Philippine E-Journals

Character building of candidates in the May 2016 Philippine presidential elections in selected television political campaign advertisements

Mena Seh P Maloles | Janica D Marasigan | Rahanne G Zaracena

Discipline: Political Advertising

 

Abstract:

This study aims to analyze the character building of the candidates in the May 2016 presidential election in the Philippines in selected television political campaign advertisements. The research tried to ascertain the character built about the presidential candidates by examining the television political campaign advertisement used by the presidential candidates during the mandated campaign period in terms of visuals, specifically the camera orientation, imagery, and text; and the audio, specifically the language, music, and sound effects. Using textual analysis as method, informed by Erving Goffman’s theory of framing, results show that the campaign advertisements used a variety of audio-visual elements. Visual elements include: recurrent visuals in close up shot, medium shot, and eye-level angle shot; high imagery visuals and problem-solution script; and uppercase san serif text in contrasting color with the images. In terms of audio, diatype was mostly used as language; and the structure and continuity were sustained by music used in the advertisements, evoking emotional appeal. These creates a character out of the presidential candidates as having integrity.