“Hello Mr. Salad,” the Instagram message from presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg begins. “Can you post this meme to make me seem cool for the upcoming Democratic primary?” A screenshot of this message was posted on Instagram this week by KaleSalad, a meme account with 3.5 million followers—and, as of now, an official allegiance with the wealthiest Democratic contender for commander in chief. (“Yes, this is really #sponsored by @mikebloomberg,” its caption reads.) It wasn’t the only message of its kind; dozens of other high-profile meme accounts posted similar images.

The escalation will undoubtedly continue.

Startups and strategists across the country are angling to be part of this new wave of political advertising. The 2020 election will, unfortunately, most certainly feature even more social media ads from fitness bloggers, Instagram-famous dogs, YouTubers, and even more of their varied, viral ilk. The 2016 presidential election was a demonstration of how candidates and their supporters could harness social media to spread information (and misinformation). This year, they’re enlisting influencers and meme-makers more directly in the effort.

Continue reading Mike Bloomberg’s Meme Campaign Is Just the Beginning on WIRED.

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