Understanding Political
Campaign Advertising
Frank Baker: Media Educator
August 19, 2008
www.pbs.org/vote2008
www.ciconline.com
Understanding Political
Campaign Advertising
Some givens:


Candidates need the media
Candidates try to control their
image
McCain, Aurora CO July 30, 2008
Candidates depend on
media consultants
Candidates depend on
media consultants
Source: Robert Arial
Understanding Political
Campaign Advertising
Some givens:



Fundraising $$= purchasing TV time
for ads
Political ads resemble traditional ads
New media (YouTube; Facebook; etc.)
effective at reaching young voters and
raising money
Understanding Political
Campaign Advertising
Some givens:

In today’s media saturated world,
the life of any 30 second TV spot
lives on, online AND as newscasts
and pundits review them
continuously
Understanding Political
Campaign Advertising
“When we study commercials
….we talk about the issues and
the quality of the message…it’s
not just about political ideology,
it’s also about the art of
creating a persuasive message.”
Source: Illinois High School teacher
Source: Gallup USA Today
Understanding Political
Campaign Advertising
IMPORTANT FACT
Political ads are considered
“free speech” and thus are not
subject to any requirements that
they “tell the truth” so, in effect,
these ads contain many
unsubstantiated claims
Understanding Political
Campaign Advertising
“ The thing to remember about
these ads is that they cost a
fortune…and it raises the cost of
campaigns, and the money
(raised) comes overwhelmingly
from the wealthiest handful of
Americans.”
Source: Media Critic Robert McChensey
Primary Ad Spending
IOWA
Romney $7.9 M
McCain
0
Clinton
Obama
SC
FLORIDA OHIO
$0.9M
$0.45M $1.9M
$2.3M
$8.3 M
$4.4M
Source: Meet The Press, 8/3/08
Battleground States
Colorado
Nevada
Iowa
Ohio
Michigan
Pennsylvania
Missouri
Virginia
North Dakota
West Virginia
New Hampshire
Wisconsin
New Mexico
North Carolina
Georgia
SC TV Markets
(ranked by size)
# 26 Charlotte NC
# 36 Greenville, Spartanburg,
Asheville NC, Anderson
1,045,240
826,290
# 83 Columbia
377,940
# 97 Savannah GA
298,130
#100 Charleston
290,110
#105 Florence/Myrtle Beach
272,340
#114 Augusta GA
247,450
#136 Wilmington NC
174,170
Questioning the Message
And The Messenger
Media Literacy’s 5 Core Concepts
 All messages are constructed
 Messages are constructed using
languages with their own set of rules
 Messages: values and points-of-view
 Different people see the same
message differently
 Media: power and/or profit
Questioning the Message
And The Messenger
Critical thinking/viewing questions
Who created the message? (author)
 Why was it made? (purpose)
 For whose eyeballs? (audience)
 Using what methods/techniques?
 Who, what is omitted/why?

Understanding Political
Campaign Advertising



the use of complementary colors
(red, white and blue, for example) to
promote a sense of patriotism
props, such as desks, planes, podiums
and people to connote action, power,
authority and warmth
symbols, such as children and flags to
imply patriotism and caring
Source: The People’s Choice: Digital Imagery and the Art of Persuasion
Understanding Political
Campaign Advertising




certain types of clothing to connote
strength or authority
music and sound to provide a certain
type of ambience or mood
superimposed words to emphasize the
speaker’s words
code words to provoke reflexive, almost
visceral, viewer reactions
Source: The People’s Choice: Digital Imagery and the Art of Persuasion
Understanding Political
Campaign Advertising
COLORS
PROPS
PEOPLE
SYMBOLS
CLOTHING
MUSIC
SUPERIMPOSED WORDS
CODE WORDS
Types of Political Ads
Negative - One candidate portrays
the other in an unfavorable light.
 Warm and Fuzzy - Candidates
make the viewer feel good about
the country or his/her campaign.
 Humorous - Candidates elicit a
laugh or smile from the viewer.

Types of Political Ads


Scary - Candidates evoke images
of fear (usually combined with a
negative ad).
Advocacy- advocates for/against
an issue/person
The Role of Media In Politics
Ads
Appeal to
Emotions
Not Intellect
Techniques of Persuasion
Testimonial Ad
Techniques of Persuasion

Transfer
Techniques of Persuasion

Appeals to Fear
Types of Political Ads
“Morning In America”
Candidate: Ronald Reagan (R)
Year: 1984
Types of Political Ads
“Daisy”
Candidate: Lyndon Johnson (D)
Year: 1964
Types of Political Ads
“Revolving Door”
Candidate: George HW Bush (R)
Year: 1988
Types of Political Ads
“Bear In The Woods”
Candidate: Ronald Reagan (R)
Year: 1984
Types of Political Ads
“3 AM”
Candidate: Hillary Clinton (D)
Year: 2008
Types of Political Ads
“Country I Love”
Candidate: Barack Obama (D)
2008
Techniques in Ads
Music
Clip courtesy Comedy Central With Jon Stewart
Ad Watch/Fact-Reality Checks
Source: New York Times/ June 20, 2008
Ad Watch/Fact-Reality Checks
Ad Watch/Fact-Reality Checks
Country I Love
Wisconsin TV
Station
Reality Check
News Segment
Questions/Evaluations