This timely publication offers a fresh scholarly assessment of political advertising across the EU, as well as an insight into differing political and regulatory systems related to political advertising in the individual member states. With a detailed focus on the images and communication styles that characterised the 2014 European Parliament election campaign, this edited collection evaluates political advertising across the EU using empirical data to compare and contrast styles and approaches in different members. This work allows the authors to offer an important evaluation of the similarities and differences in the posters and broadcasts used to win public support in the 2014 campaign at the time of the great European recession and financial crisis, specifically looking at the place of posters and video commercials. This book will appeal to researchers and students of political communication, political science, history, European studies as well as candidates and campaign workers who want a more comprehensive understanding of the representation of Europe in political adverts at the 2014 elections.

Christina Holtz-Bacha is Professor of Communication at Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. 

Edoardo Novelli is Associate Professor at the University of Roma Tre, Italy.

Kevin Rafter is Professor of Political Communication at Dublin City University, Ireland.

1. Introduction.- 2. Background to the elections.- 3. Regulation of electoral advertising in Europe.- 4. Representations of the European project.- 5. Representations of the Economic Crisis and Austerity Politics.- 6. A Negative Touch in Posters and Spots.- 7. Populist Politics and the radical right in 2014 Elections.- 8. Old vs. New Europe? Differences in content and style of political advertising.- 9. Central-Eastern campaigning for the European parliament - In search of common patterns.- 10. The first time for everything: Political Advertising in a new Member State.- 11. Candidate-oriented but no European Spitzenkandidaten. The role of candidates in political advertising.- 12. Persuading beyond Words: Visual Appeals in the 2014 European Parliament Election Campaign.-