Evolution of Television Ads in Presidential Campaigns

For over 60 years, presidential campaigns have used television ads to communicate ideas and campaign plans to the American people. With hopes of influencing people to vote, politicians have used various tactics and strategies to persuade. After observing television campaign ads throughout the years, a few themes are observed.

For the 1952 presidential election, Dwight D. Eisenhower ran against Adlai Stevenson. Dwight D. Eisenhower was a member of the Republican party, while Adlai Stevenson was a member of the Democratic party. At that point in time, America’s biggest issues revolved around social security, war, wages, and taxes. Both Eisenhower and Stevenson used television campaign ads to not only portray themselves in a certain light, but also portray their opponent in a certain negative light. These men were among the earliest to use television ads to do so, and they set a trend for years to come.

During the 1952 presidential election, Eisenhower ran against Adlai Stevenson with his vice president Richard Nixon. Together, Eisenhower and Nixon hoped to convince America that they were the best option for the job in the White House. At the time, the Korean War was going on, and World War II had

While Eisenhower appeared in his own TV ads, Adlai Stevenson did not; he was the only candidate to not appear in his own ads. His advertisements were a bit more animated than those of Eisenhower; they often featured cartoons or short, catchy jingles. Because of the fact that Eisenhower was the better known candidate, Stevenson also made sure to get his name out there by putting his name in his own advertisements. He portrayed himself as a good, honest man that represented all American people, while he simultaneously implied that Eisenhower was a man that could not be trusted and did not care about the American