Political Campaign Advertising

Michael Milburn

Psychology 335

Bill MoyersThe 30-second President

• What are the essential elements of a persuasive advertisement, according to Rosser Reeves?

• What are the essential elements of effective commercials that Tony Schwartz used in his ads?

• What process did Schwartz use to select the messages for his ads?

• According to Moyers, what is the effect of political campaign advertising?

• What psychological processes are reflected in the presidential advertising in this Moyers’ show?

Campaign Strategy• What would be your strategy if you were employed by a candidate running for office

for the U.S. Senate?• The candidate:

– Short, intellectual, intense (talks fast), college professor, politically radical, unknown in the state, never held elective office

– Virtually no money ($200,000)– Spring of the election year

• Your opponent:– Conservative Republican– Has 70% approval rating– “Most popular politician in the state”– 61% approval rating among self-described liberals despite very conservative voting record

• Children’s Defense Fund game him a Children’s Defense Fund gave him a zero rating in 1989• League of Conservation Voters rated him a “D” or “F” in all but two years in the 1980s

– Has already raised $6 million• Your polling in February and June finds that your opponent has a 20 point lead in the

polls• What campaign ads would you run?

1992--Adwatch

• Bush/Clinton support measured on “thermometer scales”

• Two groups (Adwatch/No adwatch)• Everyone watched Clinton, Bush ads• Adwatch: read analysis (Boston Globe)• No Adwatch: read USA Today fluff• Bush/Clinton support measured again on

“thermometer scales”—change scores calculated• Amount of attitude change significantly lower for

Adwatch condition

Thermometer Scales

1992--Adwatch

• Bush/Clinton support measured on “thermometer scales”

• Two groups (Adwatch/No adwatch)• Everyone watched Clinton, Bush ads• Adwatch: read analysis (Boston Globe)• No Adwatch: read USA Today fluff• Bush/Clinton support measured again on

“thermometer scales”—change scores calculated• Amount of attitude change significantly lower for

Adwatch condition

1992--Adwatch

• Bush/Clinton support measured on “thermometer scales”

• Two groups (Adwatch/No adwatch)• Everyone watched Clinton, Bush ads• Adwatch: read analysis (Boston Globe)• No Adwatch: read USA Today fluff• Bush/Clinton support measured again on

“thermometer scales”—change scores calculated• Amount of attitude change significantly lower for

Adwatch condition

1992--Adwatch

• Bush/Clinton support measured on “thermometer scales”

• Two groups (Adwatch/No adwatch)• Everyone watched Clinton, Bush ads• Adwatch: read analysis (Boston Globe)• No Adwatch: read USA Today fluff• Bush/Clinton support measured again on

“thermometer scales”—change scores calculated• Amount of attitude change significantly lower for

Adwatch condition

Adwatch—RNSC Ad attacking Wellstone

• CNN—”Nearly every major claim in this ad is inaccurate, misleading or distorted”

Paul Wellstone

• Oct. 25, 2002 -- Senator Paul Wellstone was killed on Oct. 25 when his campaign plane crashed in northern Minnesota. The senator's wife, Sheila, son, and daughter also died in the crash.

• Wellstone was known for his passionate support of health care rights, fighting with Senator Pete Domenici to extend their 1996 mental health law and requiring parity in treatment of mental illnesses. He also introduced a bill expanding medical coverage available to recovering addicts.