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Political Campaign Commercial Analysis

Lesson Objectives:
The student will be able to understand that political campaign commercials are constructed media messages designed to persuade and to manipulate public opinion.
The student will be able to identify the methods used in political campaign commercials to persuade and to manipulate public opinion.

On Your Own: Interpretive and Inferential Reading of the Text

1. Watch the commercial uninterrupted one time through.

? How did the commercial make you feel what different emotions does it elicit?

? How did the commercial make you feel about the candidate?

? How did the commercial make you feel about the opponent?

? How did the commercial make you feel about the issues?

On Your Own: Literal Re-reading of the Text

2. Watch the commercial again without the sound.

? List all the visual images in the commercial in order. Describe the people in the commercial what do they look like and what are
they doing? What are they wearing? What is the quality of the images? What backgrounds are used? What is the sequence of the
scenes ? What colors and symbols do you see? List only things you see not things you infer or interpret.

3. Listen to the commercial without the video image.

? Write down the words that are spoken. Who says them? What music do you hear? Are there any other sounds? Who is being
spoken to? List only things you hear not things you infer or interpret.
What I Heard:

Phrases I Didnt Understand:

 Now Do the Literal Analysis Worksheet

On Your Own: Interpretive, Inferential, and Analytical Re-reading of the Text

4. What kind of campaign commercial is this? Explain your thinking.

This commercial is a policy attack on the opponent.
This commercial is a character attack on the opponent.

This commercial is a positive advertisement about the candidate.

This commercial is a defensive advertisement that is a response.

Propaganda : communication which seeks openly to persuade an audience and to manipulate public opinion.

5. Which of the following types of propaganda can be found in this commercial? Make a brief note of the
evidence for each type you choose:
Assertion: an enthusiastic or energetic statement presented as a fact, although it is not necessarily true.
Bandwagon: an appeal to the subject to follow the crowd, to join in because others are doing so as well.
Card Stack ing : only presenting information that is positive to an idea or proposal and omitting information contrary to it.
Glittering Generalities : words that have different positive meaning for individual subjects, but are linked to highly valued
concepts vague words that sound good, but really dont mean anything.
Lesser of Two Evils : tries to convince us of an idea, proposal, or candidate by presenting it as the least offensive option.
Name Calling : the use of derogatory language or words that carry a negative connotation when describing the opponent.
Oversimplification : an attempt to simplify a complex situation in terms of clear-cut right and wrong.
Plain Folks: an attempt by the candidate to convince the public that his /her views reflect those of the common person, that they are
also working for t he benefit of the common person, and that he/she is one of us.
Red Herring : an irrelevant issue used as a distraction to divert attention from the primary issue. Red herrings are usually used in
attempts to deliberately mislead (origin using a stinky fish to take the hunters off the trail).
Testimonial : quotations or endorsements, in or out of context, which attempt to connect a fa mous or respectable person with a
product, item, issue, or candidate.
Transfer: an attempt to make the subject view a certain item in the same way as they view another item, to lin k the two in the
subjects mind.

6. To what emotion(s) does this commercial appeal? Explain your thinking.

7. What kind of person would strongly agree and what kind of a person would strongly disagree with this
commercial? Explain your thinking.

8. What do the creators of this commercial think you like what do they think you want? Explain your
thinking.

On Your Own: Interpretive and Evaluative Re-reading of the Text

A. Paraphrase the intended message of this commercial in one or two sentences. Explain your thinking.
B. What questions do you now have about the candidate(s) or the issue(s)?
C. This is a constructed media message with a specific purpose. What grade (A-F) do you give the creators
for their clever effort to manipulate your opinion? Why that grade? Explain your thinking.