Your Group Has Been Hired As the Communications Team for A

Name ______Block _____

Political Propaganda Project

The Task

Your group has been hired as the Communications Team for a:

a) Minnesota Governor Candidate (2010)

b) US House candidate (2010)

c) Minnesota Legislative Candidate (2010)

Your task is to create a 30-second political advertisement for their campaign using PowerPoint, iMovie, the

KHOP studio, or any other technology you have access to. Assume that your candidate is 4% back in the

polls one week before the general election. The media is a powerful tool and you must create an ad that

harnesses this power and enables you to make-up the difference in the polls to secure a win on election night.

Your Communications Team has complete creative control to decide if your campaign will take the high road

and be "issues-oriented" or take the low road and “go negative.”

Your team’s commercial must use at least one of the following propaganda techniques:

1. Bandwagon

2. Fear

3. Glittering Generalities

4. Name-calling

5. Plain Folks

6. Testimonial

7. Transfer

8. Card Stacking

All commercials must be "network appropriate" meaning that they could be

aired on television in prime time. Avoid making Saturday Night Live/Daily Show style ads that are more

humorous than informative.

Your ad must be based on fact and must include at least one issue (only one is recommended) from the

campaign. To receive full credit, you will have to include your source(s) in your ad.

Use historic and contemporary ads as inspiration, but your ad needs to be original. You aren’t a political ad

cover band. A great source of historic ads is The Living Room Candidate. Look for the link @ apgov.org.

Rough-Cut Due Date: ______

Provided that you give me some lead time and arrange for an appointment before/after school, I will be

happy to view your ad and run through the rubric with you. You are free to tweak your ad based on my

suggestions before it’s “in the can.”

Final Cut Due Date: ______

1. A written component that will have these clearly labeled sections:

• TARGET: Who is the target audience for your ad? What network do you want your ad to appear on?

What time slot? During which shows?

• POLITICS: A detailed description of how a relevant campaign issue relates to your ad and how you

hoped it would influence your target group. Cite your sources.

• PROPAGANDA: A detailed description of the propaganda techniques used and how the propaganda

was supposed to affect your target group. What was your working definition of the propaganda

technique your group used?

• AUDIO & VISUAL: A description of audio-visuals and the subtext they contain.

2. Turn in a storyboard or other evidence of your plan for the ad.

3. Ad needs to be in digital format. On a CD, DVD, or on the network. Please test your final version to

make sure it works.

4. A blank rubric with the group members and location of ad filled out.

Each class will make

equitable numbers of

Democratic & Republican