Campaign advertising

Not to be confused with Advertising campaign.

In politics, campaign advertising is propaganda through the media to influence a political debate and, ultimately, voting. Political consultants and political campaign staff design these ads. Many countries restrict the use of broadcast media to broadcast political messages. In the European Union, many countries do not permit paid-for TV or radio advertising for fear that wealthy groups will gain control of airtime, making fair play impossible and distorting the political debate.

In both the United Kingdom and Ireland, paid advertisements are forbidden, though political parties are allowed a small number of party political broadcasts in the run-up to election time. The United States has a very free market for broadcast political messaging. Canada allows paid-for political broadcasts but requires equitable access to the airwaves.

Campaigns can include several different media (depending on local law). The period during which political campaign advertising is permitted varies significantly from country to country, ranging from campaigns in the United States that last a year or more to places such as the UK and Ireland, where advertising is restricted by law to just a few weeks before the election. Social media has become very important in political messaging, making it possible to reach larger groups of constituents with minimal physical effort or expense. However, the overall messaging across these channels often needs to be managed by campaign managers.