Twenty-four states are on the line on Super Tuesday, set up to be a do or die day for many candidates hoping to create an image of invincibility. To help with that image-making, several candidates will shell out a record $20 million on ad blitzes across the country in the run-up to Feb. 5.

The large bulk of that sum -- 90 percent -- will be spent by Democrats.

The biggest spender is Barack Obama. He is taking out ads that will run during the Super Bowl in about two dozen states. That's on top of the $4 million in advertising Obama spent in the final week of January -- the bulk of it in California.

"We want an end to this war and we want diplomacy and peace," Obama says in a voice-over from a speech in Austin, Texas. "Not only can we save the environment, we can create jobs and opportunity. We're tired of fear; we're tired of division. We want something new. We want to turn the page. The world as it is is not the world as it has to be."

Through Super Tuesday, the Illinois Democratic senator is expected to spend roughly $11 million nationwide. The second biggest ad buyer heading into Super Tuesday is Hillary Clinton. In the final week of January, she spent $3.5 million, also mainly targeting California, with another $8 million going to ads hitting on the themes of economic instability and her experience.

Clinton is running ads during the Super Bowl's pre-game show. Her campaign plans a different type of advertising splash, however. It has bought an hour of time Monday night on the Hallmark Channel to air a town hall meeting live from New York. The town hall also will be broadcast live online on HillaryClinton.com.

The Republicans are spending a lot less, with Mitt Romney leading the GOP spenders. His campaign has yet another infusion of cash loaned from his personal fortune - giving himself about $35 million to date. But Romney is expected to spend only about $2 million to $3 million on Super Tuesday costs.

Romney says he has had to spend so much of his own money for so long because he came into the race without the name recognition that his competitors have enjoyed.

"You know, I recognize that I'm not as well known as Senator McCain or Mayor Giuliani, or, for that matter, Fred Thompson. I got into this race recognizing that I had to build my name recognition. Theirs was already there," Romney said. "But I'm also proud of the fact that we've raised more money than any other Republican in this race."

As for McCain, it's estimated he will spend only about $1 million to $2 million going into Feb. 5. Much of that will be spent on ads aimed at quieting allegations that he is not truly a conservative.

Just to put the purchases in perspective, the candidates so far have spent about $107 million since the campaigns began months ago, with $75 million of that spent in just two states -- Iowa and New Hampshire.

Most of the ads seem to have stayed away from negative advertising.

FOX News' Shannon Bream contributed to this report.