Political+Advertisements

Specific Strategies of Political Ads and Propaganda
__Name Calling__- links a person or idea to negative symbol __Generalities__- use of virtue words; opposite of name calling, links person to positive symbols __Testimonials__- public figure, celebrity, citizen endorses candidate __Transfer__- a device by which the propagandist links the authority or prestige of something well respected and revered, such as church or nation, to something he would have us accept __Plain Folk__- attempt to convince the audience that a prominent person and his ideas are “of the people.” __Bandwagon__- makes the appeal that “everyone else is doing it, and so should you.” Examples: an ad states that “everyone is rushing down to their Ford dealer” __Fear__- plays on deep-seated fears; warns the audience that disaster will result if they do not follow a particular course of action. Example: an insurance company pamphlet includes pictures of houses destroyed floods, followed up by details about home-owners’ insurance. __Bad Logic__- logic is manipulated deliberately to promote a cause. Example: Senator X wants to regulate the power industry. All Communist governments regulate their power industries. Senator X is a Communist. __Unwarranted Extrapolation__- making huge predictions about the future on the basis of a few small facts. Example: If the U.S. approves NAFTA, thousands of jobs and factories will move to Mexico.

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Whenever a campaign develops their advertisements, they take many different ideas in order to sway public opinion. These include:
 * **tone**- should campaign be positive or negative (ex: build-me-up or attack ads)
 * **theme**- simple, appealing idea that can be repeated over and over again (ex: change, hope)
 * **timing**- how the campaigning should be timed. Decide whether to put more emphasis on early primaries and try to become front-runner or drive-out all your opponents when you are the front-runner.
 * **target**- who will be specified in the campaign. Women? Minorities? Teachers? Unemployed?

Different Campaign Eras
Pre-1950's: Campaigns typically involved parades, rallies, and "whistle-stop" train tours (though sometimes used today, but not as frequent). In 1948, Harry Truman and others made appearances at many small towns. More "gimmicks."

1960's and 1970's: Television spots became more frequently used as well as news broadcasts (or visuals). Debates were also first features on TV with Kennedy and Nixon. The ads on TV can show a candidate not known to most of the general public (like Jimmy Carter in 1976). Sometimes greatly affect results, but others, not as much ( 2004 Bush and Kerry). Campaigns focused more on developing ads on TV and continue today (showing the importance).

Late 1990's-2008: The internet and other technology allows campaigns to reach citizens easier and quicker than ever before. Like what Jimmy Carter did in 1976 with TV ads, Howard Dean did with the internet, propelling him into the national spotlight with a lot more funding. Text-messages can be sent and videos created for or against a candidate. Candidates continue to do town halls, but connect to the public in a whole new and exciting way.