CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Trying to capitalize on a recent surge in polls, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, announced he will release his first campaign ads in New Hampshire starting Sunday.

A CNN/WMUR poll released earlier this week showed the GOP hopeful gaining traction in the Granite State, with support rising from 12 percent in July to 18 percent in September. McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said he thought this week was a good time to "relaunch his campaign."

"We sensed this progress was occurring," Davis said in a conference call with reporters Thursday. "We wanted to capitalize on that by putting ads up now."

One ad shows McCain as a young prisoner of war in Vietnam.

"Stand up. We're Americans. We're Americans, and we'll never surrender. They will," McCain said in the ad.

McCain is releasing two television commercials and one radio ad. His campaign said it is a statewide ad buy that will run for at least the next two weeks.

– CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich