Dwight Eisenhower may have invented presidential TV advertising, but John McCain is being credited with exploiting it.

The Republican candidate's latest ad — attacking Barack Obama for not visiting wounded American troops during his overseas trip, while still making time for the gym — aired just a dozen or so times, thanks to his campaign's paid advertising spend. But the media impressions it racked up overall? Thanks to the press corp's incessant coverage of the ad, you better get your calculators out.

The Times estimates McCain's ads was shown in some form on local, national, and cable news broadcasts "hundreds" of times, resulting in marketing bonanza that his coffers don't exactly have the budget for.

And despite his campaign's dollar dilemma, when faced with Obama's checkbook, McCain has been doing this for some time.

A new study by the Advertising Project at the University of Wisconsin shows that in terms of paid advertising, Mr. McCain has so far been able to nearly match Mr. Obama’s volume with help from the Republican Party. But the early advertising suggests a heightened ad war this election cycle: Together, the two sides have combined to spend more than $50 million already on general-election commercials, running roughly 30 percent more spots than President Bush and Senator John Kerry had at a comparable point in 2004.

And as Mr. Obama’s campaign begins to intensify its advertising drive, including a planned campaign during the Olympics in August, television’s receptivity is a welcome boost for Mr. McCain.

“For McCain, it’s the cheapest and most efficient way to keep himself in the game when he’s up against a candidate who’s essentially going to have unlimited funds,” said Kenneth M. Goldstein, director of the Advertising Project.