negative ad
Opponent-bashing commercial
A negative ad is a political advertisement that attacks an opponent rather than promoting the candidate who paid for it.
Negative ads highlight an opponent's voting record, personal scandals, or policy positions framed unfavorably: The campaign ran negative ads about his opponent's tax increases.
Also called attack ads, they're widely criticized but demonstrably effective.
- smearSpread or defame
- mudslingingMalicious personal attacks
- low blowUnfair, unsportsmanlike strike
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
- opponentOne who contends against
slander · politician · political ad · television · ad buy · voter · propaganda · hit piece · swift boat · defamation · election · accusation · distortion · PAC · super PAC · dark money · airwaves · dirty politics
- campaigningcandidate, campaign signs, canvassing, campaign manager, fundraising
- campaign jargonstump speech, talking points, sound bites, soundbite, soundbites
- campaign mediacampaign ad, political ad, TV spot, radio ad, bumper sticker
- smear tacticssmear, smear campaign, mudslinging, attack ads, hit piece
- electionsballot, ballots, voter registration, candidates, polls
- defamationslander, libel, defamation, defamatory statement, defaming
negative, negatively, negativity, negate, negation, negator, advert, advertise, advertisement