George and Charles Baker joined us for pizza, beer, and some inspired brainstorming around what to put up on the San Francisco Highway 101 billboard for the last week of 2011. 

We started with some of the great ideas from our Facebook Questions poll- from LoudSauce fans around the country. A few themes that stood out:

• 2012 is a year for renewal- marking a new beginning. 
• We're already building the new system right here in the Bay Area.
• There were also a lot of the ideas around sharing, compassion, and messages that relate specifically to car drivers. 

• "2012: The beginning is near", "2012: It's just the beginning…"
• "Compassion requires no receipt"
• "We are SF. Let's build the new system"
• "If you support government spending, keep driving"

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In the next few days, we'll roll out these billboard ideas online. As we mentioned in our last blog post, we want YOU to decide which design goes up and reaches hundreds of thousands.

By donating, you'll be bringing this billboard to life. But don't just stop at donating- the idea with the most "Likes" gets the billboard, so if you really love the idea, spread the word and get all your friends, co-workers, and relatives to Like it as well! 

We'll let you know  the billboard campaign goes live- and we'll make it easy for you to tell everyone you know about it.

Stay tuned!

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In the past year alone, LoudSauce has brought people together to fund some pretty amazing media- from the Story of Stuff on A&E's Hoarders to Franke Jame's artwork on bus stops along the streets of Ottawa. This holiday season, LoudSauce will put the power in the hands of our community from start to finish- we want you to decide what will go up on a Highway 101 billboard and reach hundreds of thousands of Bay Area commuters during the week after Christmas.

In the next few weeks, we'll be asking you to:

- share your ideas 

- shape the image that finds its way to the billboard

- decide with your dollars which image to amplify

Here are the details. Please take a moment to tell us what you think- and stay tuned! 

#1- YOUR IDEAS, PLEASE: Click here to choose your favorite billboard ideas and add to the growing list on our Facebook page. Post this poll to your Facebook profile and ask your friends to chime in.

#2- BAY AREA BRAINSTORM/HAPPY HOUR: This Monday night, we'll bring together some of San Francisco's innovators, creative-types, and do-gooders to take these ideas to the next level. This happy hour will spark the creation of clever, powerful, and beautiful images and messages that could find their way to the billboard. RSVP here.

#3- GIVING THANKS, LOUDSAUCE-STYLE: This Turkey Day, while we're home with family or visiting relatives, we'll be giving thanks for freedom of expression and the power of crowds-- and getting into the Spirit of Giving by kicking off the holiday season with the LoudSauce billboard campaign competition.

Talk to your aunties, your grandpa, your neighbors- what do they think should go up on Highway 101 Billboard this December 26th, 2011? Choose your favorite idea, donate to bring this idea to life, and tell your friends and family about it. It's winner takes all, so the most popular idea will be the one that gets the billboard. 

#4- THE GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING: As the holidays draw to a close, we'll put up a powerful message- reaching hundreds of thousands of Bay Area commuters and showing the world how we can come together to amplify ideas that matter. 

It's your turn- help create the message that matters to you. 

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We received news this morning that the #Occupy TV Ad produced by Glenn Grossman and David Sauvage, and funded by 168 citizens, is slotted to air tonight during the O'Reilly Factor.  Note that as per the Google TV Ads service, it will air nationally ONLY for subscribers of DISH Network, Direct TV, and Verizon Fios. 

Confirmed times for Wed November 9th airings for subscribers of DISH Network, DirectTV, Verizon Fios

• O'Reilly Factor, 8:45pm ET (5:45pm PT)
• O'Reilly Factor, 11:15pm ET (8:15pm PT)
• O'Reilly Factor, 11:45pm ET (8:45pm PT)

For list of confirmed airings, you can see the following Google doc. 

Watch, record and share!

In order to document the experience, go ahead and find a friend or go to a bar or community center with DISH, DirectTV, or Verizon Fios. Then record and share a video like the one below that was recorded on Saturdy during the airing during Charlie Rose on Bloomberg Business TV. 

