Watching the 1984 campaign ads, Reagan’s ads are much more calming and enjoyable to watch, while every single one of Mondale’s ads are focused on attacking Reagan and they take an aggressive, too informative approach. While I don’t doubt that what Mondale was saying about Reagan was true, his approach was certainly off-putting, especially in contrast to Reagan. The economy was doing well under Reagan and in 1984 there was finally peace in the nation after WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam all took place within Reagan’s lifetime. The American people craved comfort and stability, which is exactly what the Reagan ads portrayed and the exact opposite of what the Mondale ads portrayed.
Even when discussing difficult topics, Reagan’s ads did so in a comforting manner. My favorite ad from the campaign was Reagan’s entitled “Bear”. Part of why I liked it so much is that it took a completely different approach than any of Reagan, Mondale, or quite frankly any other ad I’ve seen has. The ad is 30 seconds long and consists of footage of a bear roaming around a forest with a very soothing, yet firm narration and slightly ominous music. The narrator at one point says “Some say the bear is tame, others say it’s vicious and dangerous.” It’s clear that the bear referenced is referring to the threats posed by the Soviet Union and appeals to the logic of viewers. Even if there isn’t a bear, shouldn’t we be prepared just in case? Without being overly alarming, the ad is able to make a convincing appeal that even though the nation was currently at peace, the United States should still be prepared for whatever dangers may lay ahead. I found this ad to be extremely effective and very different.
I saw the same parallel in my ads in 1956, Stevenson focused on beating down Eisenhower while the Republican Party was playing to the current wants and needs of the American public. It’s crucial to cater to what the American public is looking for and to understand the current state of the people.
This ad was a very creative way to depict and simplify a reality that Americans at the time probably weren’t thinking about at the time because of the state of peace. Like you, I found it extremely effective.
I found the same thing when picking my favorite ad. I think that it is so clever when candidates use claiming, peaceful, or cute images to discuss something as large as the threat of the Soviet Union, or in my case the Cold War. This makes me think about how campaign ads today take the complete opposite approach and never really make ads that reassure people.
I also found the same results in Reagan’s ads from the 1980 election. Many of Reagan’s ads were very calming and focused a lot on how Reagan was going to make change. Jimmy Carter definitely spent more time “attacking” Reagan in his ads than Reagan did attacking Carter.