The 2016 election is in full swing and we’re seeing the usual gamesmanship that comes into play during campaign season. Candidates are using a variety of tactics to win over voters, from tweets and commercials to campaign signs and branded coffee mugs. If you’ve ever seen a political attack ad with grainy footage and inflammatory language and wondered whether it’s actually affecting voters, the answer is yes. That’s just one of many propaganda techniques that campaigns use to leave an impression on voters.
Political campaigns have been using these techniques for hundreds of years; and while the term “propaganda” often has negative connotations, in this case it’s referring to the same psychological tactics that shape consumer advertising every day.
The following infographic from BuildASign uses historical examples to highlight the seven types of propaganda used in campaign branding and illustrate how these tactics affect voters on multiple levels.
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