Persuasive Ad Analysis - Looking Back (Pt. 1)

As the presidential election intensifies on the democratic side and Americans prepare for what will certainly be the most heated general election in decades, it would be prudent to step back and examine some persuasive strategies employed in the ads of the last presidential campaign. Although hundreds of ads were run, in the next few days, I will be posting on what I consider to be amongst the most effective ads. While the Bush-Cheney team is often derided for their inability to govern, there can be no doubt about their ability to run tremendous campaigns and create some of the best commercials in decades. Under the direction of Karl Rove, Dan Bartlet, Mark McKinnon, and others, the Bush team smeared John Kerry and persuaded Americans to vote for a president who lead the country into a tremendously unpopular war and oversaw an economic recession.

In the first installment of this series, we examine what I consider to be one of the most effective positive ads of the 2004 campaign: Ashley's Story.


View the video on YouTube.

What Makes This Ad Persuasive?

• Although the ad played in many geographic locations, by using someone from Ohio, the ad connected on a deeper level with the people of Ohio, whom the Bush campaign knew would be an incredibly important voting block.
• Amidst an election that was particularly nasty and partisan, the ad is entirely positive. There are no subtle, implicit, or tacit attacks within this film.
• The ad connects to people on a deep heart level, which is often more effective than connecting with someone on an intellectual level.
• The ad is inspirational. As Barack Obama has shown, inspirational is extremely effective in engendering support.
  
• The ad is a true story, not an abstract policy.
• The ad subtly evokes 9/11 and George Bush's positive response to this tragedy. The subtle message is to remind voters of George Bush's leadership and compassion after 9/11.