I could see ad campaigns for particular issues/especially ballot referendums, but I wonder if the “orange man bad/senile man bad” ads really have any effect, other than making money for the folks who raise funds and manage campaign ad... er, campaigns...

As a general rule, no, but I do know that in 2012 the ads Claire McCaskill ran against that idiot Todd Akin after his remarks about abortion took her to victory.

Part of me would say I’d be surprised if it alters anyone’s predetermined opinion. However I should know not to be surprised.

That is in regards to the presidential election. I think in local and state elections it has a HUGE impact. It’s proven when people don’t know anything about either candidate they will pick the name they recognize.

Sometimes.

There were a couple of ads that really did changes at the polls.

The Willie Horton ad in Bush vs Dickakis was a major turning point in the polls.

Lots of controversy at the time.

Here is a good analysis of the ad and the case the ad was based on.

https://anncoulter.com/2018/12...he-willie-horton-ad/

I don't think they are changing anyone's minds, at best they keep.people motivated to vote, got to remind the people how bad orange man is, so people come out to vote against him.

Yes, it matters to the uninformed / gullible.

The ads absolutely matter to the TV stations. Big money!

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
Yes, it matters to the uninformed / gullible.

I read an article this past month that most swing voters don’t vote on issues they vote on whether or not they like the guy/gal. I think the ads are targeted at those imbeciles.

They have the ability to make a difference,
They just choose not to offer the information that would actually make a difference.

From my perspective,
Spending money on radio and tv ads for what they are offering is like tossing the money in a shredder.

quote:

Originally posted by JimmyRayBob:
The ads absolutely matter to the TV stations. Big money!

Hmmmm, sometimes. Political ads on Radio/TV pay the lowest rates even during the peak rate drive time periods. All the candidate has to say is "I approve this message", to get the lowest rate. One plus for radio/TV stations is Political ads are prepaid.

Yes, not that they change minds as a general rule, although that is possible (see Willie Horton).

But they do motivate people to go out and vote. Which is very important.

In local races they may be more important by building familiarity with candidates who are otherwise unknown.

TV political ads were effective once upon a time, before the internet, cable TV, social media, cell phones, etc. Back in the day, the only way for one to get a audio/visual experience was network TV, three channels of information.

People are so jaded and over saturated with information, and with DVRs in most households that watch cable, I don't think these ads do much at all.

Come on, there are a lot of you out there old enough to remember the infamous Goldwater ad that got Johnson reelected.

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:

quote:

Originally posted by JimmyRayBob:
The ads absolutely matter to the TV stations. Big money!

Hmmmm, sometimes. Political ads on Radio/TV pay the lowest rates even during the peak rate drive time periods. All the candidate has to say is "I approve this message", to get the lowest rate. One plus for radio/TV stations is Political ads are prepaid.

I didn't know that. You learn something new every day here at SIGforum. Thanks.

If the question was, 'do they matter to me,' the answer would be no, but in general yes ads matter.

If nothing else, relative frequency sends an implicit message. If someone sees 25 ads for Brand X and zero for Brand Y, independently of content that leaves an impression, and it's not favorable for Brand Y.

So some spending is defensive. It is a zero sum game though- can't spend the money in two places - so Brand Y may just be giving up on viewers of that particular show/network to saturate somewhere else that they think will yield better results.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
Yes, it matters to the uninformed / gullible.

Yes, in some cases. But likely not a lot. People do hear and repeat sound bites even if they are BS.

Just this week I had someone say to me that they would vote for Biden because Trump lies. About what I asked... "Everything"

After 2016... A lady explaining to me why she voted the way she did.
"He was the only one I had heard of" You imbecile, just stay home.

A particularly good one - or at least one that 'goes viral' - can be effective at the margins. Other than that they can only build name recognition, either for or against.

12131 said it best. And I do believe there are people who vote solely on what they see in the ads.

They do not work on me, but evidently somebody does.

They must work, otherwise NBC, CNN, CBS, ABC, NYT, WP et al, wouldn't waste all of their airtime/print space acting as non-stop commercials for the DNC.



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