Cookies, lounges and press passes: How the DNC is wooing social media creators at the Chicago convention

At the Democratic National Convention creators’ lounge for digital influencers, the cookies are a big hit.

At the Democratic National Convention creators’ lounge for digital influencers, the cookies are a big hit. Sure, there’s the ones bearing Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s faces, but the most popular baked snack is lime green, topped with the phrase “To the window, to the Walz,” a cheeky Walz-take on the millennial hit “Get Low” by Lil Jon, who made a cameo appearance Tuesday night at the Chicago convention. In the creators’ lounge, digital influencers can sip on drinks, enjoy food, and have a dedicated workspace for the reason they’ve gathered at the DNC — posting on social media in support of Harris. Many creators, channeling more sophisticated broadcast outlets, have set up mobile lighting rigs to record selfies and group videos in the lounge. For the first time, more than 200 influencers have been credentialed to attend the four-day Democratic convention and are being specifically catered to, with an exclusive lounge and creator platform section in the arena where they can record and post online. Party officials have assigned dedicated staff to help influencers get around, conduct interviews and create online content, arming the coconut-pilled creators with everything they need to create meme magic. Each night of the convention will also feature an influencer on stage as a speaker. The Republican National Convention also invited digital content creators to attend its convention last month in Milwaukee and hosted a creator hub with more than 70 influencers participating in their official program. With traditional television viewership dropping and news outlets struggling to reorient their businesses, political campaigns are increasingly leaning on influencers to get their message to voters.