The first Idea Lab was about the ads for the 2020 US election. We return to the topic in the run-up to next month’s election. Much has changed, much hasn’t. Trump is a candidate for the third election running. As then, nearly every ad by both sides (and the myriad 3^rd-party partisans) has the same grammar – video clips and stills, a voiceover, graphics with quotes and key points. The tone is overwhelmingly negative (though Harris’ campaign did start with some soft-focus positive ads about her).

Juxtaposition is a favourite technique – the Trump campaign loves putting up images of something bad – crime, say, or immigrants supposedly running amok – and then show Harris laughing.

The ads below offer a taster (out of literally hundreds):

He Warned Us (Trump)

A textbook example of the techniques described above, and to powerful effect, as it presses the buttons of people’s concerns about immigration – Trump’s best issue.

Not Well (Harris)

The most effective ads tie into an underlying concern people have (as in the ad above on immigration). This one brutally plays on worries people may have about Trump’s age, and mental and physical health.

Trump is Crazy. All his Friends Agree. (Psycho-PAC)

An example of a 3rd-party ad, this by the anti-Trump Psycho-PAC. It’s quite a neat execution showing former Trump people rail against their former boss.

The Great Debate (Trump)

Nicely done, using juxtaposition semi-legitimately, as it tries to tie Kamala Harris to the poorly-thought of Biden economic record.

Crowd Size (Harris)

An ad aimed literally at one person, Donald Trump. This ran in the Florida district covering Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, and in Philadelphia, prior to the Presidential debate in that city.

It was designed to wind Trump up so he would take the bait at the debate, which he duly did – see clip below.

The Ideas Lab examines what makes effective (or ineffective) communications in the fields of causes, charities and social-impact businesses.