ENG 103
La Guardia Community College
Prof. Kitana Ananda
Jeffrey Granda
People are daily persuaded through thousands of advertisement that has impacted our society views and thoughts. The effectiveness of an advertisement campaign has an enormous influence on the consumer. As Democratic and Capitalist use such method to get their public attention, for instance their publicities are everywhere, whether it be a billboard, a TV commercial, a train station or a simple wall. The techniques used in the advertisement industry focus only in persuading their audience and not only getting a positive response from them but a good profit. According to scientist, publicities are carefully build to appeal to the customer as 60 to 80 % of the decisions are influenced by dormant emotions in the subconscious. Through the creative constructions of ad campaigns consumer’s purchases are highly positive. Moreover, political advertising have become important to campaigns strategy since they have the potential to transmit valid source of information about the participant’s candidates during a political debate. As studies points out that voters shown to political advertisement either on radio commercials or television possess information about candidates, such as their names, achievements, image attributes and daily life. However, publicities have a dark side that are afraid to expose to their public in as much as how truth is the information that they provide to their voters. In this paper I will explain the differences between political advertisements and the negative information that seems to be truth and how it’s used to grab the attention of its target audience and the use of hidden messages that has a tremendous impact in viewers.
In 1964, the Republican senator from Arizona, Barry Goldwater challenged his enterprise Lyndon Johnson by publishing an ad of a little girl pulling the petals of a daisy and counting each of the falling petals. As the camera zooms in, the little girl is replaced by a nuclear explosion, and a surprising voice said “These are the stakes, to make a world in which all of God’s children can live or go into the dark. We must love each other or we must die” and then an unknown man’s voice stated, vote for president Johnson on November 3, the stakes are too high for you to stay at home. In this advertisement, public can address the purpose from the sponsor, this ad expresses a negative persuasion for the public because we can see how the tape started with an angelic and innocent girl and finished promoting the dark side of this propaganda. Even though the advertisement promotes violence, it had a positive effect during Goldwater campaign, because Daisy Girl is effective because it plays off commonly held fears about the use of nuclear weapons.
Moreover, in 2012, Obama speech “always” had a tremendous impact in elections, the democratic sponsor defeated Romney by the way he persuades his audience. Obama states “I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message because I believe we are all in this together. “In Obama’s speech we can see how trustful each of his words are he positively persuades his audience because he makes them feel that their voice count and they are not alone in the road. Also, Obama makes a connection with his public by stating that they are who has make America successful with their efforts and hard work in building jobs. Obama’s publicity impact the sponsors because he started very brief and peaceful and that’s what people wants for their nation.
Another publicity is the advertisement of 2008 “Education, McCain. “In McCain speech and an unknown speaker points the next about Barack Obama.” Education week says Obama hasn’t made a significant mark on education, learning about sex before learning how to read? Barack Obama. Wrong on education. Wrong for your family” and then after the male speech, said “I’m John McCain and I approved this message.” This publicity is completely irrelevant, first, how a candidate can talk about another candidate like this, secondly, someone else speaks for McCain and he just said “I’m John McCain and I approved this message,” he just approved the message but in order to persuade the public he must talk and deliver the message for himself.
In connection, the medium in which an ad appears has a lot to do with its success. Television ads can exploit the power of visuals with sound and persuades its sponsor. Barry Goldwater advertisement, has a negative impact during the 1964 as the war was occurring it was a bad choice for the republican senator to promote this publicity because he persuades fear and intimidates his audience with Daisy ad. The explicit message that delivers Daisy ad is positive towards the audience but in a negative way because he spread fear instead of peace. Despite this ad, Obama’s publicity had a positive impact because he delivered truthful information and make it possible with events and not words. Obama portrays a positive attitude besides his economic status and the income for his campaign. The tone of voice is average and clear. He speaks in a positive tone than McCain. Obama stands for what he had said and made truth. McCain advertisement is just irrelevant due to the fact that he doesn’t talk about the positive impact that he will make to the country, in the other hand McCain made a negative statement about Obama’s campaign. McCain publicity was unsuccessful to defeat Obama’s image because what McCain said has nothing to do with the Country’s economic and issues. He just focus in what other candidate said. McCain’s publicity was a total fail because he just didn’t waste time but money that leads to lose the opportunity to win and make something better for the country.
Works Cited
- “The Living Room Candidate – Commercials – 1964 – Peace Little Girl (Daisy).” The Living Room Candidate – Commercials – 1964 – Peace Little Girl (Daisy). N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.
- “The Living Room Candidate – Commercials – 2008 – Education.” The Living Room Candidate – Commercials – 2008 – Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.
- “The Living Room Candidate – Commercials – 2012 – Always.” The Living Room Candidate – Commercials – 2012 – Always. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.