This chapter focuses on traditional political ads in US elections, in particular those most often airing on broadcast television stations, investigating three key questions: Have traditional political ads reached a tipping point, as new technologies and voter targeting opportunities shift the resource allocation of campaigns? Do traditional political ads work in changing minds and mobilizing voters, and how might those opportunities for persuasion and mobilization change as media engagement diversifies? Finally, what is the issue content of traditional political ads, and how does the content vary across platforms? All told, despite fast-developing change in opportunities for political actors to reach voters, television advertising remains a critically important strategy for campaigns and their political allies.
Understanding the Complexity of Detecting Political Ads
