Models of a Successful and an Unsuccessful Ad

This chapter provides a set of examples, exploratory analyses of two political commercials using the conceptual framework of the schematic-framing approach (see Biocca, Chapter 2, this volume). The analyses are intended to illustrate some of the issues that might arise in the initial phase of generating hypothesized mental models for political commercials. The analyses are further illustrated by reference to some computerized audience response data, focus group interviews, and in-depth interviews. The data were collected from uncommitted voters in focus groups conducted in the final 2 weeks of the 1988 presidential election. ¹ In the following discussion, the data are used solely to illustrate rather than to confirm the analysis.