Despite millions flowing into the U.S. Senate race for advertisements, efforts by both campaigns and outside groups aren't likely to sway many voters, an Indiana University expert said.
"People don't turn on the TV, say, 'Gee, I never thought of that,' and change their mind," said Les Lenkowksy, professor emeritus in public affairs and philanthropy at the university's School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Generally, ads have a different purpose, Lenkowsky said, and that's to energize a candidate's supporters and show a stance on a certain issue — or, in the case of lesser-known candidates, to introduce them to voters.
And while it might seem ads are everywhere, from your television screen to your computer screen to your mailbox, Lenkowsky said his impression so far is that there are fewer ads than usual for a presidential election cycle.
There are a few reasons for that, he said.
One is the social media revolution, which lets campaigns target, with a digital ad, voters who like certain webpages and search for certain things.
"Instead of running ads that are aimed broadly, you may do an ad that's aimed, say, at a younger demographic, and it only appears a few times in a few different places," Lenkowsky said.