This paper reports the results of an experiment conducted during the December 1990 German national election. The design involved exposure of subjects in western (Hannover and Munich) and eastern (Leipzig) Germany to the television spots of the two major German national parties (the CDU and SPD) and pre-test/post-test measures of responses to party leaders as a result of spot viewing. Results indicated that viewing the television spots created a more favourable image for Lafontaine among viewers in eastern Germany, but no change was apparent for Kohl among eastern or western subjects. The study also found strong relationships between emotions elicited by viewing the television spots and the images of the two political party candidates.