Abstract:

Advocacy advertising is a subset of corporate institutional advertising and is concerned with the propagation of ideas and elucidation of controversial social issues of public importance in a manner that supports the position and interest of the sponsoring corporation and projects the sponsor in the most positive light. Advocacy advertising has many facets and can range from largely educational and informational character about a particular issue or general idea to the advocacy of a specific political or legal act, adoption of a public policy, or attack on the actions of a particular political group or governmental agency. Thus a campaign could be both adversary and non-adversary in character.