Jimmy Carter’s 1976 “Reality” ad was my favorite for a few reasons. In this ad, Carter calls out republicans who he feels are using their ads to ignore the problems of America and act like everything is going perfectly. He points out the flaws he sees and claims that he, with help of the citizens, will address them.
The ad had no music and was very straight forward. I like how he mentioned his competition and directly countered them with his words. He also used fear tactics by saying all of the horrible things that were happening, like crime rates going up or schools shutting down, without giving any real numbers or statistics.
Watching these ads, I can see why Carter was elected. He comes off as a relatable American, but also a strong leader. I think his southern voice, simple vernacular, and even the way he dresses in some of the ads contribute to his relatableness. In this ad, he sounds strong and is dressed like a president. He looks like a classic example of a leader and this probably gave a lot of people the comfort to vote for him.
I watched this ad and it seemed like to me Jimmy Carter’s campaign off this ad alone was not ran that good. It seemed like it focused too much on him being an outsider with morals and not focusing enough on the issues that were going on at those times.
I did think it was an interesting choice for Carter’s campaign to openly address and call-out political advertising when he himself is doing the same. I think that all his choices, including the no music, all relate to this idea of being different and being an outsider, despite using all the same tactics as his opponents. The positioning as an outsider reminds me of Trump’s similar angle. Even though their platforms are so different, they are using the same tactic to differentiate themselves.
I can understand why you would say that advertisements without music and distractions can be compelling and useful in order to be direct with the audience. However, I also think the small details and fun additions can help a candidate as well in order to make them seem less daunting and more relatable.
I found it interesting that your favorite ad was one that is so straightforward and lacks gimmicks or music. I can see how this would be an effective campaigning strategy in some ways, but also might be dull to some and not super eye-catching.