Advertising concepts in posters of the main Chilean political campaigns (1989–2013): the same ideas with different words

Abstract

In a context in which political posters remain as very relevant form of promoting candidates, particularly looking for low-involved political audiences, this chapter seeks to examine the development of ideas expressed in the print advertising of the main political campaigns in Chile in the new democracy (meaning post-Pinochet era). After examining some basic uses of posters in the political world, this article focuses on the specific analysis of the main concepts of them used in the different presidential campaigns. The examination of big ideas of these posters is relevant because they tend to express and summarize the main notions of used by the presidential candidates. Results show that Chilean political campaigns have used (in a direct or indirect manner) a similar perspective over time (a 25 years of time span). It is interesting that the different candidates have used the idea to solve the concrete difficulties or needs (as opposite to “political” ones) of citizens as main appeal to seduce electorate.