LEE COUNTY, FLA — There's a chance you've noticed it lately, while watching TV or while surfing the web, there's more political ads out there.
And they've probably left you wondering: do these actually change anyone's mind?
I went to FGCU to ask associate marketing professor Christine Wright-Isak, and she says they can.
"They're all very effective if you watch them," said Wright-Isak.
Wright-Isak says those ads are typically targeting those who are still on the fence and to sway them, she says politicians will have to tackle the current issue on many minds.
"Right now, the general consensus issue is how well are you handling covid?" she said.
But she says above all else, those ads are really for name recognition.
"The rule of thumb in political advertising is, whether they're effective or not, if the other guy is doing it, you better do it or you'll get forgotten," she said.
Historically politicians are usually known for ads that hurt them, like Mike Dukakis' 1988 ad with an army tank.
"Sitting with a tank with a helmet on his head was really not a smart move," said Wright-Isak.
But there have also been major wins. She says two ads that really turned the tide for politicians in a positive way, were Lyndon Johnson's "Daisy" ad from 1964 and Ronald Reagan's 1984 "It's Morning in America" ad.
"That was a genius move," said Wright-Isak "Ronald Reagan said I'm going to tap in to what has been at the core of the American dream forever. Which is that optimism that if we work together, something good can be made to happen."
Wright-Isak says in this year's presidential election and ad like that, could win a candidate some major points.
"We're all kind of tired of nastiness and fighting and anger at each other. And we keep hoping for some sense of, let's pull together and solve a problem," she said.
