$4.2 billion price tag and rising

2012 election priciest to date: $4.2 billion tab and rising

• At least $4.2 billion is estimated to have been spent in the 2012 elections
• Ad agencies were among those who were paid the most money from the campaigns
• Companies run by former campaign insiders made big money as well

Where does all this money go?

• Buys television ads ($750 million was spent on 1.1 million Presidential and congressional ads)
• On-line image campaigns
• Direct-mail outreach 
• Phone banks used to call prospective voters.
• The battleground states also brought big paydays to companies in Ohio, Florida, Nevada, Colorado, Wisconsin, Virginia and Iowa.

GMMB  
GMMB is a Washington-based ad firm run by Bill Clinton's 1992 former media strategist Jim Margolis. According to October 25 public data from the FEC, the firm has been paid so far $47.16 million to build and buy the ads on behalf of the Obama campaign.

"The campaign has spent in excess of $400 million on advertising during this cycle," Margolis told CNN. "All of those dollars have come through GMMB, to be paid out to stations. But It doesn't stay here. It goes out to pay for all the advertising you see on TV."

American Rambler Productions LLC 

American Rambler Productions LLC received the most money from the Romney campaign. The campaign messaging and advertising specialists received $41.85 million. Unlike the other top firms making a profit from this election, its online profile is nearly non-existent.

Targeted Victory

Romney's campaign has used Targeted Victory. The Romney camp has spent $3.1 million with the agency. Zac Moffatt, who is Romney's digital director, co-founded the company. He was on leave to work at the center of Romney's staff -- evidence of how important the campaign considered its digital strategy.