Contact: Vince McGourty
M&M Communications, Inc.
(908) 713-1267
vinmcg@earthlink.net
For Immediate Release:
New Swift Boat and Kerry Counter Ads Dead in the Water
-- Latest Wave a Wash Among Independents --
Flemington, New Jersey -- August 23, 2004 -- Two
new ads released last week by the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth and the John
Kerry campaign fell short in persuading Independents, according to a nationally
representative sample of Independent voters.
As reported on the website ReadMyLipz.com, the new Swift Boat
ad, which features Vietnam veterans condemning Kerry for portraying fellow Vietnam
veterans as war criminals, wasn't as effective as the first Swift Boat
ad. However, the study also showed that John Kerry's counter ad, which
attempts to defend his war record, was equally ineffective.
During an on-line poll of 3,062 nation-wide voters, including 832 pre-selected
independents, voters were asked to respond on a sliding scale for interest and
believability to what is said and shown in the new Swift Vets ad and the John
Kerry counter-ad.
The study revealed that neither ad is as effective as the first Swift Vets
ad. Forty-six (46%) of Independent viewers rate the advertisements at least
somewhat effective. In addition, the original and new Swift Vets ads lost their
effectiveness when viewers saw them in succession, with 37% of Independents
who had seen the original Swift Ad saying they were more likely to vote for
Kerry than were Independents who had not seen the original (16%).
According to Arthur Kover, a Yale Management School Fellow and Consultant to
HCD Research, the Kerry counter ad was not aggressive enough. "It was weak --
it's not gutsy enough, it should have been much more forceful. The second
Swift Boat ad didn't do any further damage either -- both ads were
really a wash. It seems as though people are becoming immune to these ads."
A complete report of the study can be viewed at: http://www.readmylipz.com/swiftboat2.cfm
The advertising study was conducted by ReadMyLipz.com, a joint project by HCD
Research and Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion (MCIPO) that aims
to track public sentiment regarding campaign advertising. The participants were
asked to watch an advertisement supporting one of the two major candidates and
to give feedback using a variety of methods, including real-time interest and
believability tracking and the Ayer Emotional Battery. Complete information
on survey methodology can be found at www.ReadMyLipz.com.
For more information or to schedule an interview with Arthur Kover, HCD Research
or Chris Borick, Muhlenberg College, please contact Vince McGourty, M&M
Communications, Inc., at 908-713-1267 or vinmcg@earthlink.net.
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