This study explores the role of digital communication in defining Olaf Scholz's image as a credible and authoritative leader during the 2021 German election campaign, which took place in a context marked by the pandemic crisis. To this end, the research focuses in particular on two pieces of audiovisual content published in September 2021 on Scholz's main social media channels – Facebook and Instagram – which are considered not only as tools for conveying specific political messages, but also as means of strengthening his identity, recognizability and legitimacy in the eyes of the electorate at a time of great social, political and health uncertainty.

The research is divided into three main levels of analysis. The first is the narrative level, which focuses on the role assumed by Scholz as a political figure with a specific government program, as well as the type of subjectivity that he represents. The second is the enunciative level, which examines the communication strategies adopted and the relationship established with interlocutors. The third is the rhetorical-argumentative level, which considers the ways in which Scholz, through a focused discursive strategy, builds his political authority, securing the trust of the community even in an exceptional context such as the pandemic.

The results will highlight how the strategic use of digital content has helped to consolidate Scholz's authoritative and reliable image, showing how political adverts can play a decisive role in defining and strengthening the identity of a leader, especially during an election campaign conducted in a period of general crisis.