Politicians allocate huge sums of money during election seasons to ensure that their messages get delivered, their names get known, and their preferred voting outcomes get achieved. What drives this otherwise nonsensical act of pouring money into what might seem to be a bottomless pit? A few considerable factors undergird this practice, anchoring it to political and financial realities that make an investment in advertising seem worthwhile, if not essential.

1. **Outreach to and Engagement with Voters**: Advertising permits candidates to contact a large number of potential voters, whether directly or indirectly, and to broaden the canvas of traditional voter contact methods. This direct contact with voters allows for clear communication and, when necessary, the correction of any misperceptions that may exist about the candidate.

**Recognition by Name**: There are instances when voters are not well acquainted with all the individuals they are considering for public office. Advertising serves to help candidates establish at least some measure of name recognition, thus greasing the electoral wheels for those who might otherwise be unknown quantity. This is especially vital for obscure offices and also in larger districts, where citizens might not have as intimate a familiarity with their public officials.

3. **Controlling the Message**: Politicians can use advertising to control the narrative about their campaigns. They can tell what they think are the important parts of the story, making sure that the audience knows their achievements and understands that they are not just sitting around waiting for the election to kind of happen but are actively working to win.

4. **Precision in Communication**: Today's advertising methods enable even more personal choice, ensuring that even the ads we see correspond to the kinds of things we're interested in. The same goes for political ads. You can see the ads; they're just made for somebody else. Maybe you'd be kind of freaked out if you saw ads made for you, but you give the impression of being a pretty normal, well-adjusted person. Of course, if you don't give the impression of being a normal, well-adjusted person, then what was the ad even for?

5. **Supporters, Assemble!**: The ads don't work unless the base is mobilized. Ads can and do excite a candidate's base, and that is one of the things they are for. In fact, that's why political consultants don't just hire copywriters but also hire psychologists, or at least work with some. The Americans in charge of these job functions know how to press emotional buttons.

**Current Media Structure**: Today’s media structure—centered on digital platforms—has changed how political advertising works. Candidates can contact the electorate through a diversified suite of tools, including social media, online advertisements, and good old-fashioned media. Yet, these advertising methods demand such large budgets that even the wealthiest candidates must triage them to some extent.

7. **Competitive Surroundings**: The contest for elections is frequently vigorous and animated, with many individuals seeking the same office. In this atmosphere, those who wish to win and retain the appearance of a serious contender pour money into ads, making sure they can still be seen by the electorate.

8. **Impact on Voter Psychology**: The advertising used in a political campaign can significantly affect the way in which voters perceive the candidates. The message that a candidate wishes to get across to the electorate can be shaped in any number of ways. These ways can be as straightforward as showing what kind of person the candidate is or as damagingly deceptive as showing what kind of person the candidate is not. Voters perceive these messages with varying degrees of attention, and they can be affected in ways of which the voters themselves are unaware.

To sum up, the enormous election ad expenditure is fueled not just by the desire to simply make voters aware of one's candidacy, but by the much deeper demand for clear communication and compelling engagement with the electorate. And if anything, the political ad spend in the 2020 campaign looked to be on track to shatter all prior records.