Occupy Wall Street supporters buy tv ad time

A commercial promoting the Occupy Wall Street movement has been running on mainstream TV stations this weekend.

The 30-second ad, which was filmed a month ago but is only now gaining wide exposure, is not intended to sell anything or to solicit donations but to improve the image of the movement. It shows a variety of cleancut, sincere occupiers, ranging from students to a man in a business suit and a worker in a hard hat, proclaiiming their desire for peace, democracy, and economic justice.

According to MSNBC, the ad is currently running on Bloomberg News, ESPN, CBS Sports, Fox News, and other networks. It was produced by filmmaker David Sauvage and funded by donations.

“It’s not that I want people to send money … not so much a call to action but a call to meaningful political engagement,” Sauvage says. “I want people to see it and say that the people that are protesting are real people with meaningful concerns that I can relate to."

Sauvage has already filmed two more ads and is asking for donations to cover national ad buys for them. One is titled "Occupy Poetry." The other, "Occupy the Streets," depicts a protest march.

“I also have a fantasy not yet realized of getting a lobbyist to acknowledge the despicable nature of his career,” Sauvage remarks. Perhaps he ought to be in touch with Jack Abramoff.

This video was uploaded by Noillusionz to YouTube, October 9, 2011.