Picture this: after a long day of school, work or another socially exhausting event, you finally make it home. It is raining outside, you are wiped and the only thing you want to do is kick your feet up and watch YouTube. Scrolling through, you find a relaxed commentary video and think, “Perfect, this is just what I need right now.” But as soon as you press play, suspenseful music rises, a solemn voice begins to speak and black-and-white footage of a certain politician appears on screen. You groan, realizing you have been tricked; it is another election advertisements.
This upcoming election is extremely important for the country. Regardless of your political leanings, there is no doubt that each party is fighting passionately, determined to see their chosen candidate win. And while it is inspiring to see American citizens engage throughout the country, the constant stream of ads can be exhausting; each video you click and each commercial break, a faceless voice comes to warn you about the “dire consequences” that will come with another political party winning.
Just how influential are these ads really? In general, advertisements are designed to be persuasive, as that is their core purpose. Companies use a wide array of tactics in an attempt to make their products stand out against their competitors. We see, for example, products like Bounty that illustrate the effectiveness of their product by comparing it side-by-side to another. Food advertisers also go to creative lengths, like using glue instead of milk in cereal ads to make the product look crisp and fresh. These efforts highlight a product’s appeal, making them memorable, persuasive and appealing in a crowded market.
While these politicians are trying to sell themselves by comparing themselves to their opponents like paper towels and only magnifying their good qualities like cereal commercials, these are not just any products you can find on a grocery store shelf. These “products” represent the possible future of the United States. In today’s deeply divided America, most citizens already have a firm grasp on just who they want to vote for. Studies show that these ads may only sway opinions a small 0.05%, despite more than half a billion being spent on online campaigns. All this being accounted for, I would say advertisements that favor the opponent of a viewer’s favorite politician could potentially only annoy that particular viewer more.
Does this mean the ad is ineffective, though?
In one regard, yes. These political ads may not be changing party loyalties or convincing people to switch sides. While that level of persuasion is rare– especially in the polarized climate that’s only intensified since the 2016 election with Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump– I believe these ads do serve another purpose, but not in the way that is intended. As a first-time voter, they did not change my mind on who I preferred, but they did fuel my motivation to participate and cast my vote even more than ever before. I believe if a portion of American citizens did not feel the obligation to vote but favored a candidate over another, these ads would have motivated them to vote since they were constantly being shoved into their faces. These ads make the 2024 election a household topic, a continuous echo in our heads.
Are these advertisements annoying? Yes. Effective in converting votes? Rarely. But a reminder to participate? Absolutely.