It is very interesting to compare these two election campaign posters. It is a typical thing for our topic. Obama is presented in a pop cultural style. Coloured in the paint of the American flag. Only one word under his head: Hope. His view: straight and strict, this man knows what he wants and how he will lead the country. I have to say, this is also my way to see Obama. The picture characterizes him perfectly.
Merkel's picture is typical German. She looks very nice, smiling, to catch the voters' sympathies. But as you can see, she has no real image like Obama has. There is no straight view or an eyecatcher like the word "HOPE".
Now looking at young voters, and not necessary if they are Germans or Americans, the Obama poster catches their interest and attention. It is pop art, it is popular culture and it fits to young people. There is a clear message behind it, only one word that says everything. I am sure young people would not feel adressed by looking at Merkel's poster. It is not that intersting and much more boring than Obama's. And the slogan is not very significant, too. I cannot say how many young people vote for the CDU, but I could imagine that they are not many... What do you think??
posters found on: www.kreisrot.at, www.horizont.net
Hey, Lena!
ReplyDeleteI like the sentence "It is pop art, it is popular culture and it fits to young people. There is a clear message behind it, only one word that says everything." You cut it right to the chase ;-)
I could imagine that a poster like this would have egged a view people to vote. But unfortunatley a poster cannot compensate a whole policy.
In my opinion the poster of Obama is catchy, but "hope" seems to be a flat phrase like "Reichtum für alle" (Die Linke), or "Sicher durch die Krise" (NRW CDU). There is no concrete statement in it or in other word, you do not believe in their campaign pledges.
But maybe it depends on who uses this phrases. One believes that Obama is able to bring something good into line. You have an idea about "hope" in context with Obama, but in context with German posters you often have non.
Hey!
ReplyDeleteNice post! It seems to be very interesting to compare these two images for the election campaigns of Obama and Merkel. Somehow, it is funny how typical they seem to us in regard to the cultural background.
I also agree with your opinion that Merkel did not use a "catchy" motto for her campaign. I guess, in a few years everybody will have forgotten what her motto was, but everybody will still remember what Obama's one was like.