AD COMPARISON CHART

Please complete this chart using full sentences.

OBAMA CAMPAIGN
Ad Title and url: “Read My Plan” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZJ5K0zo7dc

In this commercial, Barack Obama is sitting in what looks like the ideal middle class
What do you see in the American Living room or dining room, dressed in a nice suit. While he talks about his main
commercial? Describe
plan objectives, the corresponding images show working class Americans of different
images or text.
races, The American Flag, and I think most importantly are images of President Obama
engaging with the citizens.

What do you hear in the Obama is speaking in a calm but direct manner and sounds sure of what he is saying. In
commercial? Describe the background there is nice “elevator” sort of music that is calming and picks up tempo in
voices, music, background the right places to match what is being spoken.
sound effects.
I think the commercial producers want the viewer to feel hopeful and energized with
What do you think the
commercial producers want what Obama’s plans are for the future. Everything that he is proposing would, ideally, help
you to feel or think? What improve the American public’s lives, especially the middle class, and the overall economy.
makes you say this? There is a strong sense of American pride and patriotism in this commercial.

I do think this is an effective commercial for a couple of reasons. I really like listening to
Do you think the ad is
effective? Why or why not? Obama speak in his clear and calm tone, with the nice music in the background. Also, I
think the setting of the nice upper middle class dining room area is a nice touch to
encourage voters to think that voting for him and following his plans will allow them to
have this. The last reason I believe this to be effective is because at the end he is
encouraging the viewer to not just watch this, but to read his plan, compare it Romney’s,
and then make their own decision. I also like that he thanks the viewer for watching.

Ad Title and url: “Foreign Policy” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc3nES1esyU

In this commercial, the focus is on ending war, and there are many clips of soldiers
What do you see in the coming home in their uniforms, some with prosthetic limbs, clearly indicating the negative
commercial? Describe
implications war has had on this country and the need for rebuilding. There are printed
images or text.
quotes on the screen with information coming from reputable sources such as ABC7 in
order to paint Romney in a bad light and Obama in a positive light.

What do you hear in the In this commercial there is also background music, more classical piano in variety. The
commercial? Describe man narrating the commercial is not Barack Obama or any other known member of his
voices, music, background campaign, but rather an anonymous man’s voice.
sound effects.
 I think the producers wants the viewers to feel sympathetic towards victims and survivors
What do you think the
commercial producers want of war violence and their families. Early on in the commercial it is pointed out that Obama
you to feel or think? What ended the war and brought these soldiers home, and they are clearly trying to make you
makes you say this? feel thankful and grateful for Obama and hateful towards Romney who the video claims
would have left 30,000 troops in Iraq.

To me, this ad is effective, but I also feel like it is sort of mis leading or can cause
Do you think the ad is politically un educated voters to make a decision based on the handful of quick quotes
effective? Why or why not? that are printed on the screen. I guess that they probably want that though, so in that
sense I would definitely say it’s effective. Any person with a heart is going to see this
commercial with all the images of troops, and the man missing a leg, and then see the
quote about this mean man Romney who wants them all to stay at war, and if they don’t
already have their opinions formed, it’s easy to see how people would be swayed to vote
in Obama’s favor.
ROMNEY CAMPAIGN
Ad Title and url: “Find a Way” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2YvKdMchp0

In this commercial, there is an image of the National Debt overlapping with an image of
What do you see in the Obama, while sort of negative words such as “chronic unemployment” are flashed on to
commercial? Describe
the screen. During the second half of the commercial where they highlight the positive
images or text.
changes Mitt Romney has planned, those words appear on the screen and are sort of
highlighted or outlined in red to make them stand out.

What do you hear in the There is an anonymous male voice narrating while slow, low piano music plays. The first
commercial? Describe half of the commercial is negative comments about Obama and his administration. They
voices, music, background also insert a quick clip of Obama saying “You can’t change Washington”. Once the video
sound effects.
shifts gears to speak positively about Mitt Romney, the music picks up speed and becomes
more upbeat.

I think the producers of this commercial want the American public to relate to all of the
What do you think the
commercial producers want “terrible” ways Obama has ruined this country and how it’s affecting everyone. The
you to feel or think? What commercial starts with the narrator stating “Most Americans believe…”, in an effort to
makes you say this? right off the bat make the viewer feel like “most people believe this and so should I”, or
“they must all be right”.

I do think this commercial is effective. By starting right off the bat with “Most American’s
Do you think the ad is
effective? Why or why not? believe” they are immediately making it seem like whatever they are about to say is
popular public opinion and truth. I don’t necessarily agree with the tactics as I feel like it
was more focused on tearing Obama down than building Romney up, but I do think it was
probably effective.

Ad Title and url: “Obama Attacks Success” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QSIIzbYRdo

This commercial follows a small business owner as he starts his day around 6 in the
What do you see in the morning, while the sun in coming up. It shows him giving his wife a big hug as he leaves
commercial? Describe
the house and drives to work at his metal fabricating company. They show a time clock,
images or text.
and an old polaroid photo of the guy working at the business in his younger years, and
also the man and his son in front of a photo of the man’s father.

What do you hear in the This video starts with clips of Obama speaking about how no one got anywhere in this
commercial? Describe country without help, and no one has started a business or become successful completely
voices, music, background on their own. While Obama’s voice is playing is while all the images of the hardworking
sound effects.
man are being shown. Then, the business owner shares his story about all the hard work
he’s put into his business over the years, and then Mitt Romney speaks about his plans
and points of view. There is nice music playing in the background the entire time.
 The Producers of this commercial really want you to hear the words Obama is saying, but
What do you think the
commercial producers want watch the man and visually be able to identify with his struggle and not with what Obama
you to feel or think? What is saying. I don’t know where the words from Obama were taken from, but in the video
makes you say this? they are out of context and I think they’re being manipulated in order to make it sound
like he doesn’t value the hard work of the American people, especially small business
owners.

I feel like this ad could be a little of both effective and ineffective. I can definitely see how
Do you think the ad is a lot of the American public would see that man and hear his story and relate to the hard
effective? Why or why not? work he puts in everyday to keep his small business up and running. Without context, the
clip of Obama speaking over the visuals of the man certainly make it seem like Obama
places no value on the man’s hard work and the wife and son’s struggle with their absent
father hard at work. However that’s where I feel like this could go either way as far as
effectiveness. Someone could see this commercial and take it for what it is and believe it
at face value and go on to support Romney. Or, it could intrigue them to do more research
into Obama and where the speech they’re playing in the background was taken from in
order to get some clarity on the context. That’s how I feel after watching this, I’m more
curious than anything and am now intrigued to find out more about Obama.

Chart from:

learning.blogs.nytimes.com