The Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) first presidential campaign ad featuring the national anthem has received a lot of attention in the media, both positive and negative. Is it a good or a bad ad?
The aim of this ad is the same as that of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman and presidential candidate Lien Chan's (
Is it that easy to change preconceived ideas? During the 2000 presidential election campaign, voters perceived Lien as lacking daring and resoluteness. This is why the Lien camp has spent a huge amount -- NT$6 million -- to make a "robocop" ad where a robocop dressed in white single-handedly fights off a team of demons dressed in black. The demons kick the ball over to the robocop, who heads it back, and this goes on for a few rounds. The demons then use a rocket launcher to shoot the ball over, but the robocop grabs it. The end text reads "Lien Chan continues to win, Chinese Nationalist Party." The ad may be quite creative, but will it make voters think Lien daring and resolute?
The biggest fault with Lien's robocop ad is that it goes against public recognition of Lien as well as his image. It would have been OK if it had been an ad for Chen or People First Party (PFP) Chairman and vice presidential candidate James Soong (
It is not impossible to change preconceived ideas of a politician, but it has to be done at an early stage. During the Taipei City mayoral election in 1998, KMT mayoral candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) declared that the image to be projected by his campaign should be identification with Taiwan. He produced an ad with singer Luo Ta-you (羅大佑), singing Taiwanese songs in the background, while showing images of Ma's political accomplishments (Chen's national-anthem ad is similar to this ad).
That ad was broadcast for a whole year, from the beginning of the year until the year-end election. This was matched by ads showing Ma singing Taiwanese opera, dressed up in traditional opera clothing, and Ma praying in Lungshan Temple. Before the election, then-president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) added support with his "new Taiwanese" remarks. The Chen and Lien camps may be too naive in trying to change preconceived ideas with only one ad a mere three months prior to the election.
The Chen camp's campaign workers have declared that the goal of the national-anthem ad was to attract middle-of-the-road voters. Wrong again. If middle-of-the-road voters all were protectors of the Republic of China, then Chen would have been out of the game a long time ago. Middle-of-the-road voters are normally not very ideologically inclined. They are cold toward politics and dissatisfied with politicians' nonsense, have little feeling of participation, and think that their votes won't make a difference. Merely using political symbols such as the national flag or the national anthem will not move middle-of-the-road voters.
Chen's campaign workers also say that media discussions and criticism on the Internet creates debate. This may be true, but there are two aspects to such a debate. One is the recognition effect. For new candidates, this is neither positive nor negative; simply making it into the papers is effective. But for presidential election candidates, the recognition effect is not important. Ask anyone -- who doesn't know that Chen and Lien are running for president?
The effect presidential candidates want is an emotional effect, in other words, an effect creating positive attitudes. But the broadcast of the DPP ad has been followed by attacks from people loyal to their opponents and scolding from people loyal to their own party, while middle-of-the-road voters call it wavering. And still they have the nerve to talk about creating debate.
According to opinion polls, this is a close race, and neither side can afford to be careless. The slightest oversight may have a fatal impact. Serious campaign materials are of the utmost importance, attracting voters the main task. Playing with creativity to entertain the public will not attract votes. Please dispose of any such attempts in the garbage can.
Cheng Tzu-leong is a professor in the department of advertising at National Chengchi University.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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