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Starting a few months before an election, it becomes impossible to escape the TV, radio and print ads, lawn signs, brochures and bumper stickers proclaiming each political party’s candidate to be the next savior of our country.
During this period, somewhere in the confines of the candidates’ campaign headquarters, campaign staffs huddle with ad agency people to try and create the perfect image for their office-seeker.
That’s when they decide whether their next ad will be honest, straightforward, informative, humorous, dramatic, sentimental, thought-provoking, irritating, anger-inducing, misleading, false, or brutal.
I've been involved in the production of a number of political commercials. It's an interesting process. The climate changes daily, and every line, every scene, is closely analyzed to make sure it won't offend any particular faction of voters.
Establishing a "memory footprint"
One secret to creating effective campaign ads is rising above the fray and finding a unique “memory footprint” that will grab the attention of potential voters; something they will remember on Election Day. This is easier said than done; in the ad game we call it a “moment of genius”.
This can be achieved in a negative ad: one such example is arguably the most famous TV campaign advertisement in history. And it only ran one time! However, it subsequently aired many times on network news.
In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson’s campaign ran a spot called “the daisy”, in which a little girl was seen counting petals as she pulled them off a daisy. The scene segued to a harsh-sounding male voice counting down to a nuclear explosion, climaxing with an H-bomb blast.
The ad successfully connected Barry Goldwater with nuclear war, and helped win the election for LBJ. It’s a classic example of using the “fear factor” in political advertising. And it’s also an example of creating that memory footprint.
A few other examples of memorable campaign TV ads
- A commercial that ran in 1960 for John F. Kennedy featured a reporter at a press conference asking then-President Dwight Eisenhower if Richard Nixon had any major ideas while serving as Vice-President. Eisenhower paused, and then said, “If you give me a week, I’ll think of one. I don’t remember.”
- Ronald Reagan’s 1984 commercial “It’s Morning in America”, which focused on the good things about America, is an example of how a positive ad can benefit a candidate.
- In 1952 the Eisenhower campaign ran a Roy Disney- produced spot featuring an animated cartoon along with a catchy “I like Ike” jingle. That was unique in 1952 (TV was a new medium) and caught the public’s attention.
- Missouri Senate candidate Claire McCaskill aired an ad in 2007 that featured Michael J. Fox touting stem cell research, which Ms McCaskill backed. Fox, who has Parkinson’s disease, vividly displayed signs of the illness. It was riveting to watch. And memorable.
Positive attributes for effective campaign advertising
- Brilliant creativity. “The daisy” is an example.
- Intelligent use of negative ads. Mudslinging doesn’t get it. If the opposing candidate has legitimate and proven faults, they should be carefully presented.
- Common sense. It always amazes me how some candidates allow irritating and misleading commercials to be aired. These ads are an insult to potential voters’ intelligence.
- Luck. The JFK ad mentioned above is a campaign manager’s dream.
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