I liked Reagan’s ad campaign much better than Mondale’s. Reagan’s ads emphasized what he had done in office already, and shared some of his goals. Mondale’s ads however were mostly aimed at attacking Reagan. Reagan’s ads had hopeful, happy music and image of a happy America. They featured patriotic messages, and presented Reagan as a sort of hero to America. Mondale’s ads were fairly negative and were accompanied by ominous music. Overall, they were less pleasant to watch. Neither ad campaign, however, discussed the candidates’ actual plans for the country. In one of his ads, “Reaganomics,” Reagan touches vaguely on what he would do for the American economy, but other than that, neither candidate explains their plan for the country. This goes back to the “where are we going?” versus “how will we get there?” debate.
My favorite ad from he 1984 campaigns was Reagan’s “Peace” ad. I think that it does a good job of reminding American’s why they should care about the future of American- their children. I think that this would have sparked an emotional response from many viewers. Also, the commercial is uplifting and pleasant to watch. It talks about peace for America, which is something that almost everyone in the country was wishing for at that time. Finally, the ad explains what Reagan had done in office already, which is a good way to convince audiences that he already is a good president and should remain in office. Overall, I thought Reagan’s “Peace” ad was effective and pleasant to watch.
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I agree with you! It is our emotional responses that can often drive our decsion making and making us want to like that nominee more.
When I first saw the title of your post, I was thinking of Apple’s 1984 ad, which is such a legendary ad that it redefined modern advertising. I did not even think of any campaign ads, but after reading your post, it shows how political advertisements are a combination of “what have I done for you?” and “what will I do for you?” Reagan used both to show why he was and would continue to be a good president, which is why he won in 1984.