NAMLE Marketplace of Media Literacy Teaching Resources - www.TeachMediaLiteracy.org

• Your own classroom archive of classic TV political commercials.
• A fascinating look at how TV ads have changed American politics.
• Useful for middle school through college.
• Companion book with full scripts available

No medium has changed presidential politics as much as television. And it's with the political commercial that the power of TV has been most evident. The engaging video, The Living Room Campaign traces the history of political ads, from packaging World War II hero "Ike" Eisenhower to the controversial series of "Willie Horton ads" that were critical in George H.W. Bush�s 1988 victory. Different advertising "approaches" and subjects include:

• attack ads
• negative statements against positive images
• false inferences
• feel good ads
• symbolism
• public persuasion, opinion and reaction
• campaign outcomes
• how ads tie to historical context

Students will meet campaign managers and advertising executives who've shaped the TV image of their candidates to appeal to target "buyers"--the voting public. This is a fascinating look at how presidents have been "packaged" over the years - providing a wealth of original campaign ad footage for analysis within political science, media studies, language arts, history and social studies lessons.

To make an affordable teaching package, be sure to also order Edwin Diamond and Stephen Bates� classic The Spot: The Rise of Political Advertising on Television, which offers a detailed history and analysis of political ads, including full scripts and step-by-step illustrations of process from strategy to execution. Taken together, The Living Room Campaign and The Spot are more than the sum of their parts: they�re a unique and powerful teaching tool, never more relevant than now, and required resources for ny social studies, government, or journalism classroom.