Political advertising has become a massive machine. A big business that rolls out in full force for Presidential campaigns, makes a strong showing for mid-term elections and hums along through the rest of our time on issues, primaries and caucuses. But it wasn’t always this way. The timeline of political advertising is spread out over the last hundred years.
Here for your consideration are some of the benchmarks along the way of how political advertising crept into campaigns in the Roaring Twenties, blossomed with the advent of television and how it’s completely taken over in the 21st century as the primary tool to get candidates elected.
Old School – meeting, greeting and speech making. Before WWI advertising and entertainment were viewed askance in relation to politics. Socially, they were not trusted for the way they manipulated emotions of public.
1920’s – Herbert Hoover & Calvin Coolidge used public relations in their political campaigns to their advantage
1930’s Roosevelt experimented with Hollywood personalities to endorse him on radio political ads
1948 – Harry Truman campaigned face to face with 500,000 Americans
1949 – Commercial television broadcasting began
1950 –Senator William Benton of Connecticut aired what’s considered the first political commercial – since few Americans had TV sets in their homes, he broadcast his advertisement on screens he set up in shopping centers and street corners.
1952 – Dwight D. Eisenhower created a series of TV political spots, 40 in all – they were clips of a meet and greet he recorded. It was called “Eisenhower Answers America” Praised for his humility and direct connection, these ads worked.
1952 – Adelai Stevenson, critical of political ads, purchased 30 min blocks of TV time to explain his platform. These were expensive, so his team chose to air them when it was more affordable during late night hours. Viewership was low. This strategy was seen as unsuccessful.
1953-1955 – heralded as the Golden Age of Television – political ads continue to proliferate and become an important tool in spreading the messages of candidates in other races.
1956 – Adlai Stevenson criticized president for his use of what he called manipulative media (aka ads)
1960 – John F. Kennedy expanded Eisenhower’s strategy, winning the nomination with a privately funded media team that used TV political ads and radio spots. These ads transformed him into a celebrity. Newly elected young, vital president Kennedy, seemed to point the way toward how profoundly television would change politics. Though not an ad, it’s significant to note, the first televised political debate happened that fall between Kennedy, the Democratic candidate for president, and Vice-President Richard M. Nixon, the Republican’s nominee.
1964 – The first attack ad airs. The “daisy” ad for President Lyndon Johnson showed a little girl counting petals on a daisy. Midway though, the camera zoomed in tight to her pupil on which mushroom cloud explosion was projects. Fear was triggered along with the guilt/obligation to protect the next generation and simultaneously connect Johnson’s opponent Goldwater with nuclear war.
1972 – Nixon successfully employed attack ads to win his re-election. Candidate McGovern ran an attack-free campaign until near the end, but by then it was too late.
1980 – Attack ads became the norm for both parties in Regan-Carter campaigns.
1984 – The introduction of a different political ad tactic. One with positive, strong, powerful messages that a vote for Regan was a vote against prosperity.
1988 – Below the belt ads from the Bush campaign turned the voter tide against Dukakis. One ad alluding to his ineptitude on national defense, the other that he was soft on crime.
1994 – The first internet (banner) ads appear. Political ads quickly adapt to the new medium.
2000 – The birth of microtargeting. Ads aimed at discovering facts about individual voters and targeting ads directly to them.
2004 – Political ads claiming John Kerry obtained navy medals during Vietnam War dishonestly resulted in voter fear and anger. Even though it was later proven false, the damage was done. Kerry lost.
2007 – facebook launched ads. Microtargeting combined with social media and internet banner (and eventual video) ads increase the importance of an online presence.
2008 – Obama campaign dominates the digital field employing political ads on Facebook and You Tube to document his on-the-ground campaigning. Web political advertising succeeds.
2016 – Campaign spending (for president, governor and Congress) much of it spent on political advertising reaches $9.8 billion with 4.4billion spent on TV political ads alone.
2018 – Mid-term election spend is the largest ever. Digital political ads increased exponentially. They went up 576% from 2012 to 2016 and the tally continues to rise.
2020 – predictions are that by this benchmark year, we’ll see digital spending within 1 Billion of that spent on TV political ads.
Kim Handysides is a female political ad voice over artist.