Then share it on the LoudSauce Facebook page and wherever else you'd like. And fund the new campaign to reach millions more along with two new ads. 

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In the last 3 weeks alone, we have managed to make major headlines for a very bold endeavor involving a 30 second Youtube video. 

This weekend, #Occupy is coming to your living room-- and the living rooms of over a million other Americans! In order to make this first round of ads the wave that opens the floodgates, we need your help. 

Starting today (saturday) and continuing till Monday, we're hosting the #Occupy Ad Nationwide Live Viewing Party. You don't need to go anywhere- just grab your camera phone and tune into Bloomberg Business News. Keep reading for the list of airing times and how to find your area channel.

Please take a moment to RSVP now and spread the word to everyone you know. 

In town squares around the country and on online hubs like LoudSauce, people are congregating- so we think its fitting that this weekend, we witness this milestone- for the future of media and the reach of the Occupy movement- together.

We're asking you to join us by tuning in for the #Occupy Ad Nationwide Live Viewing Party- happening throughout the weekend from your laptop, living room, or local bar. Here's what will happen:

1. You and your friends tune in Bloomberg Business News and watch the ad go live on national TV! Click here to watch live from the internet or find the channel in your area. Check out the complete list of airing times below.
2. Snap a photo of your #Occupy Viewing Party (you+TV=magic)
3. Upload your photo onto facebook.com/loudsauce, where we will source #Occupy Viewing Party pics from around the country. 

This week could become a tipping point for something bigger and bolder than even we are ready to believe ... just think ... Superbowl 2012?

In order to make this dream a reality, here's what we need from you: please RSVP to the #Occupy Nationwide Live Viewing Party on Facebook. Help us reach even more people by posting it on your wall and inviting all your friends!

We're so inspired to be a platform that useful to this movement, and glad you'll join us in experiencing this historic moment. Thanks for all that you do to bring democracy to life.

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Watch for the ad which will air on Bloomberg Business News nationally at the following times:

For subscribers of DISH Network, DirectTV, and Verizon Fios, the ad will also be airing throughout the weekend and early next week on ESPN, CBS Sports, History International, Outdoor Channel, Gayle King Show, Grey’s Anatomy and Friends. We'll keep the full detailed list updated on the Occupy TV Ad airings Google doc.

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What's this #Occupy ad about?

As the Occupy movement steadily grows in size and popularity, media pundits and news anchors are clamoring to find a way to characterize it, while many Americans are curious, watching, waiting and seeking to understand. Freelance film producer, David Sauvage wanted to capture the human faces that make up this movement- the real voice of the 99%- so they made a 30 second video clip that has since found received thousands of views and made its way through major news sources in the US and around the world.

More importantly, in less than a week, $6,278 was raised by 168 citizens- enough money to air the ad on major TV stations like CBS Sports and FoxNews and during shows like Friends and Grey's Anatomy. In other words, this ad has the potential to reach millions of average Americans who just want to know what the Occupy movement is really about.

Support the next wave of #Occupy TV ads

The filmmakers David Sauvage and Glenn Grossman who made this first 30 sec spot have already made 2 new ads, which you can watch and support on the new #Occupy TV ads campaign page on LoudSauce. They are looking to raise $15k in the next 30 days to support the production of these 3 ads ($5k), as well as $10k more in ad space to spread the ideas even more. 

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Wednesday morning, I joined Canadian artist, Franke James for the opening of her new art show, "Banned on the Hill". But Franke's art wasn't hanging in a gallery behind closed doors- it was displayed in clear view, on the bus stops up and down the street in Ottawa across a block away from the Parliment building. 

As I watched Franke climb onto a sidewalk bench in order to gesture toward her bus-stop poster--- I had to wonder how she ended up on the Canadian government's bad side. Franke has a talent for capturing complicated ideas with amazing lucidity-- which is perhaps what makes her such a powerful spokesperson when it comes to challenging the government's climate and energy policies.

