Does negative advertising work?

Abstract

In an overview of the use of negative advertising through the years, Kaid (1999) notes a real increase in the number of negative advertisements used in presidential campaigns. From 1952 to 1996, such ads made up about 38% of the whole campaign, but during the 1992 and 1996 campaigns, they made up more than half of the total advertising content. Moreover, Kaid (1999) notes that Bill Clinton’s campaigns in 1992 and 1996 reached all time highs in the use of negative ads with 69% and 68% respectively. But does negative advertising work?