A new exhibition on the Presidential election season at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia features an “Ad-O-Matic” platform that lets visitors create their own ads during the current Presidential campaign.
The platform—which can be accessed both at the center and online--lets visitors create customized TV spots featuring themselves as the candidate; they can tailor their ad to suit their preferences, choosing a positive or attack message and selecting as many as three key issues—including the economy, environment, healthcare, education and foreign policy—to discuss in the spot.
On display through November 13 and timed to coincide with the 2016 presidential election and the National Democratic Convention taking place this July in Philadelphia, the exhibition uses artifacts, other interactive activities, multimedia and role-playing opportunities to guide visitors along the campaign trail and into the Oval Office
The journey begins with a section on election history. Three historic elections – Martin Van Buren and William Henry Harrison in 1840, Franklin Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover in 1932, and Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey in 1968 – provide the framework for visitors to explore how Presidential elections have changed and also remained the same for over 200 years. Highlights include fun Presidential facts and an introduction to how constitutional amendments have influenced the election process.
In the next section, visitors officially launch their campaigns and begin to discover if they are “Presidential material.” Highlights here include an interactive speech coach and a “craft your own campaign message” activity.
National conventions then take center stage, with visitors entering the floor of a convention featuring all 50 states to uncover the primary election and caucus process for winning a major party nomination. Highlights include a campaign manager interactive where visitors make decisions to try to win a primary election, a “campaign worker chart” exploring who’s who on a candidate’s staff, historic footage from Democratic and Republican national conventions, and a “create your own campaign sticker” craft activity.
In the next section, with the nomination secured, the focus is on the general election, the Electoral College, debates, campaign finance, and of course, advertising. Here, visitors can “meet the masses” to practice their presidential handshake and create their own campaign commercials with “Ad-o-Matic.”
Through a continued focus on the constitutional amendments, visitors also learn about voting rights and how the methods we use to vote have changed over time; this culminates in a special election where visitors of all ages can vote for America’s best historic president. The concluding section shows visitors what next steps lie ahead for the newly elected President, explains the powers and duties of the President and what it is like to live in the White House, and offers a photo opportunity behind the desk in the Oval Office.
