Advocacy Advertising

Advocacy advertising—encompassing issue advertising, legislative issue advertising, editorial advertising, and cause advertising—is a well-established facet [Page 5]of U.S. public policy environments and American political campaigns. Unlike political candidate advertising, advocacy advertising is characterized as ads sponsored by third-party groups, such as corporate entities, issue or cause-related citizen groups, and organized labor. Advocacy ads either promote or denounce a certain policy agenda. Advocacy advertising is likely to escalate whenever the political environment is uncertain or when political situations suggest opportunities or threats to the vested interests of advocacy groups. The uncertainty surrounding political elections makes advocacy advertising during campaign seasons particularly significant.