Political Advertising Techniques
- Patriotism: The ad stresses the candidate’s love of and service to his/her country.
- Gender: The ad presents the candidate as appropriately “manly” (or feminine) to make viewers trust him/her.
- Family: The ad uses images of ideal families to give you a positive image of the candidate.
- Excitement: The ad tries to create a sense of energy and excitement around the candidate.
- Star Power: A celebrity is telling you that they support the candidate.
- Bandwagon: The ad tries to create the impression that everybody already supports the candidate.
- Put Downs: The ad insults the candidate’s opponent.
- Facts and Figures: The ad uses facts and statistics to support the candidate’s policies.
- Just Folks: The ad portrays the candidate as a “regular guy” (or girl).
- Heart Strings: The ad tells a story that makes you feel good.
- Sounds Good: The ad uses music (with or without lyrics) to be memorable, entertaining and exciting.
- Cartoons and Animals: The ad makes its point with cartoon characters or (usually symbolic) animals.
- Weasel Words: The ad includes promises that sound good but lack details.
- Integrity: The ad tries to convince you that the candidate is honest and trustworthy.
- Fear: The ad tries to frighten you into voting for the candidate (or at least not voting for his/her opponent).
