PSCI 1050 WA7 Image, negative advertising and the candidate

In class, we watched both LBJ’s Daisy Girl TV ad from the 1964 campaign and Richard Nixon’s 1968 TV ad in which not a word was spoken. Both are negative ads and can be found on the website  http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/

Write a two-page memo (single-spaced, four-page double-spaced) to Pompous Blusterfuss, principal in Blusterfuss Political Consulting LLP, suggesting which of the two ads should be a model for a new campaign ad against Drumpf Rodharm, a political candidate from the Dregs Party who has been making outrageous statements about domestic and foreign policy.

Blusterfuss has asked his staff the following:

1)  Should our ads be based on attacking Rodharm’s domestic or foreign policies? We only have enough money to attack one aspect of Rodharm’s program.

2)  Which ad is more effective in stirring up negative feelings about Rodharm and why? What is the audience for the ad?

3)  When should your proposed negative ad run?

4)  What if any are the possible downsides to running a negative ad?

To help you get started, I am providing a couple of background resources. Two are articles about the Daisy Girl ad and the other is an excerpt from Joe McGinnis’s book, The Selling of the President 1968.:

See Blackboard folder for The Selling of the President excerpt, for the article from Smithsonian.com and the Washington Post,  and campaign ad links with a description of how to analyze ads.

Grading

Content                                   75 percent

Writing and format                25 percent