Messages Targeting Youth in the 2023 Turkish General Election Advertisements: A Comparative Analysis of Ak Party and CHP Campaigns

Political campaigns and election advertisements are created for various purposes, such as conveying parties' ideologies, election promises, and political views to society; influencing undecided voters; persuading the electorate; changing attitudes; and shaping public opinion. Although election advertisements are generally designed for all voters, in some cases, they target specific audiences. This study aims to examine the messaging strategies political parties employ to engage with young voters, specifically Generation Y and Z, and to identify the characteristics of these messages over the past five years. In the research section, the commercials published by AK Party and CHP in 2023 were analyzed. These commercials were examined using semiotic analysis, with Roland Barthes' technique serving as a reference for interpreting the codes. The analysis aimed to reveal the denotations and connotations of the codes, icons, symbols, and messages present in the advertisements. The 2023 AK Party advertisement features folk music with calmer tones and spoken lyrics. It highlights the party's past achievements while promising continued innovations in the future. Additionally, advertisements frequently incorporate technological, historical, religious, emotional, and cultural elements. In contrast the findings indicate that the 2023 CHP advertisement employs dynamic words, music, and visuals to engage young voters.