As we all know, Wisconsin is facing one of its most powerful political upheavals in our state history against incumbent Governor Scott Walker. To date, only two state elected officials have been successfully recalled from office. In the history of the United States, only two governors have ever been recalled. So where does this all tie in to political advertisements?
Political advertisements have been around for as long as we can remember. Whether it includes radio advertisements, TV commercials, or the ever infamous non–stop phone calls, we can all agree it can be overwhelming.
At last night’s debate, Mayor Tom Barrett brought up the issue of where Scott Walker was getting his funds for such campaigns and his over usage of commercials to display Mayor Tom Barrett in a “negative light.” Coming back to the issue at hand, truly how powerful can political advertisements be? Most everyone can remember the powerful political commercial put forth by the Johnson campaign of the little girl, or more commonly known as the “Daisy Ad:”
http://www.history.com/videos/campaign-spot-peace-little-girl-1964#campaign-spot-peace-little-girl-1964
Even though the commercial was aired once, everyone from that moment on in history can remember the effectiveness of his advertisement and the chilling effect it gave off which many believe won him the position in office.
Coming back to present day, no matter what political side of the spectrum you reside, the advertisements published by both Governor Scott Walker and Mayor Tom Barrett has had a lasting impression on the people of Wisconsin. The famous line, “bad news travels faster than good news,” can be an advantage to political opponents in times like this for the constant usage of political commercials and campaign strategies of calling homes, texting, and even radio advertisements can have a lasting impression on individuals when it comes time to cast your ballot. Political advertising strategies can also be compared with advertising regular products. Take for example the product Coca-Cola. Even though the brand is well established and known world–wide, by continuously displaying the image of Coca-Cola products on television, consumers are constantly reminded of the product and will more than likely purchase the product, and more importantly, choose that product over other competitors.
So, by continuously hearing and seeing the same political commercial, you begin to associate names with images and recognize a politician’s name. So, is it necessary to have a large campaign fund to make multiple commercials? Does hearing political advertisements non–stop truly have an effect on the people? You decide.
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_gubernatorial_recall_election,_2012
http://www.history.com/
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