Help in Writing a Political Commercial
Crafting a Political Commercial
by Paul Gasbarra (Article not in entirety.)
So you have an issue or candidate that you feel passionate about
and would like to make a radio or television ad to support your cause.
Congratulations!
This guide offers users an array of advice when it comes to crafting
an effective advertisement to get your message across. While we
make a lot of suggestions and point out techniques that have been used in the past that in no way
means that we recommend any one specific technique.
Decide on Your Message
Before you even begin to conceptualize the look and feel of your advertisement, you should first decide
what exactly you want to get across. Air time is expensive and you don't get a lot of it. The more
focused your message is, the more likely it is to resonate with viewers. If you are trying to promote a
political candidate, it is important to focus on the voters' concerns. Political candidates have long lists of
issues that they must address during their campaign. But early on in political ad making, advertisers
know that it is best to concentrate on those issues most important to voters. If you have questions as to
what people in the U.S. are most concerned about, the Gallup Research Group conducts regular polls
on this question and makes them available to the public online
(http://www.gallup.com/poll/politics.aspx).
If you have a particular issue or bill that you are concerned about, it is best to decide your stance on
that issue and craft a message that points out the most important pros or cons of the issue. While this
may seem painfully obvious, some issues are broader than others, and finding the right way to get
through to audiences can be difficult to determine.
Let's look at an example. Say you are interested in increasing the number of policemen in your
particular community. There are a variety of reasons why more policemen are a good thing. They make
the community safer, they reduce property theft and damage, more policemen mean more jobs in the
community which is a bonus to the local economy, and an increase in police vehicles means more
business for local mechanics. In the course of a 30 second advertisement you may bring up all of these
issues. But it is unlikely that more business for the mechanics will resonate deeply with voters. For this
reason it is best to boil your message down to the one or two most compelling issues. People are very
concerned about their safety, and they are very concerned about their property. Focusing on how an
expanded police force can protect both of those concerns is probably the best way to go.
Writing Your Script
Who is your Target Audience?
It goes without saying that you know what kind of political ads you like, so by that rationale your ads
should appeal to the adult mind. But are you (or people like you) the actual target of the ad? Which
voters will you concentrate on? It's important to know who is already on your side and who you believe
you can get to join you. You shouldn't waste time trying to convince a public that is already convinced.
If you know that your candidate is highly favored by young, affluent women, then spending dollars on
advertising to those ladies is wasted money. It is far better to appeal to those who aren't quite
convinced, just be sure not to do anything to alienate those voters who are already loyal.
A great deal of demographic research goes into major political campaigns. Knowing things like what TV
shows your audience watches, what kind of sports they like, where they get their media, and what sort
of lifestyle they practice can all help you craft a political ad that wins support.
How will your ad grab the attention of the audience?
There are any variety of ways to attract viewer attention, including loud music, humor, and fear.
Regardless of your message, there should be a compelling 'hook' used to draw the viewer in. We will
go over a few tried and true techniques in just a bit.
How will you make a candidate or position look appealing or unappealing?
Ads are designed to sell something. Political ads mainly work in two ways: the ad can a) attract voters
to a candidate or position or b) repel voters from a candidate or position. Deciding on the method is an
important step in creating your ad. Below is a short list of the many ways that political candidates try to
persuade voters. Some may work for you.
Persuasive Techniques Used in Political Ads
Below are just a few forms of persuasion seen in advertising of all kinds. You'll notice that in many
instances the technique used has little or nothing to do with the issues or qualifications of the
candidate; still, they are continually used. Many of these techniques and examples were taken out of
"Political Campaigns and Political Advertising" by "Frank W. Baker."
Bandwagon: The playground proverb of "everybody's doing it" still seems to sway adult voters.
The technique appeals to people's very powerful desire to be a part of the group. In 1950,
Dwight Eisenhower used the phrase "Everybody likes Ike." Though more than 27 million people
proved him wrong by voting for Adlia Stevenson, Eisenhower still carried 39 states.
Glittering Generalities: Pretty words have lasting effects. Especially if those pretty words are
vague enough for people to attach their own meaning to them. It's not entirely clear what Clinton
meant when he said he would build a "bridge to the 21st century," but people assigned the idea
of progress and a brighter future to the phrase and the candidate.
Name-calling: Often attaching a negative label to a candidate can be a successful means of
reducing their poll numbers. John Kerry was successfully branded as a "Flip-flopper," and
George W. Bush was referred to as an "elitist who's in the pocket of big oil." In the case of
Kerry, sticks-and-stones did break a few bones.
Plain (everyday) folks: Much like the bandwagon appeal, the 'Plain folks' technique appeals to
people wanting to feel included, to feel they have have something in common with the
candidate. Every time Obama showed up in a bar to have a beer, he was letting everyone know
that he was just like them, despite the fact that he graduated from some of the most exclusive
universities in the country.
Scare tactics: Appealing to fear is a
tried and true method. Fear is
intensely motivational, and convincing
people that dire consequences are
approaching continues to garner
results just as it did in the seminal
"Daisy spot" which juxtaposed the
image of an innocent little girl with
nuclear annihilation.
Celebrity Endorsement: Power
players can sell candidates in the
exact same manner that professional
athletes sell sports drinks. Americans
found Oprah Winfrey capable enough
at recommending good books to read,
so when she gave her endorsement to Barak Obama in 2007, she sealed his victory over Hillary
Clinton for the Democratic nominee for President. Given the nature of this website, we doubt
that users will be able to pay major
celebrities to support their cause, but you
never know. The celebrity may agree with
your cause and find a user's ad compelling
enough to push an agenda he or she
shares.
Transfer: Associating a political
candidate with an important moment or
symbol can be an effective way to further
that candidate's career. John F. Kennedy's
service in World War II tied him to the
country's heroic effort during this time. Rudy
Giuliani's consistent references to his
leadership after the attacks of September 11,
2001 made him a viable candidate for in the
2008 race for Republican nominee.
Timing
People are most comfortable listening to someone speak about 150-160 words per minute. In
a 30 second ad that means you can say about 70-80 words. Any script that exceeds that
amount of words will go over 30 seconds or may be uncomfortable for viewers to follow.
30 seconds = 70-80 words
45 seconds = 100-120 words
60 seconds = 150-160 words
Case Study
Sometimes looking at a few examples of effective political ads can go a long way to understanding how
to craft them. Note the transcript format and length of these ads. In particular, note how few words there
are and how much the impact of the language is amplified by the chosen images.
The Bear in the Woods Ad (:30 seconds)
VIDEO (external link only for this ad)
Many analysts find this ad remarkable
because it relies entirely on symbolism to
convey its message. Analysis places it closer
to poetry than clear discourse.
During the Cold War, the U.S.S.R. was often
characterized symbolically as a bear. The ad
seems to outline opposing viewpoints. There
is a bear, but can it be seen? Is it
dangerous?
It's interesting to note that the positions are nearly impossible to nail down. The ad never directly says
which side can see the bear and which can't, or which side finds the bear dangerous. The order of the
wording implies that those who can see the bear find it dangerous and those who can't think it's tame,
but again, this isn't definite. Of course the fact that a large bear is visible wandering through a wild
forest makes one side of the argument seem ridiculous. How could anyone not see the bear when it's
right there in front of us?
The entire pseudo argument is rendered moot by the line "No one can really be sure." Begging the
question, why are we even having this discussion? But the conclusion 'Shouldn't we be as strong as the
bear?' leaves us with the impression, 'Better safe than sorry.' The fact that the bear stops in front of the
suddenly visible hunter leaves us with an arresting image. The image is then tied to Ronald Reagan via
a picture of the man and a banner reading "Prepared for Peace."
The ad does a lot. It makes any other argument look ridiculous, it associates the candidate with the
image of a powerful creature hesitating before a single man, and it uses a widely recognized symbol of
our Cold War foes to leave viewers with the impression that this single man can protect people. As
previously mentioned, it seems to have more in common with a work of art, which essentially all ads
are, than it does with a debate or ad addressing an issue.
In the next ad we'll look at how a candidate lays out his ideas simply. While very different from the bear
ad, this one has an interesting visual style, and for a cheap ad it is very effective.
Technique
For
Against
Video
Using bright colorful footage of the
candidate is a good technique. The
candidate may be made to look stronger
by assuming patriotic poses.
Taking the same footage and removing the color
gives the impression that the candidate is old
fashioned and out of touch. Slowing the playback
speed makes the candidate seem creepy.
Sound
Effects
Adding applause or upbeat crowd noises
can make the candidate appear to have
greater and more enthusiastic support.
Showing footage without sound or crowd noise is
disconcerting to viewers.
Music
Patriotic music can inspire confidence and
assurance in a viewer.
Adding ominous music creates anxiety and can
make viewers uncomfortable without their
actually noticing it.
Graphics
Encouraging words on screen grab the
viewers’ attention and reinforce the
candidate’s message.
A few key words on screen can sow doubt in the
viewers’ minds.
Voice Over
Adding a voice can tie the whole thing
together and oddly adds a sense of
authority to the ad. The voice over
technique is nearly ubiquitous in political
ads. A strong, upbeat and confident voice
can make your candidate appear more
attractive to voters.
Adding a voice can tie the whole thing together
and oddly adds a sense of authority to the ad.
The voice over technique is nearly ubiquitous in
political ads. A low pitched voice infused with a
sense of doubt, often asking questions can
evoke uncertainty in the voters.