Posters on lampposts clearly announce: there is an upcoming election. They are virtually impossible to miss. In a representative survey conducted by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung shortly after the 2025 federal election, 93 percent of eligible voters recalled seeing at least one party's election poster. No other form of election advertising is as widely noticed.
However, other forms of election advertising also stuck in people's minds. A majority remember election advertising in their letter boxes and advertising stands on the street. More than 40 percent of eligible voters remember advertisements in newspapers or magazines and advertising on social media. 14 percent of eligible voters were personally approached by at least one party.
The parties had varying degrees of visibility in the election campaign. Election advertising by the CDU/CSU is most frequently remembered across almost all channels. This is followed by the SPD, AfD, Greens, FDP, Linke, and BSW. One exception is advertising on social media. Advertising for the AfD on social media is most frequently remembered, followed by the Greens and the CDU/CSU.
Advertisements in newspapers were remembered more often than average by CDU/CSU voters. Voters for the AfD, Linke, FDP, and BSW remembered election advertising on social media more often than average.
Compared to the 2021 election campaign, election advertising on social media and in newspaper and magazine advertisements was remembered more often after the 2025 election campaign. Election advertising in letter boxes was remembered slightly less often by eligible voters.
Posters reach all lifestyle groups. The considerate Wealthy, ambitious Active, and young Open-Minded remember election advertising stands more often in comparison. The classic Established, solid Satisfied, and considerate Wealthy remember newspaper advertisements more often. Younger voters remember election advertising on social media more often.
One finding stands out: across almost all campaign channels, voters remember more frequently advertising by the party, they voted for, than the party is remembered on average. Even if different effects are conceivable here (better recall, more campaign advertising in the target group's environment), it is very plausible that campaign advertising influences voting decisions.
Read the entire Monitor: ‘Plakat, Online, Haustür – Wer wurde im Bundestagswahlkampf wie erreicht?’ here as a PDF. Please note, to date the analysis is only available in German.
