| Voices '99 |
| About this project |
| Front Page |
| Interact |
| Chat with other Student Voices |
| More student-friendly forums |
| Get Informed |
| The Students |
| The Candidates |
|
Power of TV: Political Ads |
| Research Sites |
|
News Update Inquirer or Daily News |
| FAQ |
| Related Sites |
| Citizen Voices |
| Inquirer Opinion page |
How images can manipulate you
Candidates can use the visual nature of television to their advantage in trying to make their political ads more persuasive. There are several ways that the images in television ads can persuade, and even manipulate, unsuspecting viewers. However, you'll be ready if you arm yourselves with these tips about techniques of visual persuasion.
Personal Appearance
How do the candidates choose to present themselves in these ads? What kind of clothes are they wearing? What expression do they have on their faces? Are they standing up, and walking around, or are they sitting and working at a desk? All these elements contribute to a unified, coherent image designed to make a particular impression on the viewer. Th image they project may differ from ad to ad. For example, Governor Whitman wore business suits in her issue-based ads and attack ads, but casualwear in her "Cool Mom" ad, which was designed to show her as a good mother who knows how to relax.
Content
What images have the candidates chosen to feature in their ads?- They might feature images that produce an emotional response. These images could be patriotic images, such as the flag, sentimental images, such as the candidate with babies or children, or inflammatory images that illustrate hot-button issues, such as abortion. These images may be an essential part of a candidate's message, but they could also be exploited in order to grab the viewer.
- Candidates may appeal to a target group of voters by featuring images of them in their ads. Are certain kinds of citizens over-represented in the ads?
- Candidates may try to cultivate their image by portraying themselves in certain situations. Do we see the candidate shaking hands with citizens, working with fellow politicians, or visiting the sick and elderly? Do these situations fit in with what we know about the candidate's past record and plans for policy? Finally, are these scenes documentary footage, or are they staged?
Camera Angles
The "MTV generation", as the media likes to call anyone under 30, are used to innovative camera work. Split-second editing, weird camera angles, and digital animation are pretty old hat for the average music video watcher. What kind of camera work to the candidates use in their ads, and how might it affect uncritical viewers?- Angles from above generally make the viewer feel superior to the candidate, while angles from below make the viewer feel inferior, and a level shot makes the candidate seem like more of an equal. What kind of angles do the candidates use in their ads?
- In some ads, we observe the candidate as if we were a fly on the wall, or a member of the crowd. In others, the candidate addresses the audience directly by speaking to the camera. Does direct eye contact from candidates make us trust them, or like them more?
- How is the ad edited? Quick editing usually implies a connection between different images.
Images vs. Words
Images are a powerful way for candidates to make a claim about themselves, or perhaps to attack an opposing candidate, without having to say it in words. Some claims may be too controversial, or unpleasant, to risk saying specifically. With images, candidates can create a powerful impression in voters' minds without having to take full responsibility for that impression.For example, in Murray Sabrin's bid to be elected governor in the 1997 New Jersey race, he created an ad called "Failure", in which he juxtaposed images of his opponents with images of congested highways, drug addicts shooting up, and babies disappearing from their cribs. Sabrin was implying that his opponents were directly responsible for the problems shown in the images, a claim that he would have been hard pressed to prove. The images exaggerated and distorted what was actually being said in the ad. For example, the images equated drug addicts with welfare recipients, even though a small percentage of people on welfare are addicts. For more analysis, see a summary of "Failure".
Project
Here
are some questions you can ask yourself about the use of images in political ads:
1. What does the candidate's personal appearance say about the kind of leader or person he or she is?
2. What camera angles are being used? High or low? Direct or to the side? Why?
3. Did the scenes in the ad really happen, or were they staged? Does it matter?
4. Does the editing or imagery imply something that the ad doesn't actually say in words?
Back to the table of contents.
See the sources used to
create this guide to political advertising.
This site was developed as part of the Annenberg Public Policy Center's Citizen Voices in City Schools project, to increase the civic engagement of young people.
© 1999, Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. is expressly prohibited.