Similarly, Bush’s “Lead” ad uses music to set the tone for the commercial.  Perhaps the most noticeable music in any of the advertisements, the music for the commercial starts before the announcer begins speaking.  Because it is the first noise of the commercial, the observer cannot help but notice the commercial's music (Or can they?  Did you notice it?).  Like the above music, this music is soft and methodical, encouraging the observers to feel comfortable with what they are about to observe.  Most interesting about the music is its resemblance to Aaron Copeland’s Fanfare to the Common Man.  Though not of the exact same pitch nor of the same instrument, the first three notes played by the violin in the commercial are spaced at the same distance as the first three notes of Copeland’s piece.  The music in the commercial continues to sound similar to Copeland’s and therefore encourages the observer to relate Bush with all of America.  However, not all observers of the commercial will make this same relation and perhaps the relation made in this analysis gives more insight into the analyzer than it does the commercial.  Nevertheless, the soft, scale driven music of the violin offers comfort and credibility in the commercial to any listener, not just one that compares the commercial music to Copeland’s.

Kerry’s "Tax Cut” commercial uses music persuasion to a greater extent.   When the commercial begins telling of Kerry’s tax history, like the music in the Bush’s “Lead” commercial, the music is pleasing to the ear with scale based music reaching high, harmonious tones in a major key.  This positive music lends credit and encourages approval of the announcer’s praise of Kerry.  In contrast, when the announcer changes the subject to Kerry’s opponent, President Bush, the music drastically changes.  The scales, instead of increasing in pitch to high tones, instead descend into low, unharmonious tone while the key changes from a major to a minor key and the speed slows down drastically.  With the mood of the music changing from one of such pleasing nature to a near cacophony, the observer is encouraged to look disapprovingly on the information presented about President Bush.  Thus, perhaps without even the viewer noticing it, the commercial makes evaluations, and encourages the observer to do the same, on both candidates. 

In his work The Physics and Psychophysics of Music, Juan Roederer notes: "Like a good public speech, music can succeed in arousing and maintaining the attention of great masses of people" (Roederer, 184).  Perhaps in no median is this more true than through television campaign commercials.  Even if an observer of the commercial knows nothing of the candidates and cannot even understand the English the announcers speak, he could still match the pleasing music with the candidate and the displeasing music with the commercial candidate's opposition and thus still be influenced by the commercial.  Even with no words at all, through the combination of music and imagery, the commercials make an argument for their candidates.

Copyright Kevin Lessmann
 2004