Dansk Folkeparti - sætter tingene på spidsen: Dansk Folkeparti - pushes it to the limit

Abstract

This paper examines the strategy of political advertising of Dansk Folkeparti. This is due to the fact that this strategy differs greatly from that of the other parties. The difference is most evident in the party’s choice of themes. In broadly, the party operates with two opposing themes; safety and trust against fear and warning. Through Ulrich Beck’s theory about risk society and Zygmunt Bauman’s theory about liquid fear, this paper investigates the reasons behind the used themes in the party’s advertising. This paper is largely built around the discourse analysis, which is extremely prominent in several analyses. This approach of scientific theory is incorporated in two different ways. Firstly, Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory is used to elucidate the party’s motives and societal reasons behind that. Furthermore, Fairclough’s critical and more text near discourse theory is used. Thereby the link between the discursive practices of the ads and the social and cultural trends of the late modern society, is examined. Finally it is concluded that the party’s chosen strategy works in relation to the intention. Despite both litigation and other sorts of criticism, the party continues to gain a larger voter support, and thus the party operates from the principle that all publicity is good publicity.