(Comparative audiovisual study of the spots of the Frente de Todos and Juntos por el Cambio: the 2019 national campaign)

Abstract

During the 2019 presidential campaign, the Frente de Todos and Juntos por el Cambio coalitions deployed distinct communication strategies in both traditional and digital media. This article examines and compares the respective audiovisual composition styles of the television spots, disseminated by the coalitions during the pre-selection day of candidacies. This approach is due to the prevalence that, within the framework of contemporary visual culture, images acquire in the course of modern life. For this reason, the campaign productions will be examined based on a theoretical framework linked to cinematographic discourse and audiovisual aesthetics. The methodology consisted in the creation of a corpus of observation units that includes the advertisements broadcasted during the time legally established by the National Electoral Chamber to broadcast candidacies in audiovisual media. A comparative analysis was carried out on this corpus about its visual design, linked to the plastic condition of the images. A data matrix has been elaborated that disaggregates the visual band of the spots into two dimensions, which is completed with their respective indicators. The findings suggest that the coalitions crafted their advertisements using different technical composition resources, tailored to the respective narratives conveyed in the images. It is concluded that Frente de Todos structured its spots revealing the presence of artifice, whereas Juntos por el Cambio concealed its enunciative work.