There’s a new advertising campaign championed by the super PAC, Right for America, in support of Trump that has made significant expenditure, to the tune of $6.7 million. The advertisement has been broadcast in three key battleground states – Georgia, Arizona, and Pennsylvania in recent days. Designed to be impactful, the ad employs a format famous for its brevity; a short but notable 30-second spiel. In this brief time, the advertisement packs in a few strategic scenes designed for maximum impact.
The commercial opens with the quintessential flickering of a TV screen, a common trope used to heighten suspense in visual narratives. The camera then quickly transitions to a mug shot of a peculiar man distinguished by his heterochromic eyes. In just a few seconds, the ad successfully creates a somber ambiance with suspenseful music, evocative of audio employed in horror films. Furthermore, a narrator delivers statistical data on offenses perpetrated by immigrants.
The narrative focus then switches to the depiction of a gloomy and silent house. Moviegoers will recognize the chilling visuals: a child blissfully asleep in their room, and an ominous figure, discernible only by silhouette, seems to creep towards the house. He wields an object that looks eerily like a crowbar. Audio snippets of news anchors discussing recent events further contributes to the unfolding narrative.
A sequence of intensely dramatic frames follow: mug shots of intimidatingly tattooed faces, photographs of individuals that seem to be of Hispanic descent. Then, the narrative takes a gruesome turn. Inside a house, a horrifying scene unfolds. A woman jolts awake to an unsettling noise. Following the source of the sound leads to a harrowing revelation: the finding of blood splatters on the residential floor.
The woman, visibly disturbed, investigates the unsettling sounds, her home now engulfed in darkness. The camera then cuts to another scene inside the home: a second female character, presumably a young girl, is seen peaceful asleep in her bed. In juxtaposition, the television unveils yet another intimidating mug shot followed by a harrowing headline accusing a migrant of assaulting a teenager.
The commercial’s climax is redolent of a scene straight out of a chilling suspense thriller: an old door handle is violently rattled open. The camera then pans out to unveil a terror-stricken woman anticipating an unwelcome guest. The ad then drops a notable piece of information: According to them, over 13,000 undocumented immigrants, previously convicted for homicide, presently inhabit various American neighborhoods.
However, this claim raises eyebrows for its potential to mislead. The above-mentioned statistical data provided in the advertisement originates from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to ICE, the figure pertains to immigrants convicted of a homicide who are ‘non-detained’. Nonetheless, this should not be confounded with the notion that these individuals are freely roaming American communities, for ‘non-detained’ simply indicates they are not under ICE’s custody.
A Department of Homeland Security representative previously offered some clarity on this matter, stating instead that these individuals are likely to be under the apprehension of various other administrative bodies. This could range from local to state, or even federal agencies. A similar clarification applies to another claim stated in the ad, referring to 15,000 people convicted of committing sexual offenses.
It’s important to highlight that these immigrants did not all arrive under the Biden-Harris administration. Their arrival spans over an extended period, across numerous past decades. In fact, data includes individuals who have migrated to the U.S over the last 40 years, or possibly longer.
A highlight from the ad that does reference a recent case pertains to a newsreader discussing an apparent case. The case involved a Haitian immigrant accused of assaulting a 15-year-old girl. This incident allegedly took place in a shelter, earlier this year. It is critical to note that the migrant entered the country while the Biden administration was in office, back in 2023, using legal means.
This advertisement, like others in its genre, appears to play on the fears of what is known as the ‘swing-state’ voters. Its strategy seems to aim to instill fear related to a potential Harris presidency. The timing of the advertisement may also be notable, airing with a frequency increasing around the Halloween season – popular for its association with horror and fear-mongering themes.
The message imparted through the ad strays away from subtlety. It exploits the fear of violent crime, implying that such incidents, including homicide and rape, could see a spike should Kamala Harris succeed in the election. The ad deftly utilizes themes of horror and suspense to incite fear and sow seeds of doubt regarding potential immigration policies under a Harris administration.
Clear in its fear-inspiring tactic, the advertisement endeavors to provoke strong reactions from the voters. Using strategic imagery, powerful narrative techniques, and deft cinematography, it attempts to drive home the idea of the ‘boogeyman’ character in the form of the immigrant, and induces worry into the hearts of the viewers.
The ad essentially seeks to convince viewers, via a speculative narrative, that their safety could potentially be compromised under Harris’ leadership. By focusing on the minor instances of immigrants involved in crime, it paints a broader picture that inconsistently represents the immigrant population.
Thus, this kind of messaging can be misleading. It aims to manipulate the viewers’ perception based on isolated incidents. By doing so, it might instill a serious and unwarranted fear into the hearts of the electorate and misguide their election decisions.
In conclusion, political advertising strategies, especially ones amplified with fear, must be scrutinized thoroughly to discern fact from fiction. While they can be impactful, their effects can also be divisive. As consumers of information and as responsible voters, it’s incumbent upon us all to keep a critical eye to such tactics.