The evolution of the political ad

Where We Live

Every presidential election, campaigns flood our TVs with political ads. Back in 1952, “Ike for President” became the very first political advertisement on TV. Dwight Eisenhower's campaign may have been the first to use television like this. But it’s certainly not the last.

Today, more than 70 years later, political ads are everywhere. In recent weeks, both the Kamala Harris and Donald Trump campaigns have ramped up their advertising. And it’s no longer just on our TV screens; it’s on social media platforms, too.

This hour, we’re looking at political advertising during the 2024 election cycle from the messages we’re seeing to how that impacts what we do at the ballot box.

What kinds of messages are you seeing?

GUEST:

• Erika Franklin Fowler: Professor of Government at Wesleyan University and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project

Note: The ad from Rep. Jahana Hayes's campaign played in this episode originally aired in 2022 and was featured on the campaign's website homepage at the time of this broadcast. This episode originally aired on August 24, 2024.

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