2016 Rome Mayoral Election: A Parade of Campaign Ads

Ahead of the 2016 Rome municipal elections, candidates released a series of campaign videos, analyzed for their style and effectiveness. Roberto Giachetti (PD) produced a meta-ad where he breaks character, complaining about scripted rhetoric, which garnered 250,000 views. Virginia Raggi (M5S) debuted professionally made spots featuring historical figures like Nero and Lucrezia Borgia, a departure from the movement's usual DIY approach. Simone Di Stefano (Casapound) delivered a martial, two-and-a-half-minute monologue focused on security and anti-immigration, deemed rigid and clichéd. Giorgia Meloni (Fratelli d'Italia) offered a patriotic ad with imperial imagery, described as correct but unremarkable. Alfio Marchini and Mario Adinolfi (PDF) did not release new ads; however, Adinolfi's 2007 low-budget, melancholic video was praised as poetic and the winner of the bunch. The article notes that while social media plays a role, traditional campaigning remains vital in Italy due to significant digital illiteracy.