AD CONTEXT

Joining others in emphasizing this year's common campaign theme of change, Senatorial candidate Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele (R) of Maryland is eager to position himself as a Washington outsider who will work to fix the problems that plague Congress. On September 15, 2006, Steele released “Real Ideas for Change” (http://www.steeleformaryland.com/ideasVideo.htm), which immediately became known as “The Puppy Ad” because of Lieutenant Governor Steele's co-star, an extremely photogenic Boston Terrier (a stand-in for the candidate's own dog—a Siberian Huskie [Ewing, WUSA9.COM , 2006]).This ad is the second of what is gearing up to be a series of spots focused on Lieutenant Governor Steele's branded image: “a different kind of Senator” (see his first ad http://www.steeleformaryland.com/firstAd.htm).

As soon as the “The Puppy Ad” debuted, it generated considerable discussion in the news media and evoked an immediate response from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (http://www.dscc.org/news/multimedia/20060926_dogs/).

While “The Puppy Ad” seems to focus primarily on promoting the Steele Brand, “a different kind of Senator,” it is the first negative ad in the highly contested Senatorial general election period in Maryland . This ad serves as an "inoculation attack," while simultaneously offering Steele as an alternative to Senator Cardin.

THE STEELE “BRAND”

Meta-analyses of political advertising, such as that done by Benoit, Leshner and Chattopadhyay (2005), reveal that political advertisements have the potential to influence perceptions of a candidate's character as well as candidate preference. Thus, considerable emphasis in political advertising is placed on repeatedly promoting the branded image of the candidate. Yet, there is a needed balance between promoting the brand and retaining some public distance. As Meyrowitz claims (1995), “one cannot lead or be looked up to if one's presence is unknown; yet authority is weakened by excess familiarity” (p. 127). Therefore, political campaigns must take precautions to promote the candidate while maintaining a comfortable distance to create a “mystified-presence” (Meyrowitz, 1995, p.127). In short, a good ad will tell the viewer just enough about a candidate while leaving us wanting more information.

Lieutenant Governor Steele's campaign thus far has been treading the aforementioned fine line fairly well. The campaign is branding Lieutenant Governor Steele as a Washington outsider who will work for change – a different kind of Senator. “The Puppy Ad” in particular uses an attention getting opener, unique textual features, camerawork and visual composition to present Lieutenant Governor Steele as the best candidate for Maryland.

“The Puppy Ad” begins with a close-up of Lieutenant Governor Steele's hand knocking on the television camera. He also says “Hey” in a familiar tone to get the viewer's attention. Behind the hand, we see a blurry corner of Steele's web site logo, which is a medium-toned blue sign “held” together in the corners with steel colored screws that reads “Michael Steele for Maryland.” In the background, the viewer can see a cool steel blue screen, a visual play on Lieutenant Governor Steele's last name. A soft jazzy loop of music starts and the audience is pulled into the ad of the seemingly hip and authentic senatorial candidate.

The text utilized for branding in “The Puppy Ad” is limited yet effective. The script focuses on Lieutenant Governor Steele's name and what he would like to change, reinforcing the brand image. As mentioned above, the ad opens with Lieutenant Governor Steele's logo. Later, Lieutenant Governor Steele is featured in a mock “Washington Paper” whose masthead looks strikingly similar to that of the Washington Post. The headline reads “Steele Hates Puppies,” a parody of anticipated negative ads. Next, Lieutenant Governor Steele's name functions as a bench for Lieutenant Governor Steele to sit upon. Thus, his name is partially shown as he sits on the “S” of “Steele,” the end of which runs off screen, while he discusses the problems he would like to solve, which appear in text boxes. Finally, the campaign web address, the approval message, and the "paid for" tag lines appear, with no mention of the candidate's political affiliation. The text, in sum, is clear and concise. Lieutenant Governor Steele fits his brand: “a different kind of Senator.”

Yet, it is the visuals more so than the text that function to present a cohesive message. The camera work is extremely polished and professional throughout the ad. And, the camera almost exclusively focuses on Lieutenant Governor Steele's torso and or face. The only times we see a full body shot are when Lieutenant Governor Steele is discussing negative ads and when he is addressing what he would like to change. Every other scene is a close-up that encourages a feeling of close proximity to the candidate, which enables viewers to feel like they are judging Lieutenant Governor Steele for themselves (Meyrowitz, 1995).

Lieutenant Governor Steele uses the camera effectively during his close-ups. He appears relaxed and comfortable in his professional attire and seems ready to assume the role for which he is auditioning. But, he makes sure to lean into the camera often and speak to his audience directly, which creates a sense of intimacy and sincerity (Parry-Giles, 2000). This technique can make viewers feel like they know Lieutenant Governor Steele as an individual and not as a politician.

One of the more subtly persuasive aspects of this branding is the predominant color choice of the ad. The steel blue background functions as more than just a play on Lieutenant Governor Steele's last name. The field of Psychology has long been connecting color and emotion. For example, in the Western world, we tend to associate yellow with happiness – the color makes us feel good. According to Terwogt and Hoeksma (2001), the favorite adult color in the Western world is blue, which means that things which are colored blue are more likely to evoke favorable associations. Lieutenant Governor Steele's entire campaign is centered on the color blue. Thus, the color steel blue evokes positive emotions while functioning as a pun in relation to Lieutenant Governor Steele's last name.