Franke made headlines last July when it was revealed that the Canadian Embassy had attempted to block her European art tour. Denied the funding for her tour, as a citizen artist Franke set out to plan a whole new art show - one that would be funded instead by small contributions from supporters around the world via LoudSauce and would line the streets of Canada's capitol city. 

The video below sums up Franke's story and how she used LoudSauce to reclaim her right to self-expression and bring her gift out in the open for all- including Prime Minister Harper- to see. The LoudSauce team is proud that our platform enabled Franke to show her art and speak her mind- to call on her country's leaders to respect freedom of speech and support real solutions to climate change.

Franke_Video.m4v Watch on Posterous

Franke's art show exemplifies how a LoudSauce campaign can use imaginative placement and bold artful media to turn heads and create the buzz. Her show has already received coverage in major Canadian news outlets like Postmedia News and Metro News, and we're planning to create a case study to help other artists use LoudSauce to crowdfund ad space and reach millions.

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Hi all! My name is Caroline Henderson and I am excited to join the Loudsauce team as Online Community Manager—in a nutshell, my job is to interact with, learn from, and support you the Loudsauce fans, supporters, and campaigners. I.e. best job ever.

If you have ideas about how we could make Loudsauce even better or what campaigns you’d like to see us promote, I would love to hear from you- drop me an email at caroline (at) loudsauce.com. 

If you haven’t already, take a second to Like us on Facebook- hands down the best way to stay up to date on the latest people-powered media

Caroline_intro.mov Watch on Posterous

A little about me: I am a recent San Francisco transplant, having spent a few years in Washington D.C, working with groups like 350.org to build grassroots demand for climate solutions. I was lucky to be at the center of the action during some historic moments. From the flood of stories covering the UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen to the day that President Obama answered the public’s call to put solar on the White House, I’ve witnessed firsthand how much media shapes public opinion, decision-making, and ultimately the course of our country.

That’s why I’m so stoked to be part of a movement that will do for paid media what Facebook and Twitter did for the online community- putting the power to tell the story in the hands of the people.

I look forward to connecting with you- Like us on Facebook and stay tuned for what will be an action- packed and Loudsauce-smothered next couple of weeks!

Fun facts: I’m also a certified yoga instructor, a blogger for the Huffington Post, and a huge fan of Beyoncé.

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A great interview with Colin Mutchler sharing his founder story with Ali Nazir of K Method to the Madness

Episode 11 - Democratizing Ad Campaigns by baymadness

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While there has been some good reflection on the early stage investing gap in the social capital markets, we were fortunate enough to be able to announce our first investment from New World Innovation, who understands the game changing impact potential of LoudSauce and also sees the growing market opportunity for crowdfunded advertising.

The Rise of People Powered Markets

Perhaps the early stage investing gap will be filled not by investors at all, but rather the friends, followers and potential customers of these promising social ventures and ideas.  At the “Beyond Crowdfunding” panel that LoudSauce participated in with IndieGoGo and StartSomeGood, the hunger for using crowdfunding to accelerate early stage projects and reach much larger audiences became very clear. 

During my favorite panel, moderated by Neil Gorenflo from Shareable, founders from AirBnB, GetAround, and GoGrubly, shared lessons from their sharing marketplaces for homes, cars, meals and baby clothes respectively. What stood out for me were the founders’ focus on growing their businesses, embedding social impact into their culture, and getting top talent and investors to continue to be valuable to customers and investors. 

Ultimately, the value of the access economy / collaborative consumption / the mesh / crowdfunding (too many buzzwords) will hopefully be to realign people’s buying and selling choices with what we actual value as human beings and communities. 

Innovation Showcase: Crowdfund Ad Campaigns

So in the spirit of putting your money where your values are, we’re offering an opportunity help four amazing social ventures from the SOCAP Innovation showcase reach totally new audiences. Chip in $5, $25 or $100 to help amplify these ideas out beyond our community!

