Johnsonville is putting a new kind of candidate on the campaign trail this election season. The Wisconsin-based sausage company has launched its "Sausage for Dinner 2026" campaign, raising funds to fight food insecurity in partnership with Hunger Free America.
Marc Bennett, Associate Director of Integrated Marketing at Johnsonville, said the campaign is designed to cut through the noise of a crowded political ad season.
"We felt like it was an important time right now to come up with an idea that we think would break through. And we know that when sausage runs for dinner, people are gonna notice that, especially in the state."
The campaign is launching at a moment when Americans say they are feeling overwhelmed by politics. Johnsonville's National Temperature Check, conducted by The Harris Poll, found 81% of Americans agree society has become too political, and 2 in 3 Americans agree the 2026 midterm elections will make politics and news even more overwhelming.
About 74% of Americans say they hate political advertising, and 84% think their communities could make better use of the money being spent on political advertising in the U.S.
According to AdImpact, about $8.9 billion was spent on campaign ads during the last midterm election in 2022.
Bennett said the campaign is also about raising awareness for a much bigger issue.
"We're trying to raise awareness for the 48 million Americans who are experiencing food insecurity," Bennett said.
Like any other campaign, Johnsonville is asking for donations. But this time, the money goes toward fighting food insecurity. Johnsonville says the first 100 donors will receive a campaign swag pack, including an apron, hat, oven mitt and bumper stickers. Donations can be made directly at sausagefordinner.com.
"If you go to sausagefordinner.com, which is our campaign website, you can immediately donate straight into Hunger Free America, and you can help other people who are experiencing food insecurity get a meal on the table," Bennett said.
The company is also donating $100,000 to help people facing food insecurity.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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