The Hard Sell

What is unique about political advertising? Is it really all that effective in changing votes? And why does it have to be so annoying . In The Hard Sell, creative director Dee Madigan uses her trademark humour and down-to-earth approach to unveil the world of political advertising. Drawing on real-life stories from her own recent Federal and State campaigns, she gives us fascinating industry insight into: How political ads are designed to work; Who are they designed to work on; How we pay for them; Why we make so many negative ads; How personal is too personal; How spin works, particularly in an election campaigns; How to make messages cut through the cynicism; How politicians use journos who use politicians who use journos; The gendered nature of it all; And finally, what happens when it all turns to sh*t! Dee is candid about the tricks of the trade and the lessons that can be learnt.