Emily DesRoches

During election seasons, 18” by 24” placards with a candidate’s name can be seen in front yards, and along roadsides by passersby. However, where do these signs stem from? And what are their effects?

The History of Campaign Signs

Margaret A. Hogan, managing editor of the Adam’s Papers, writes that campaign signs date back to the mid-1800s during the race between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. They used buttons, medallions, mugs, posters, and of course, these campaign signs.

Signage during the mid-1800s differed slightly from today. They were wordier, including more than the candidate’s name and party on the sign. Some also contained song lyrics. As seen here:

In the 1920s companies professionalized the style which we are familiar with now. The 18” by 24” placards with the candidate’s name and office as well as the large signs and banners.

What Are the Impacts of Campaign Signs?

There is only a difference of 1 to 2 percentage points, according to a study by Donald, P Green, a professor of political science at Columbia University. from the use of campaign signs for larger elections such as presidential ones. The main strength mentioned about them was name recognition, meaning they play a larger role in the person who placed the sign and their expression rather than the election itself.

Also, the impact differs by the areas they are located. Some signs use partisan cues such as the candidate’s party, while others use ideological cues. In Pennsylvania, partisan labels had stronger effects while in Albany, New York, ideological labels were stronger, as found in the same study by Green.

The “Ben Griffin Experiment” and Name Recognition

Name recognition plays a large role in campaign signs as it affects a candidate’s viability. The “Ben Griffin Experiment” was run by Cindy Cam and Elizabeth Zechmeister, both political scientists at Vanderbilt University, 2 months before the Metropolitan Nashville election when real candidates were beginning to prep their campaigns.

They placed a fake campaign sign with the name “Ben Griffin” on a cooperating homeowner’s lawn near an elementary school. The school, which also cooperated with the professors, sent out a small survey to parents to choose their top three choices for council seats.

They found that nearly a quarter of the respondents, who had driven past the fake sign, placed “Ben Griffin” in their top three choices. Of the parents who did not see the fake sign, 14% of them put him in their top three choices.

Are Certain Campaign Signs Better Than Others?

There is no definitive answer to this since no two campaigns are alike. As mentioned before, the area in which the sign is placed changes its impact. But what is important with signs is keeping things simple. Most people are driving past these signs, not walking by them, so simplicity helps with digesting the information quickly.

It is not just the words that play and impact the presentation of a sign, but colors. The blue and red party colors have become known identifiers over the years, says Kenneth Worles Jr., president of Three(i) Creative Communications, which works with Democratic and progressive candidates.

Why Keep Using Campaign Sign?

Many see these signs as hassles, or they get damaged or stolen. If campaign signs have such little impact why keep using them? One could say political involvement. It indicates a voter’s enthusiasm towards a certain candidate expressed to whoever passes the sign, usually people in the area.

Christopher Nicholas, a veteran Republican political consultant, states, “People see these signs as part and parcel of what a campaign needs to be doing. Without them, things feel a little naked.”