Presidential campaign commercials from Obama (Country I Love), McCain (2013) and George Bush Sr. (1988) are each described and analyzed specifically in five dimensions; attitude component, attitude function, cues, information sources and arguments. A comparative summary is provided.
Barak Obama speaks directly to the camera throughout most of this commercial. Sitting in a country kitchen setting, with paned windows in the background showing a beautiful day and the backyard, with a soft guitar playing, the scene tells us we can relax and listen to him. He looks directly into your eyes, speaks well and is evokes a feeling of trust arising from being genuine. He speaks of being raised by a single mom and his grandparents, having to work his way through college and choosing helping people in Chicago over personal financial rewards on Wall Street. The transition to photos shows Mr. Obama with people, listening, smiling, his arm on their shoulder, etc. The core message is that he will never forget that this country is comprised of families whose values are hard work, accountability and self reliance.
All three attitude components are present in Obama’s commercial. Foremost is the affective component, as he appeals to your heart. He does not bother to talk about issues, but rather goes deeper to the family and their values. The behavioral component is present in by suggesting that a poor single mother childhood built character, and if we return to deep rooted family values, our issues will be taken care of as a consequence. Cognitively, it appeals to our reason. We cannot address the issues facing our nation if our families and their core values are not healthy first. Obama also appeals to a range of attitude functions. He gave us the knowledge that he chose helping people over personal gain. This message also provides a utilitarian function, as he suggests that rewards from helping people outweigh financial rewards. There is a societal function in that... [continues]
Barak Obama speaks directly to the camera throughout most of this commercial. Sitting in a country kitchen setting, with paned windows in the background showing a beautiful day and the backyard, with a soft guitar playing, the scene tells us we can relax and listen to him. He looks directly into your eyes, speaks well and is evokes a feeling of trust arising from being genuine. He speaks of being raised by a single mom and his grandparents, having to work his way through college and choosing helping people in Chicago over personal financial rewards on Wall Street. The transition to photos shows Mr. Obama with people, listening, smiling, his arm on their shoulder, etc. The core message is that he will never forget that this country is comprised of families whose values are hard work, accountability and self reliance.
All three attitude components are present in Obama’s commercial. Foremost is the affective component, as he appeals to your heart. He does not bother to talk about issues, but rather goes deeper to the family and their values. The behavioral component is present in by suggesting that a poor single mother childhood built character, and if we return to deep rooted family values, our issues will be taken care of as a consequence. Cognitively, it appeals to our reason. We cannot address the issues facing our nation if our families and their core values are not healthy first. Obama also appeals to a range of attitude functions. He gave us the knowledge that he chose helping people over personal gain. This message also provides a utilitarian function, as he suggests that rewards from helping people outweigh financial rewards. There is a societal function in that... [continues]
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