Campaign Advertising
From television spots to social media ads, how campaigns craft and deploy advertising to persuade and mobilize voters.
The Ad Arsenal
Campaign advertising falls into three categories. Positive ads introduce the candidate and tell their story: the biography spot showing humble origins, the policy ad highlighting achievements. Contrast ads compare the two candidates, framing the election as a choice: 'My opponent voted to cut education funding while I fought for our schools.' Attack ads focus entirely on the opponent's negatives: past failures, controversial statements, or character flaws.
Television remains the dominant medium for political advertising despite the digital revolution. In the 2020 US election, TV accounted for roughly $7 billion of $14 billion in total political ad spending. The reason is reach: a single TV spot during a major event can reach millions of voters simultaneously. Digital advertising is growing rapidly but remains more effective for fundraising and mobilization than persuasion.
