ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the decisions that campaigns make regarding the content of ads—and the tools used to test the effectiveness of those ads. Political ads are all about creating a particular mood that helps to convey the ad's message. Making a political ad can be a multistep process, though the exact number of steps involved varies depending on the sophistication of the campaign and how much time the campaign has available. Campaigns and groups do not just start airing ads; they announce at press conferences and via social media that they are going to start airing a new ad. One possibility is that online advertising could result in more creative ads, as ad makers are unconstrained by thirty-second time limits and requirements that they authorize their ads. When designing ads, their makers carefully consider several elements of the ad's content, including its length, tone, visual imagery, voiceover and music, and the approval line.
