1. Attack ads
How to use attack ads
Prepared by J. Scott Armstrong (details on him at jscottarmstrong.com).
Please inform Scott about errors and also make suggestions (armstrong@wharton.upenn.edu)
Scott has taken these slides from adprin.com, a site that he founded. That site contains interactive versions of these
slides, along with linked references, videos, and webcasts, all in PPT and PPTX format that you can download.

2. How to use attack ads
During the 2004 campaign for the U.S. presidency, the
Guardian newspaper in England portrayed George
W. Bush as a semiliterate ape and tried to persuade
voters in Ohio to vote for Kerry.
• Was that an effective strategy?
• If not, what would you recommend?
When you finish, go to the next slide.
Adapted from AdPrin.com 2

3. No. Attack ads should employ objective
information, not emotion. (Principle 6.9.2)

4. Based on this exercise, write a small application step for yourself,
and set a deadline, preferably within one week. If you are
working with someone else, share your application plan and the
results of your application.
For example, evaluate your attack ads of competitors
and make sure they are based on evidence, not emotion.
This is especially relevant for political ads.
Adapted from AdPrin.com