Reader’s Choice: Campaign Ad Rating Results
Over 100 Ricochet readers were willing to rate 6 Romney and 6 Obama ads last week to help us determine which ads we should feature in a new ad-testing experiment.
Many thanks for your assistance and thoughtful comments!
You can find the results here. Each ad label in the pdf is underlined in orange to indicate that there is a link to the video . . . just click on the underlined orange word to watch the video on Youtube.
The two top Romney ads you chose were an Obamacare/Medicare attack and an attack on Obama’s economic record, noting the drop in family income and huge increase in the debt. These scored an average of 5.5 and 5.6 respectively, on a scale from 1, Very Ineffective to 7 Very Effective. The two big losers are the “Mute” ad and an ad attacking Obama for “failing” workers and losing out to China’s depredations.
It turns out that readers had more varied opinions about the Romney ads than the Obama ads. And despite a lot of anxiety in the comments that the Obama ads were superior, if dishonest, readers rated the Obama ads less effective overall.
Obama’s winning ads according to the readers are “Doors,” an attack on Romney as the evil rich guy who doesn’t care about the middle class, and “Bills,” which is the same idea but expressed by Christie, the middle-class “Every-Mom.”
No big surprise that almost all of the respondents are going to pull the lever/poke a screen for Romney, but it looks like about 20 percent of you are going to be voting against Obama rather than for Romney. You’re very conservative, but much more so on economic than social issues. Let me know what you all find surprising . . .
We just got the data back on a new experiment testing 4 Romney (including the Obamacare/Medicare attack and an attack on Obama’s economic record) and 3 Obama ads. Still nailing down the numbers, but the results look pretty grim for Romney and pretty good for Obama on moving the vote. Before you all hit the bottle, we’re also looking at measures of enthusiasm and turnout, which do look better. And in a tight, polarized election, that might matter more than shifting a few votes.
We’re hoping to be able to give Ricochet members a sneak peak on the results, so keep an eye out for the analysis . . .
- Comment (5)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
Comments:
Mar '11
Re: Reader’s Choice: Campaign Ad Rating Results
Adam, why did you include the $100 campaign contribution question?
May '10
Re: Reader’s Choice: Campaign Ad Rating Results
It's a test of the maturity of the electorate.
...... oh no, we're doomed.
Oct '10
Re: Reader’s Choice: Campaign Ad Rating Results
Both ads were good but the semi-ominous music in the 'Economic Record' put me off. It's not as bad as some, but all of that melodramatic and quasi-horror music is unworthy of Conservatives as well as less effective I'd wager. The mood of it attaches to the messenger as well the one it's directed at. I think that treating voters like they have a brain is the better course.
I liked the music in the Obamacare ad.
Apr '12
Re: Reader’s Choice: Campaign Ad Rating Results
I prefer soccer mum to every mum. I have been an out of home working mum, my sons are nearly out the door, and the term soccer mum means to me those who give up their own time and extra income to develop their children.
Nov '10
Re: Reader’s Choice: Campaign Ad Rating Results
I enjoyed the exercise last time but I'll stay out this time around because of my manipulative tendency to rate an Obama ad high if I really want it to run, for anti-Obama reasons. That's screwing with the purpose of the exercise and it was the part that most entertained me, but it's probably not helping you at all. Have fun though everyone, it's a ball.