See the full gallery on Posterous

1. Wello's innovative WaterWheels in India: Raising $500 to sponsor ad space for social marketing messages on the waterwheel.
2. Bring Senda's Fair Trade Soccer to 5,000 coaches: This campaign will allow Senda to introduce Fair Trade soccer balls to thousands of coaches nationwide. The campaign is focused on leagues, teams, and schools that set trends in the soccer community.
3. Bamboo bicycles from Zambia on Bicycling.com: Help put bamboo bicycles from Zambia in front of the biggest Bicycling audience in the world with online video ads. 
4. CO2bambu billboard in Nicaragua: The innovative bamboo housing company CO2Bambu wants to raise the profile of Bamboo Living in Nicaragua and reach international travelers with advertising at the Managua airport.

Thanks to your support in building a community that helps amplify ideas that matter out beyond our social networks to reach millions. Please continue to pledge to campaigns (even if only $1 or $5) and spread the word!

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With their current experiments with LoudSauce, the inspiring climate change network 350.org continues to demonstrate best practices in crowdfunded advertising tactics, and their success provides key lessons for those who wish to create impact with crowdfunded ad campaigns through LoudSauce  in the future. In addition to these key lessons, see the full press release below for this weekend's bike campaign in Boston.

Below are 4 key lessons for successful crowdfunded ad campaigns:

1. Funding the Ad Space
   350.org successfully raising nearly $10k in less than a week for their hard hitting ad targeting Senator Scott Brown to be placed in the Boston train system, and another $7k for a similar ad targeting Democractic Senator Sherrod Brown in Ohio.

   Two keys to their success were engaging an existing strong and inspired network, and their ability to target their fundraising across both email and social media to raise the funds.

2. 'Content-Media Fit'
   Unlike with leading crowdfunding creative platforms like Kickstarter & IndieGogo, with crowdfunded advertising through LoudSauce, your support network needs to be inspired not only about the content of the message, but also about the medium where your message is going to be targetted.

   There needs to be a strong creative fit between the content and the medium, what I call a "content-media fit" in order get the most bang for your buck. In the case of 350.org, ultimately the media channels of public transportation and bike powered billboards were great choice that resonated well with their environmental network.

3. Agile Story Telling
   Because crowdfunded advertising reaches audiences both through the actual media buy and through the social media buzz during fundraising and media placement, it is extra important to plan and execute social media & PR campaigns throughout the campaign to drive interest among your targeted community, and be prepared to make a story out of any tension that arises. 

   350.org demonstrated this lesson powerfully; when their ad was rejected by the Boston MBTA, they released a strong press release / blog post about the "banned in Boston" ad, generating massive support on Faceboo (1k+ likes) & Twitpic (15k views) for the banned ad, generating more momentum for the controversy including articles in the Boston Globe, Huffington Post, and many other outlets.

   While LoudSauce recommends positive campaigns that have a stronger likelihood of being approved by our media partners, be prepared to make the medium of advertising part of the story just in case. 

4. Gather around the Ads
   After raising funds from your supporters to run ads, it's very important to involve those same people and their friends in celebrating the moment that the ads actually run, especially so they can see their faces on the ads in real tangible life.

   With 350.org's bike campaign below, they are not only gathering Boston residents to hang out around the billboards, take pictures and share on social media, but they are also sharing another press release to continue the larger story that fuels their strategic campaign for climate change action. 

   Imagine having a block party around a billboard, or hosting parties to watch your TV Ad airs. Remember to include your network in celebrating the experience and sharing the results. That way, we'll all be excited to participate in your next campaign. 

Overall, we're amazed by the great success of 350.org's crowdfunded ad experiments, and hope that many other organizers of inspired networks will create LoudSauce campaigns (you'll need connect via Facebook to submit) to continue to learn and share best practices in crowdfunded advertising, so we can all continue to accelerate momentum and attention towards ideas that matter most to the citizens of the world.

