 |
|
 Political
advertising took a great leap in sophistication with Lyndon Johnson's
1964 Presidential campaign. Democrats finally landed a top advertising
agency -- Doyle, Dane, Bernbach (DDB) -- to produce a campaign. DDB
had made its name producing evocative soft-sell advertising for Volkswagen
and Avis in a departure from the repetitive slogan approach of Rosser
Reeves's "Unique Selling Proposition" philosophy. DDB's
emotional appeal was suited to a Johnson campaign which sought to
remind voters of the administration's work fighting poverty and providing
Medicare, while also capitalizing on fear of Republican opponent Barry
Goldwater's views on nuclear weapons. The campaign is still regarded
as one of the best ever, and the famous "Daisy" ad, where
a little girl's counting of flower petals is replaced by a countdown
to an atomic blast, is considered a classic.
Also significant in 1964 is the launching of Ronald Reagan's political
career. Reagan captured the attention of conservative Republicans
in a televised speech supporting Goldwater.
|
|
|