The unified vision of the total ad makes Lieutenant Governor Steele appear to be an ideal candidate. He is put-together. He has a message: change. His brand is clear and identifiable: he is different.

Yet, Lieutenant Governor Steele doesn't use this ad to tell the viewer very much about what he stands for. “The Puppy Ad” in particular does not tell or show the viewer anything substantial about Michael Steele's views on the issues. Instead, “The Puppy Ad” uses carefully combined visuals, text and sound to get Lieutenant Governor Steele's name and brand out to voters. It accomplishes Meyrowitz's “mystified-presence” (p. 127) because it leaves us curious about Lieutenant Governor Steele and wanting to learn more about him as the campaign continues.

THE "INOCULATION" ATTACK

“The Puppy Ad's” apparent focus on the Steele Brand distracts from the other purposes of this ad, which are to satirize and to implicitly attack Senator Cardin's campaign. To such ends, the Lieutenant Governor employs the Inoculation Theory in “The Puppy Ad.” The inoculation Theory posits that persuasion is more effective when you prepare the audience to defend against future counterattacks so as to help sustain the effectiveness of your own position (Farkas and Anderson, 1976). Such preemptive strategies often work because persuaders provide the audience with "antibodies" to ward off future attack while making themselves appear wise in anticipating such future opposition.

The Steele campaign may well be using the Inoculation Theory to divert attention away from what many Democrats suggest are his more conservative views, which counter those of many voters in the State of Maryland. He may also not wish to focus on what Democrats suggest are his strong connections to the Republican Party, which may prove damaging in such a highly Democratic state. According to the Washington Post , Lieutenant Governor Steele is the “second-highest-ranking member of his party in Maryland ” (Farhi , Washington Post , 2006). Other connections to the Republican Party are also often cited as potential liabilities for Michael Steele's senatorial bid. For example, the Washington Post reveals that Lieutenant Governor Steele was once the chairman of the Republican Party in Maryland and that President Bush helped to raise $500,000 for his campaign last year (Farhi , Washington Post , 2006). These pieces of information could tarnish the Steele Brand – the image that he's a Washington outsider and a different kind of candidate. "The Puppy Ad," thus functions potentially as one way to deflect future attacks from the Ben Cardin campaign and the Maryland state Democratic Party.

The ad itself goes negative fairly early. Lieutenant Governor Steele stands next to seven televisions, all black and white, that show either fuzz or still pictures of him on the campaign trail. Wearing a Maryland pin, Lieutenant Governor Steele tells his audience that soon their televisions “will be jammed with negative ads from the Washington crowd.” As he says Washington, he gestures over his left as opposed to his right shoulder, which could be a subtle reference to the Democratic Party.

Lieutenant Governor Steele continues and describes the horror ads he's anticipating as having “grainy pictures and spooky music.” To show he's not intimidated, Lieutenant Governor Steele mocks the horror genre (a class of ads that seek to scare voters like horror films scare moviegoers), by using circular motions of his hands to reinforce graininess and wiggly fingers to indicate spookiness. Finally, he offers that his opponent will say he hates puppies and pauses. At this moment, a white flash transitions the viewer to the next scene and the music stops to get our attention. Lieutenant Governor Steele finishes his sentence with “or worse…” The music picks up again as he says quite seriously, “For the record, I love puppies.”

Overall, “The Puppy Ad” relies on satire to communicate directly with Senator Cardin's campaign. The ad uses a ridiculous situation, Lieutenant Governor Steele hating puppies, as an example of how he will likely frame future attacks about his connections to President Bush and his party. As the above mentioned Post article suggests, “The Puppy Ad” makes it possible for Lieutenant Governor Steele's campaign to argue that these types of accusations are likewise ridiculous—he's not trying to avoid the issues or distance himself from the Republican Party (Farhi , Washington Post , 2006).

Benoit, W., Geshner, G. and Chattopadhyay, S. (2005). A Meta-Analysis of Political Advertising. International Communication Association 2005 Annual Meeting, New York, New York.

Ewing , S.M. (2006). What's Missing From Michael Steele's Latest Campaign Ad? WUSA9.com. September 20, 2006. http://wusatv9.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=52205 . Retrieved September 21, 2006 from WUSA9.com

Farhi, P. (2006). Where's the Party? Nowhere to be Found in Steele Ads. Washington Post. September 19, 2006. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/18/AR2006091801236_pf.html . Retrieved September 21, 2006 from washingtonpost.com.

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Parry-Giles, S.J., (2000). Mediating Hillary Rodham Clinton: Television News Practices and Image-Making in the Postmodern Age. Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 17 205-226. Retrieved September 10, 2006 from EBSCOCommunication & Mass Media Complete database.

Terwogt, M. M. and Hoeksma, J.B. (1994). Colors and Emotions: Preferences and Combinations. The Journal of General Psychology, 122 (1) . Retrieved September 17 from EBSCO Communication & Mass Media Complete database.