Some people make a career of creating political campaign ads; others make a career of evaluating or studying them. As a consumer, if you live in one of the states where presidential primaries are hotly contested, you get your fill of ads before the official nominations and general campaign really get rolling. The fact that there are so many political ads says something about the way presidential candidates are marketed in the United States. During the most recent presidential election, more than $800 million was estimated to be spent on TV ads alone, shattering the record of $500 million in the previous race. TV networks benefited from the dramatic increase, as auto manufacturers, real estate firms, and financial service advertisers cut back on their advertising budgets. "Every month, every quarter we're setting records," reported CBS chief financial officer Fred Reynolds in regard to political advertising.

1. Which advertisements do you remember from the most recent presidential election? Which were most effective? Which were the least effective? Why?
2. How do political advertisements compare with advertisements for goods and services? How are they similar? In what ways are they different?