Political Themes in Radio Ads
As the election draws near, you may see companies requesting political themed ads. Some brands want to incorporate the hype around the election to make a relevant ad. Also, with Veteran’s Day approaching, more and more businesses will likely request patriotic-themed messages.
A good rule of thumb when it comes to political-themed ads — focus on the business, not the politics. For the most part, clients want to avoid anything that might come off as polarizing. If they do request it, they usually want to come off as middle of the road because they don’t want to deter potential customers on both sides. There are exceptions to this rule. Occasionally I’ll see an ad for a business like gun sales or flag sales that leans more conservative and wants to really go all in on the conservative demographic. As much as you’re able to, write in the client’s voice.
Keep your own biases out of the ad. If a project requests a political theme, you can still write something without showing favoritism to candidates or political parties. Focus on general experiences.
Examples:
“While you’re out voting this season…”
“As you watch the political debates…”
If the ad calls for humor you can use angles that we can all relate to, regardless of political affiliation.
Examples:
“avoiding politics during holiday meals”
“the country may be divided but everyone loves our deals”
All of these examples focus on a shared experience instead of a particular viewpoint.
Please don’t mention specific politicians and definitely don’t resort to trashing anyone. It’s best to keep the message positive and lighthearted. Roasting an individual or political party could distract from the ad’s call to action, or worse, cast the brand in a negative light.
This election season I’ve seen several ads promoting politicians. The big question is — How do you write an ad for a political candidate you don’t agree with? Ultimately this is up to you. If you feel strongly against a politician, you’re not obligated to write. Simply pass on to the next project. If you’re okay with writing on the project (regardless of your stance) it’s best to stick as closely to the information they provide in the brief without using too much of your own opinions. If a project comes up for a political candidate in Utah and you live in Utah, obviously you can use that to your advantage to craft a better message since you know the culture of the state and how people communicate (phrases, landmarks, etc.) But, if you have strong feelings about that candidate, resist the urge to incorporate those sentiments in your messaging.
