By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
With 16 days to go before the Dec. 19 election, major presidential candidates are battling over the most powerful campaign tool ― one-minute-long television ads ― to woo undecided voters.
There is a distinctive feature shown in the candidates' TV commercials for the 2007 presidential election: presidential hopefuls are striving to ``touch and impress'' voters by using their susceptibility to short advertisements.
In the previous presidential election, the then governing party ― the predecessor of the pro-government United New Democratic Party (UNDP) ― became the winner in television commercials by using the successful ``sense and sensibility'' campaign.
The Grand National Party (GNP) launched the same old ``propaganda-styled'' advertising in the 1997 and 2002 elections, which resulted in the party's nominee failing to appeal to the hearts and minds of voters.
Experts said the secret of the governing party's winning television commercials was the use of the so-called Cinema Verite technique.
The film technique is defined by directors who shoot non-actors in actual conversations and in natural surroundings for the advertisement.
Political observers said the ads are especially effective in wooing the undecided and swing voters as the one-minute campaigns are aired before and after prime time television shows.
They said this political campaign tactic gives voters a particular image of the candidates.
Recent polls which was taken before the presidential candidate registration said the number of undecided voters is anywhere between 20 and 25 percent of the total, and figure has gradually increased as the election comes closer.
The main opposition party, which learned painful lessons from two consecutively lost elections, has paid more attention to television campaign advertising for the December election.
The GNP hired several experts from the advertising industry to make its television commercials.
A TV ad recently televised reflects that the GNP is looking to lure susceptible voters.
An old, female owner of a small shabby restaurant located in an urban slum appearing in the TV ad is the reflection of a working class citizen.
Through the commercial, GNP nominee Lee Myung-bak pledged to transform the lackluster economy into a strong one where all working class people can make their dreams come true as long as they work hard. He does not say a word in the ad.
UNDP candidate Chung Dong-young's television ad portrays Chung as a leader in engaging the public.
The UNDP candidate launched his ``Give me a hug'' campaign through a television commercial in which Chung hugs people from all walks of life, from a vendor and a passerby walker to a child one after the other.
Strategists working for Chung explained the commercial was designed to stress his campaign theme of family and his engaging leadership that embraces all social classes.