Kamala Harris’ Philadelphia Ads Feature Wawa, Cheese Steaks, and Pretzels Ahead of Presidential Debate

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will address the nation Tuesday night on a debate stage in Philadelphia, but they will also seek the support of voters in the city.

Harris’ campaign has made a point of showing off its knowledge of Philadelphia as the Democratic candidate tries to reach out to voters in a reliably blue city in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania. Her campaign announced plans to place Philadelphia-themed ads around the city Tuesday, including on billboards, food trucks, taxis and using digital projections. The ads are expected to be observable for several days.

Here are some of Harris’ Philadelphia-themed ads you might see around the City of Brotherly Love.

🧀 “Wit” as “with” and “nitwit”

Harris’ campaign has made reference to the Philadelphia term “wit” in its ads, a word most often used when ordering a Philly cheesesteak to indicate whether you want fried onions. Ordering “whiz wit” means you want cheesy whiz and fried onions in your sandwich, while “whiz witout” means you want cheesy whiz without the onions. You can also order “American wit” for American cheese, but don’t bother asking for Swiss cheese.

But in the case of Harris’ ads, “wit” is a term of support and shade, and the cheese-laced captions read, “Philly is witty Kamala Harris.”

Another campaign ad shows a photo of a smiling Harris under the word “wit,” and a photo of Trump under the word “nitwit.” Would “witout” be a bigger insult?

☕Wawa as in “waa waa”

Philadelphia loves Wawa and will defend it fiercely at all times in their match against Sheetz. This time, however, the campaign used the Philadelphia motif to mock Trump.

“When you want a quick coffee: WAWA,” says the ad with a photo of a coffee cup.

“When people don’t show up at your rally: WAAA WAAA,” the second part of the text reads, with a photo of Trump with his mouth open next to it.

Trump is known to be obsessed with crowd sizes, both exaggerating attendance at his rallies and false accusation of photos from Harris rallies generated by artificial intelligence.

🥨 Pretzels as crowd size

In another attack on Trump, Harris’ ad reads “Crowd size matters” with a full Philadelphia pretzel depicted above Harris’ name. Above Trump’s name, only a piece of a pretzel is depicted.

Philadelphia-focused ads link to website which is a stark contrast to the size of the crowd at Harris’ rally in August at Temple University’s Liacouras Center. with the Trump rally that took place in the same spot earlier in the summer. The upper level of seating was closed for Trump’s rally in June and occupied by Harris.

AND New York Times Analysis In six states, it was found that rallies for both candidates drew comparable crowds during a three-week period in August. But experts told The Times that the size of the crowds had no direct correlation to the election outcome.

🔔 Freedom in Philadelphia

Another ad features a photo of Harris with the words “Philadelphia. Freedom.”, likely a reference to the Elton John classic “Freedom of Philadelphia.” Or perhaps a reference to the venue where the debate will be held — the National Constitution Center — which is located near Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

“Freedom” was also a habitual campaign theme for Harris, the vice president. embracing Beyoncé’s song “Freedom” for performances and commercials. During a performance in Philadelphia in July, came out to the sounds of Jon Batiste’s “Freedom.” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro returned to his 2022 campaign motto, “true freedom,” when speaking at the Democratic convention last month in support of Harris’ campaign.