Rank’s Model and Political Ads

With the upcoming midterm elections, students may analyze political ads using the classic Hugh Rank’s model.

Andrew Quagliata describes ways advertisers use intensify and downplay strategies. Students can look for four approaches political candidates use:

1. Intensify their own strengths.

2. Intensify their opponent’s weaknesses.

3. Downplay their own weaknesses.

4. Downplay their opponent’s strengths.  

In addition, students may identify which of the six tactics are used:

• Intensify: repetition, association, composition

• Downplay: diversion, omission, confusion

Students might also find ads that are difficult or impossible to analyze with Rank’s model. Steve Hilton’s “Just Try It” ad in his race for California governor (probably not for classroom viewing) has been called “creepy, weird, disturbing garbage.” The ad says nothing about Hilton’s qualifications or his opponent’s failings. It relies on shock and questionable humor.