At least eight candidates for Cincinnati City Council will launch television ad campaigns this week — many of them with creative commercials that hope to break through the clutter of wall-to-wall ads sure to dominate by Election Day.

        Though some are clever and some are serious, the recurring theme in almost all of them is a contest between youthful energy and mature experience.

        Alicia Reece, a 30-year-old Democratic incumbent, portrays a boxer fighting for Cincinnati in a visually stunning ad which, if nothing else, shows off her athleticism.

Candidate Jane Anderson's ad portrays a caricature of a twentysomething councilman. John Cranley's ad also uses intergenerational irony. | ZOOM |

        David Crowley, a 64-year-old Democratic challenger, emphasizes his extensive international resume in a more conventional political ad about “the courage to do what's right.”

        But the battle of the ages is most evident in ads by two Democrats — 60-year-old challenger Jane Anderson and 27-year-old incumbent John Cranley.

        Ms. Anderson uses a caricature of a twentysomething, earring-wearing, spike-haired councilman to stress her relative maturity.

        “The average age of the last two people appointed to City Council” is 29, the ad notes, showing a young man flashing a surfer sign with a wry smile.

        “Maturity is an asset,” the ad concludes.

        Scott Seidewitz, who wrote last year's “action figure” ad for Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, also produced the Anderson ad.

        “The message is that serious times call for serious people,” he said.

        The caricature bears only a slight resemblance to Mr. Cranley, who was the subject of an MTV documentary on his 2000 race for Congress. And though it hasn't aired yet, Mr. Cranley is already taking offense.

        “I talk about the issues in my ads. Where is she on the issues?” he said. “Is she afraid to tell people she's against 75 more cops?”

        But Mr. Cranley's “Duh!” ad also plays into some intergenerational irony.

        In his ad, the announcer asks two 60-something women whether his plans to hire 75 more police officers and limit new subsidized housing are good ideas.

        “Duh!” they say.

        Democrat Lawra Baumann, 42, uses a twist on the old “empty chair” gimmick usually used to demonstrate the dereliction of an incumbent.

        In Ms. Baumann's ad, her chair is empty because she's out working in the neighborhoods. And though the ad stresses her experience as head of the Fifth Third Bank Foundation, she's also seen energetically pounding nails on a housing rehab project.

        Democrat David Pepper said he intentionally avoided any hint of cleverness in his ad, called “Broken Politics.”

        In it, he talks about the thousands of doors he's knocked on this year. “Over and over, Cincinnatians tell me, "We're tired of seeing City Council bicker while other cities thrive.'”

        Mr. Pepper said he's trying to get his name out with the “Just add Pepper” slogan, but he's also trying to make the city's “dysfunctional political system” a central issue.

        “My ad isn't joking around. We've got serious issues to deal with,” he said.

        Democrat Minette Cooper and Republican Chris Monzel also plan to launch ads this week. They join Republican Pat DeWine, who has been on the air for several weeks with an ad about crime.

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