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.