Multimodal Arguments in Political Advertisements

Research Website:
livingroomcandidate.org
Browse political ads from elections 2004 or earlier

Overview: In this activity, you will examine political advertisements from Living Room Candidate and analyze the candidates' use of exigence, audience, media, and modes of argument to persuade potential voters. The goal is to evaluate and discuss how political ads take a multimodal rhetorical approach to persuading voters by carefully considering exigence, audience, media affordances, and use of language, music, and imagery.

Task Instructions:

Form small groups and go to livingroomcandidate.org to browse the political ads from elections 2004 or earlier. Each group should select a different election year.
As a group, select one ad from a Presidential election to analyze and reflect on.
Discuss the aspects of the ad and persuasion techniques used (see questions below).
Come together as a class to share your reflections and analysis.

Modes of Communication Reference:

Verbal/Textual: Language, word choice, rhetorical devices, speech, metaphor, alliteration, rhyme, repetition
Visual: Colors, spacing, fonts, styles, imagery, symbols
Auditory: Sounds, music, noises, tones
Spatial: Physical positioning, proximity, size contrast, visual flow, negative space
Gestural: Body language, gestures, facial expressions, movement, physical interactions

Election & Advertisement Selection

Which election year and specific advertisement did your group select for analysis?

Exigence Analysis

What issue or situation makes the message urgent or necessary? What problem, need, or opportunity does the ad seem aimed to address?

Audience Analysis

Who is the intended target audience for this message? Consider demographics, values, concerns, political affiliations, etc.

Media Analysis

How does the candidate use the format of a televised political ad rhetorically? What are the advantages of this medium and how are they leveraged?

Verbal/Textual Mode

Analyze the verbal, audio, and visual modes used. How does the language, word choice, and rhetorical devices contribute to the persuasive goals?

Visual Mode

How do the visual elements (colors, imagery, symbols, fonts, composition) contribute to the argument and reinforce other elements?

Auditory Mode

How do the audio elements (music, sound effects, tone of voice, volume) contribute to the persuasive message?

Spatial & Gestural Modes

How do spatial positioning, movement, body language, and gestures contribute to the message?

Multimodal Integration

How do all these modes work together to create a unified, persuasive argument? What similarities or differences do you notice compared to other political ads?