9.07.2014

Monday, September 7, 1964: 'Daisy' ad



The most famous of all campaign commercials, known as the "Daisy Girl" ad, ran only once as a paid advertisement, during an NBC broadcast of "Monday Night at the Movies" on September 7, 1964. Without any explanatory words, the ad uses a simple and powerful cinematic device, juxtaposing a scene of a little girl happily picking petals off a flower (actually a black-eyed Susan), and an ominous countdown to a nuclear explosion. The ad was created by the innovative agency Doyle Dane Bernbach, known for its conceptual, minimal, and modern approach to advertising. The memorable soundtrack was created by Tony Schwartz, an advertising pioneer famous for his work with sound, including anthropological recordings of audio from cultures around the world. The frightening ad was instantly perceived as a portrayal of Barry Goldwater as an extremist. ... The ad was replayed in its entirety on ABC's and CBS's nightly news shows, amplifying its impact.
     -- From The Living Room Candidate (Museum of the Moving Image): @
     -- Also see "Ice Cream" from same site: @

* "Daisy: The Complete History of an Infamous and Iconic Ad" (conelrad.com): @
* "Daisy Petals and Mushroom Clouds: LBJ, Barry Goldwater, and the Ad That Changed American Politics" (Robert Mann, 2011): @
* "The Responsive Chord" (Tony Schwartz, 1973): @
* Entry from "Encyclopedia of Politics, the Media, and Popular Culture" (2009): @
* Entry from "Encyclopedia of Political Communication" (2008): @
* Passage from "Packaging the Presidency: A History and Criticism of Presidential Campaign Advertising" (Kathleen Hall Jamieson, 2nd edition, 1996): @
* Passage from "The Spot: The Rise of Political Advertising on Television" (Edwin Diamond, 3rd edition, 1992): @
* "Revisiting the Daisy Ad Revolution" (New York Times, 2011): @
* President Johnson's April 17 remarks (source of LBJ quote used in ad; The American Presidency Project): @
* "LBJ: Issues and Roses" (St. Petersburg Times, April 18): @
* Memo from White House aide Jack Valenti (September 7): @
* "LBJ Rips Barry's A-Arms Plan" (Associated Press, September 7): @
* "The Difficulty of 'Being Fair' to Goldwater (Life magazine, September 18): @
* "Campaign is Boosted Via TV" (UPI, October 10): @

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