The Case: In 2022, the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision upended the established right to an abortion across the nation, essentially overturning Roe v Wade. California responded by placing Proposition 1 on the ballot to enshrine the right to an abortion and contraception in the California State Constitution. However, the ballot measure didn’t need to simply pass – it needed an overwhelming victory to send a message to the rest of the nation.  The Yes on Prop 1 campaign launched and knew it had to reach voters through Black media outlets, as well as in-language content in AAPI media outlets; the campaign turned to Potomac Waves Media to reach these communities.

Our Role: In one of the most watched ballot measure races in the country,  Potomac Waves Media crafted ethnic print media for California's successful Yes on Prop 1 campaign, which placed the right to an abortion and reproductive services in the California Constitution. Utilizing culturally appropriate and data driven messaging, PWM created compelling full page print ads for every major Black and AAPI outlet in the state, communicating to voters in English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. 

The Results: This outreach objectively helped boost approval of the measure in the African American community and in the foreign born, native language preferred communities, ultimately resulting in a 66% victory for Prop 1.