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Shooting
a political ad starts the transformation of ideas into images. To keep
viewers engaged, television advertising needs to communicate visually.
Slogans and scripted words work only on one level of perception. Think
of how often you see a flag in political ads. Here the candidate wants
to build associations between him or herself and the patriotic feelings
brought on by waving the flag. But this is only the most obvious example. |
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 full screen view of this document (large images) |
For "Eisenhower Answers America," Rosser Reeves
filmed Eisenhower in an empty studio. Visually there is very little
to distract viewers, no flags or symbols of power. But Eisenhower is
filmed from a slightly low angle, meaning we look up at him. The voters
asking questions are filmed looking up as though addressing someone
of enormous stature. Eisenhower is always seen alone, he doesn't share
the frame with his questioners. In fact, the questioners never actually
spoke with Ike, they were filmed later. Reeves recruited tourists at
Radio City Music Hall and had them ask scripted questions in the studio
a few days after Eisenhower was filmed. |
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While
some Republican leaders worried that appearing in a commercial would
diminish Eisenhower's stature, in the ad his stature is visually enhanced.
At the same time the candidate is seen relating to everyday people,
and offering memorable solutions to their problems. At times, however,
Eisenhower seems a little wide-eyed and unfocused, probably because
Reeves didn't want him to wear his glasses and he is struggling to make
out large cue cards. Ike is said to have moaned, "To think an old soldier
should come to this..." |