Now for the press release about this weekend's exciting events in Boston:

Grassroots Bike Campaign Launched to Fight Back against MBTA Ban of Scott Brown Ad

Bike billboards of the banned MBTA ad targeting Sen. Brown's Clean Air Act vote will blanket Boston streets this week starting with a massive community bike ride and rally on Thursday

Boston, MA: Banned by the MBTA for their "political stance," Boston residents responsible for crowd-funding ads targeting Brown’s vote to gut the Clean Air Act are taking their message to the streets. The campaign will kick-off Thursday at 5pm when over 50 residents will converge wearing “banned in Boston” shirts and towing giant black and orange billboards through Boston streets at rush hour.

When: The "Banned in Boston" kick-off rally and ride will take place at 5pm, Thursday, July 7th.

Where: The community ride will be starting at City Hall Plaza, the T stop nearest to Scott Brown's Boston office. The bike billboards will be covering events across Boston from July 7th-10th, contact Susan Weber at 978.979.1019 if you are interested in meeting up with the cyclists.

What: Cyclists towing billboard-sized versions of the banned MBTA ads across Boston.The kick-off community ride will feature “banned in Boston” shirts, numerous bike-billboards, more than 50 Boston cyclists, a giant 15 ft Scott Brown puppet holding bags of money, and a 45 minute ride taking over Boston streets.

 Who: 50+ concerned Boston cyclists, families, and students.

The text of the ad reads: “Senator Brown: On April 6th you voted to gut the Clean Air Act. Was it because dirty energy companies and their corporate front groups poured more than $1.9 million into your campaign last year? Are you working for people or Big Polluters?’’

In June, MBTA moved to ban ads highlighting Senator Brown’s vote to gut the Clean Air Act over disagreement with the ad’s “political stance.” As a result, Boston residents have mobilized to take the ad to the streets in order to continue highlighting the hugely controversial vote. Senator Brown’s vote came despite the fact that coal pollution in the air causes more than 4,000 asthma attacks and 251 deaths every year in Massachusetts.

This campaign is part of a larger nationwide effort to hold politicians accountable for their votes against the Clean Air Act. The campaign is also targeting Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio. Local residents in both places have teamed up with climate campaign 350.org and crowd-sourced ad startup LoudSauce for the larger nation-wide effort.

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Here's how this campaign came to be. I had heard about the challenges of getting visas for foreign born entrepreneurs through blog posts by Paul Graham, Brad Feld and others, and then when I was in Austin for SXSW this March, I saw these great Startup Visa posters up all over SXSW, and thought they would make great bus shelter ads. 

While at a Tech Cocktails party with the SXSW Accelerator Finalists, I met Eric Putorti, designer of the posters and Co-Founder of Votizen, and mentioned the possibility of raising funds through LoudSauce to put the posters up as ads in DC. Both he and Eric Ries both thought it was a good idea, so we went ahead and looked into deals on ad space on the streets of Washington, DC through anoother partner of LoudSauce, John Laramie of Adstruc. Since we're all early stage startups with small teams, it's great to be able to partner and support each other as we discover and refine our models.

The Startup Visa message is totally simple: if you want more jobs in the United States, let’s make sure the next big startups are founded and grown here in the United States by offering promising young entrepreneurs with investment visas to do so. 

Like all LoudSauce campaigns, if we are able to reach the target of $10k dollars pledged through Amazon payments before the fundraising deadline on June 24th, then the media space will be purchased and the ads will run to align with a trip by the Startup Visa team to Washington DC. If not, no credit cards are charged. 

Rewards for pledging include some Startup Visa stickers and posters, an invitation to join the Startup Visa team in DC to deliver the petition to Congress, and also getting your Facebook icon on the actual transit shelters themselves, which is steadily becoming a standard for LoudSauce campaigns. 

Please spread the word about the campaign, and let’s accelerate attention towards getting this bill over the finish line, to help create more startups and more jobs to help build a sustainable US economy. 

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