In this commercial Sharon Angle takes a hit against Harry Reid to capture Nevada’s attention. In order to access more votes, she criticizes Reid who is a senator and a candidate for 2010 elections. She then presents herself at the end as the savior of Nevada. This YouTube video is a huge step in her campaigning.
The video begins with a picture of Harry Reid and the words “When Harry Reid became Majority Leader”, bringing the viewers a few years back. Next, the commercial shows the increase of Nevada’s unemployment rate, which is what captures the audience’s attention. The text shown goes to extremes, making Nevada appear to be worse off than the rest of the nation. People across the U.S. are worried about losing their jobs, which is a perfect spot for any candidate to step in and reassure those people. The candidate who succeeds in convincing those people that they will soon have jobs is the one who will win. Sharon Angle does just that in her advertisement against Harry Reid.
She adds to the effect by showing workers who have lost their jobs and have to stay at home. There is a quick clip of people walking down the street and disappearing to show that they are unemployed. Countless quotations are written across the screen exposing Nevada’s poor unemployment rate. There is no talking during the video to have more of an effect. A voice would break the silent mood and people would turn away. There is also sad music playing in the background. That music gives the impression those jobless people’s fates are worse than they really are. A few more pictures are shown where gates and fences have a “closed” sign turning people away from factories or other businesses. Again people walk down the street, their faces showing the trouble they have been through.
The commercial ends with a black background and the words “Help is on the way” with Sharon Angle’s website for people to go to. Sharon Angle makes Harry Reid appear as a failure in the senate. She offers herself as a solution to the problem. As a result of this commercial, many people will vote for her, hoping that their state will be lead out of the fallen unemployment rate.
Amelie, this is very strong. You write this very well, and I think your analysis is good. Clearly, the most effective strategy in this add is the absence of a narrator. The ominous music also adds a feeling of dread. The infinite number of headlines makes a convincing case against Reid. Finally, the images capture a feeling of hopelessness for Nevada voters.
ReplyDelete