POLITICAL ADVERTISING STYLE: THE 2008 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN KAUNAS Cover Image

POLITINĖS REKLAMOS STILIUS SEIMO RINKIMŲ KAMPANIJA 2008-aisiais KAUNE
POLITICAL ADVERTISING STYLE: THE 2008 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN KAUNAS

Author(s): Danguolė Valančė
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences
Published by: Vytauto Didžiojo Universitetas
Keywords: politinė reklama; Seimo rinkimų kampanija; kandidatai; politinė kultūra; political advertising; parliamentary election campaign; candidates; political culture

Summary/Abstract: Until quite recently, as little as almost two decades ago, there was no political advertising at all, either in Lithuania or in the Soviet Union. Now we live in altogether different times – there is a market with its supply and demand, so there needs to be advertising as well. In advance of parliamentary elections all parties carry on political campaigns during which each tries to stand out clearly from the others as it woos voters. How this is done and what stylistic means are used can be seen both from the Kaunas press which is literally flooded by political ads and from the leaflets distributed separately. All this reveals our general political culture. The election advertisements seen in Kaunas show that our politicians do not especially value brevity and clarity. Only one or two candidates are satisfied with five or six sentences describing themselves and/or indicating their party‘s goals for the next four years. Since the voters are generally passive and interest in the elections, the parties, and their candidates is slight, the political agitation comes across as too highfalutin, with specificity, clarity, effectiveness sacrificed in favor of empty rhetorical pomposity. The style of this parliamentary election reflects a tired (or, more accurately, an as-yet-unformed) political culture whose deficiencies are masked by boring articles, absurd slogans, and unrealistic promises. For the time being we are a weak, or as is often put, an immature society that responds only to strong stimuli with the result that the winners are those who scream loud and/or shine garishly.

  • Issue Year: 2009
  • Issue No: 50
  • Page Range: 179-202
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Lithuanian