Keep scrolling on this week’s edition of Cost Per Canadian to get the scoop on what could (allegedly) be a breach of the British Columbia Election Act by conservative-aligned group West Coast Proud, and for a breakdown of the highest spenders across the Canadian political ads landscape.

Frazer, Digital Director. Point Blank

Seven-Day Ad Spend
(15th September - 21st September)

Seven-Day Ad Spend By Federal Party
(15th September - 21st September)

Noted

We may have uncovered a breach of the British Columbia Election Act by the conservative-aligned group West Coast Proud. The law in BC requires third-party advertisers that choose to run ads during the pre-election or election period to, among other things:

• Register with Elections BC before sponsoring any advertising

• Include their name and contact information on all advertising

What this means, in practice, is that very few third parties advertise in BC in the pre-election and election period, typically wrapping up their campaigns before that period starts (this year, it was July 23rd). So, imagine our surprise when the Meta Ads Library Report listed conservative-aligned West Coast Proud running this ad in the days leading up to the Writ, in the designated pre-election period, without including a disclosure on the ad or registering with Elections BC.

The ad, a nearly two-minute-long “Conservative Derangement Syndrome” fever dream claiming BC NDP voters lack independent thought, hardly warrants breaking the law. In total, the data available to us suggests they spent $8,284 in the pre-election period, a portion of which could breach the law if an investigation by Elections BC proves this out.

Supposing this data truly reflects the situation, the Conservative Party of BC’s feelings about law and order and repeated claims about imagined election rigging seem at odds with the behaviour of groups aligned with them. You can read more about West Coast Proud and its affiliate groups, like Canada Proud, here.

We are forwarding these details to Elections BC and will share updates if they are made available.

The digital advertising landscape in 2024 is so precisely targeted that for many people, it’s impossible to know which ads your neighbours, friends and family are being influenced by. We track the biggest spenders and high-profile campaigns every week on Meta, keeping you in the loop regarding what the rest of Canada is seeing.