http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/2016/choice

“Choice” is a 2016 ad by Donald Trump that is a textbook example of a contrast ad.¹⁷ At the start of the ad, the narrator says “[t]wo choices. Two Americas. Decided: by you,” presenting viewers with a clear choice and setting up the next 20 seconds of contrast.¹⁸ The ad next shows Clinton with dark vignettes and grainy imagery as the narrator accuses her of leading us on the “road to stagnation. Fewer jobs. Rising crime,” and a diminished America.¹⁹ This is juxtaposed by heroic imagery of Trump with light pouring down, crowds holding signs, and a battle ship ready in a port while words like “stronger,” “better”, and “more prosperous” flash across the screen. The narrator calls Trump the “change we’re waiting for,” and a “future, brighter than our past.”²⁰ The ad then leaves viewers by once again reminding them of the choice they need to make. This ad shows Clinton in a negative light but then immediately portrays a triumphant Donald Trump, producing a perfect example of a contrasting ad. 

17. Museum of the Moving Image, The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials 1952-2012.
http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/2016/choice (accessed December 12, 2019).

18. Ibid.

19. Ibid.

20. Ibid.