Hannah Koh

Prof. Rademacher
CVA 2458
21 November 2013
Overcoming Fear and Cynicism

Breaking eighteen years of silence, seventeen Chilean political parties formed a coalition

aimed to overthrow the Pinochet dictatorship through a political campaign – the “No” campaign.

Grounded in universal and optimistic themes, the advertisement propagated a two-part choice for

Chileans to not only cast a vote in the 1988 Presidential elections, but also that they vote “no”

(against Pinochet). With a magnitude of Chileans strangled by their fear of doing so, the strategy

of the campaign was straightforward: reduce this fear. While the opposition party portrayed the

overall message that happiness is coming, further embedded in this theme is a plethora of

symbols – it represents freedom of thought and action; it represents equality; and, above all, it

represents hope for the future. So with just 15 minutes of airtime per day, what exactly made the

“No” campaign so effective?

To begin an analysis, it would be important to first recognize that there was no actual

candidate in the “No” campaign. Thus, rather than an ordinary election in which voters choose

between a rage of parties and its respective leaders, it was either “yes” or “no” to Pinochet. This

served to improve the effectiveness of the campaign on several parts. First, because all other

political parties (excluding the communist party) were embodied within the campaign, it became

a body to which the majority of Chile could relate. Essentially, preventing more division within

the country, further uniting the nation. On a last note, the campaign did not provide a solution as

to how Chile ought to be governed instead; rather, they leveraged on the negative associations

relating to the fear and oppression of the ruling regime to further their cause.
 Also key to the advertisement’s success was its ability to appeal to an entire country.

While the “No” campaign spoke to all Chileans, the advertisement was designed to chiefly target

two groups of people who exemplified the primary drivers of fear at that time in Chile: sixty to

sixty-five year old ladies of lower to middle economic levels, and the youth. The former group

feared a return to the Marxism of Allende and its repercussions: strikes, spiraling inflation,

queues for food—something they did not want resurfacing. In contrast, the young, thinking that

the election is fixed, feared retribution from the regime. Thus, it was important that the

advertisement was sufficiently attractive to both parties.

To this end, the advertisement perpetuates a positive and optimistic tone throughout,

presenting something upbeat and hopeful that would stimulate the nation, thereby allowing

citizens to overcome any apparent fears of the past. Coupled with the general theme of happiness

in time to come, the belittlement of Pinochet’s brutal dictatorship encouraged people to forget

about what they had lived through, and instead focus on the opportunities for the future. It is this

striking tone of looking forward that positively impacted the advertisement’s effectiveness.

A further deconstruction of the advertisement reveals two intertwining creative aspects

that enhance its effectiveness: a jingle and the use of real people. Audio was an integral part of

the campaign – where it featured not art, not folk, not pop, not rock, but a jingle – the result of

which increasing the advertisement’s effectiveness. The use of a jingle in the advertisement was

befitting of the campaign as a whole; for, through its lightheartedness, it denotes a friendlier and

less intimidating tone. Further, its catchiness facilitates one’s ability to remember it: internalized

until it is reinforced. While it may be relatively less emotional, it resonates with a multitude of

people – even the janitor in the movie No whistles its tune. Beyond the inherent benefits of the

audio choice, the jingle explicitly communicates the overall message of the campaign through its
lyrics: “Let’s say No, I’ll sing it without fear / Let’s say No, together we’ll win / For life and for

peace / Chile: Happiness is coming!” In fact, the very essence of the campaign in its simplistic

form is encapsulated within these lines: opposition, unity, and fearlessness, for life, peace, and

happiness. Further, the advertisement cleverly plays on the repetition of the word “No”, both

through the literal enunciation of the word and finger gestures of the characters – juxtaposing the

innately negative concept and making it affirmative.

Along with the jingle, the images of real people humanized the political agenda,

increasing the advertisement’s effectiveness. The affirming images of a doctor, children,

musicians, a taxi driver, workers, a cook, etc., provided not only a day-to-day perspective, but

also the ability for everyone to relate to the message (which was crucial as it aimed to capture a

wide demographic of people). Beyond this, the advertisement leveraged on celebrities as an

impetus for others to change, begging the question: if a famous person, someone with a

substantial amount to lose, can say no – why can’t I? Thus, it reinforces the idea that Chileans

should overcome their fear and vote “No”. Further, the technique in which the images are briefly

flashed in no obvious sequence denotes a sense of unity: that Chileans are in this together –

something that Chileans needed at this point in history.

In effect, the Opposition party overcame cynicism towards the cause. With Pinochet

having no intention of ever leaving, the public did not expect him to leave either – coercing the

notion that the “No” campaign lacked any functional chance of winning. Yet, the tenure of the

advertisements effectively changed the sensibilities of a significant part of the population – no

longer should they worry over the military seeing what they voted. Fueled with the optimism that

perhaps their vote would count and Pinochet would be removed, Chileans overthrew the brutal

dictatorship.