Campaign Ad Analysis

As promised, here is a link to the campaign ad website we mentioned in class.
The Living Room Candidate

Here is a description of what the site's purpose is from the creators and curators:

"In a media-saturated environment in which news, opinions, and entertainment surround us all day on our television sets, computers, and cell phones, the television commercial remains the one area where presidential candidates have complete control over their images. Television commercials use all the tools of fiction filmmaking, including script, visuals, editing, and performance, to distill a candidate's major campaign themes into a few powerful images. Ads elicit emotional reactions, inspiring support for a candidate or raising doubts about his opponent. While commercials reflect the styles and techniques of the times in which they were made, the fundamental strategies and messages have tended to remain the same over the years. 

The Living Room Candidate contains more than 300 commercials, from every presidential election since 1952, when Madison Avenue advertising executive Rosser Reeves convinced Dwight Eisenhower that short ads played during such popular TV programs as I Love Lucy would reach more voters than any other form of advertising. This innovation had a permanent effect on the way presidential campaigns are run."

Also, here is a link to the assignment for those who may need an extra copy:

Campaign Ad Analysis

Finally, as mentioned in class, campaign ads have come a long way both in terms of expense and sophistication. Take a look at the first campaign ad ever in support of Dwight D. Eisenhower's campaign for the presidency in 1952: