A Cross-Cultural Study of Political Advertising in the United States and Korea

Abstract

This article focuses on the cultural aspect of political advertising. The form and content of political advertising messages appearing in major daily newspapers during the final phase of a presidential election campaign were analyzed to compare the differences and similarities of political communication between the United States and Korea. Political television commercials from the 1992 presidential election campaigns of both countries are also analyzed. It is obvious that the context of communication, the degree of uncertainty avoidance, and nonverbal expressions comprised important cultural parameters that ultimately serve as determinants of the different cultural orientations of the two countries. Findings from the content analysis indicate that political advertising messages transmitted by the American and Korean candidates were highly reflective of their cultural orientations. Political advertising therefore appeared as a conspicuous indicator of cultural values because it showed clear differences in American and Korean cultural patterns.