Election Aftermath: Toss the Thinking. Emotions Rule!

It is legal to lie in political advertising based on the Supreme Court interpretation of the First Amendment guaranteeing free speechamp160 The Court says it is up to the voter to suss out whatamp8217s true even though facts are routinely turned into fiction 247 on the Internet amp160The Courtamp8217s consistent rulings and the broadcast laws surrounding them are not going to change anytime soonOur only hope is to reach the public with a new approach something the creative community is supremely adept at doing amp160As we tarry citizens continue to reward their candidates with votes even while recognizing that the same politicians arenamp8217t telling them the truthTo find an answer do not fixate on rational thinkingamp160 It turns out that emotion is what drives the voteamp160 Neuroscientists behaviorists political scientists academics and marketers have pretty much figured that out amp160Research now recognizes thatFacts donamp8217t change minds even among the most highly educatedWe amp8220feelamp8221 before we think so there is really no such thing as a purely rational thoughtWe vote based more on our emotions than we do on the issuesWe may be predestined to vote a certain way not just by our environment peers schools houses of worship country but by our personal DNAGiven that weamp8217re not operating in a factbased world can anyone change the way we thinkamp160 Well yes a new experience can open your mind and motivate you to think differently see references belowamp160 Didnamp8217t your parents wisely tell you amp8220You can only learn from experienceamp8221Creating a relatable experience may be why stories work so well in advertising campaigns why universal themes from Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales to Harry Potter mysteries keep children entranced amp8230amp160 why the faithful adhere to the stories of their religious textsamp160 amp160For a concrete example Ikea recently created a amp8220Syrian homeamp8221 to bring the refugee experience to life in a Norwegian store attracting 40000 visitors a week and 22 million Euros for Red Cross efforts in Syriaamp160amp160The campaignamp8217s creator said quotPeople who had fled from war zones came up to us and said 39This is how it feels39 39I remember this39quotTo the point HonestAdsorg disclosure this is my nonprofit conceived and guest curated an immersive exhibit with The Toledo Museum of Art amp8220I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE Decoding Political Adsamp8221 with the mission being once experienced you will never look at political advertising in the same way againamp160 While watching a series of historical political ads in theaters labeled amp8220Fearamp8221 amp8220Angeramp8221 amp8220Hopeamp8221 and amp8220Prideamp8221 you experience the persuasive techniques created to impact your emotionsamp160 You also visit a Mood Room where you are cycled through these same emotions with imagery and music guaranteed to blast you out of your comfort zone amp160Closing only a week ago exhibit research results are being processed and weamp8217re thrilled that so many local high school students had assignments based on analyzing the content amp160The plan is to promote more critical potential voter thinking by taking this exhibit across the country prior to the next election in museums libraries universities institutions or even shopping centersamp160 It is modular digital and video so it can fit into large or small spacesExperiencesamp160Hmmmmamp160In the 1940amp8217s The War Advertising Council campaigned for War Bonds resulting in the Ad Council now focused on public service communicationsamp160 During the 1980amp8217s ad creatives formed Partnership for a DrugFree America fiercely fighting the crackcocaine epidemicamp160 Is it time now after another 40year period almost for the ad world to come together again for a new battle a democracysaving effort through creating scrupulously nonpartisan audience experiencesamp160 These could be broadcast digital or physical reaching out to Americans of all ages and emotionally guiding them towards more critical thinking and ironically less emotional voting reactionsOur legal system wonamp8217t fix thisamp160 Only we everyday people canIt takes a crisis to cause change amp160Are we there yetReferences Nobel prizewinning psychologist Daniel Kahneman author of amp8220Thinking Fast and Slowamp8221 neuroscientist Antonio Damasio author of amp8220Self Comes to Mindamp8221 and amp8220Constructing the Conscious Brainamp8221 political scientists and authors Ted Brader amp8220Campaigning for Hearts and Mindsamp8221 Milton Lodge and Charles S Taber amp8220The Rationalizing Voteramp8221Jonathan Haidt amp8220The Righteous Mind Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religionamp8221 John R Hibbing Kevin B Smith and John R Alford amp8220Predisposedamp8221Read Jack Myers39 commentary on the truth about lying in political advertisingClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this article are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggers

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Election Aftermath: Toss the Thinking. Emotions Rule!

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Harriett Levin Balkind

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Harriett Levin Balkind

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