Photo Courtesy of Emma Nguyen/The Evergreen Online.
As the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump, prepares to take office in January, many say the election has left them overwhelmed, furious, or heartbroken. Yet others are thrilled and happy.
Yet, no matter what side voters are on, many agree on one thing: The ad campaigns are over!
“Yes! Thank God, I hate seeing them,” exclaimed SAU exercise science pre-med freshman, Ada Boysen.
Looking back on the election, there were many marketing platforms and strategies employed to connect with the Gen Z generation.
“What struck me most was former President Donald Trump’s ability to deploy marketing in a powerful and polarizing way, a true reflection of his approach to everything: all in, all out, no holds barred,” reports Adweek journalist Saadia Khan.
For President Trump to thrive on social media platforms, he gained endorsements from powerful influencers including Elon Musk, owner of X, Joe Rogan, and Logan Paul. “I think Trump going on podcasts like ‘Impulsive’ may have helped some along with Elon Musk and X,” says an anonymous SAU sport management senior.
Along with Trump’s endorsements, Vice President Kamala Harris had some of her own. “Looking at who Kamala has endorsed her, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Mark Hamill, Lebron, etc I think both had great endorsements,” says the anonymous senior.
Endorsements from celebrities, political leaders, or key interest groups gather media attention and help shape public awareness. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram offer real-time interaction, but also present challenges like misinformation and polarization.
“Dancing With The Stars even had advertisements,” says a shocked SAU pre-law major, senior, Shai Erdrich.
While the ads are over, people are continuing to post on their platforms, whether it’s about who won or lost. “Still, there’s so much hatred going around, and to a degree I do think everyone including both candidates knew it would happen,” says the senior.
Many students are ecstatic for the ads to be over, but some didn’t think much of them. Janna Bowser, an SAU freshman, human performance and fitness major says, “Yea, they (the social media ads) didn’t really make a difference because they didn’t persuade me.”
Students have seen a lot of campaign usage on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Bumble. Many candidates spent most of their money on the 30 second television ads. “This year’s race for president will cost at least $3.5 billion,” says Shane Goldmacher, who has been using AdImpact to track this data.
“There’s been a billion dollars of television ads just since Kamala Harris entered this race in July,” says Shane Goldmacher, who has been using AdImpact to track this data. “And there is more overall spending for Harris than for Trump.”
Each election year, candidates spend millions of dollars trying to win voters over. Endorsements, public awareness, podcasts, platforms and televisions ads will remain a key force in shaping democracy’s future.
Madelynn Reed is a staff writer for The Buzz.
