Televised Ads in Presidential Campaigns- Part 3

The 1968 election proved that the new negative style of television advertisements was the most popular. Richard Nixon’s campaign released a controversial ad. This ad was titled “Convention” and featured a montage of images from the Vietnam War and riots. This ad was ultimately pulled from being aired again because of the controversial content. Humphrey’s campaign enlisted the advertising expertise of Tony Schwartz, who created the famous “Daisy Girl” ad for LBJ. Tony Schwartz created an ad for Humphrey titled “Laughter” is focused on the man Nixon chose as his running mate and features a soundtrack of laughter at the thought that he would make a good candidate. This introduced the element of humor into political advertisements at the expense of the opponent. In 1972 Nixon’s campaign attempted to create positive ads to lighten up his image. These ads used a documentary style to make viewers feel like they were getting an intimate view of the president. Nixon’s most successful ads this year were attack ads. These attack ads claimed his opponent, McGovern, would put national security at risk during a time where war was a major concern.

Following the Watergate Scandal, the election of 1976 reintroduced biographical, positive ads as an attempt to restore American faith in politicians. This year advertisements continued to show the emphasis on personality rather than accomplishments. Carter won in 1976 and in 1980 ran for reelection against former actor, Ronald Reagan. Trust in Carter was declining due to a hostage situation and Americans were shifting to more conservative views. Reagan’s campaign released an attack ad unlike any before its time as an attempt to soften his image. JFK and other candidates had ads where spouses spoke in support of their husbands, but the Reagan ad was different. This advertisement featuring Nancy Reagan was an attack ad on Carter. Nancy comes across as a wife defending her husband in the advertisement, which was very relatable for viewers. Reagan won this election and faced a new opponent in 1984.

Television advertisements for the Reagan campaign in 1984 are regarded as some of the best political ads ever made. The “Morning in America” ads used by the Reagan campaign were inspiring and showcased the recovering economy. The “Prouder, Stronger, Better” advertisement has been imitated in campaigns by presidents, such as Bill Clinton. This ad is the standard by which modern positive advertisements are judged. Reagan’s campaign also aired an ad titled, “Bear”. The ad used a bear as a metaphor for the potential threat posed by the Soviet Union. The symbolism in the ad is strong and this ad inspired an ad used by George Bush’s campaign in 2004. The campaign advertisements in 1988 were the complete opposite of Reagan’s inspiring ads. 1988 ads were some of the most bitter and cutthroat aired. The stock market collapse in 1987 and the growing federal deficit set the stage for harsh advertisements. The Bush campaign released a few of the most notorious ads in history. The “Revolving Door” ad indirectly labels Dukakis as someone who basically lets murderers out of jail. This attack ad was extremely controversial and effective for Bush’s campaign. Another ad from the Bush campaign titled “Tank Ride” was the ultimate attack ad that sealed Dukakis’ fate. This ad was inaccurate, but memorable. It left the impression that Dukakis was not to be trusted as Commander-in-Chief.

Televised Ads in Presidential Campaigns- Part2

In 1956 Ike and Adlai faced off again for the presidency. This election marked the creation of the five-minute spot. Adlai’s campaign had a series of five-minute spots that positioned him as a family man and were more informal than the previous ads. The five-minute spots were less expensive than the 30-minute broadcasts bought by candidates before and allowed candidates to reach more people. This campaign displayed a new emphasis on the personality of candidates in contrast to past ads based on accomplishments.

Many people regard 1960 as the year that opened the modern era of the presidential campaign, as we know it. JFK and Nixon ran very different campaigns in an election that displayed the new importance of television in politics. Kennedy’s campaign produced an advertisement in which his wife Jackie spoke Spanish. This is one of the earliest examples of advertisements targeting niche audiences such as the Hispanic population. This ad also displays the new spotlight on family members during campaigns. Kennedy showed a 30-minute documentary style ad in West Virginia to persuade voters, this method proved very effective. Nixon’s campaign involved ads where he talked directly to the camera about his strict stance against communism. Nixon’s ads are an example of the Commander-in-Chief style that has stayed popular among Republican campaigns. The youth and charisma Kennedy’s advertisements communicated contributed to his victory. 1960 was the year that physical appearance of candidates became crucial to winning.

The fear of nuclear war played a major role in the 1964 campaign advertisements. In this election Lyndon B. Johnson’s campaign released the first fear ad. These ads attempt to use scare tactics to shock and motivate voters. The Johnson advertisement featuring a little girl pulling petals off of a daisy is one of the most famous ads to date. Goldwater’s campaign attempted counterattack ads to Johnson’s fear ads but were not influential enough. This election was the first year candidates used many negative ads. These negative ads focused on defining the opponent rather than defining the candidate sponsoring the advertisement.