Daisy (advertisement)
Though aired only once, it is considered one of the most important factors in Johnson's landslide victory over the Republican Party's candidate, Barry Goldwater, and a turning point in political and advertising history.
A partnership between the Doyle Dane Bernbach agency and Tony Schwartz, the "Daisy" advertisement was designed to broadcast Johnson's anti-war and anti-nuclear positions.
The commercial begins with three-year-old Monique Corzilius standing in a meadow, picking the petals of a daisy as she counts from one to ten incorrectly.
After she reaches "nine", she pauses, and a booming male voice is heard counting the numbers backward from "ten", in a manner similar to the start of a missile launch countdown.
A zoom of the video still concentrates on the girl's right eye until her pupil fills the screen, which is then replaced by the flash and sound of a nuclear explosion.
[13] They portrayed him as a dangerous extremist, notably mocking his campaign slogan "In your heart, you know he's right" with the counter-slogan "In your guts, you know he's nuts".
[15] Goldwater ran an attack ad in which a group of children recited the Pledge of Allegiance until their voices are drowned out by Nikita Khrushchev, the then Soviet leader, proclaiming "We will bury you!
[26] The advertisement begins with three-year-old Monique Corzilius, standing in a meadow in New York City's Highbridge Park picking petals off a daisy, counting from one to nine while birds chirp in the background.
A booming male voice is heard counting the numbers backward from "ten" in a manner similar to the start of a missile launch countdown.
"[1][39] At the end of the voice-over, the explosion footage is replaced by white letters on a black screen, written all in capitals, stating "Vote for President Johnson on November 3".
"[41] DDB decided to broadcast the ad on Labor Day, when Johnson was supposed to begin his formal fall campaign.
[45] Unlike previous popular political advertisements and Goldwater's ads, "Daisy" is based entirely on striking imagery and sudden changes in visuals, the lack of music enhancing the sense of realism.
"[40] Though initially surprised by the protests, Johnson was later very pleased with the ad and wanted it to be broadcast again, but Moyers convinced him that this was a poor idea.
[37][52] The same day, addressing his campaign rally in Detroit, Johnson said, "make no mistake, there's no such thing as a 'conventional nuclear weapon' ... To [use one] now is a political decision of the highest order.
[58] Fact magazine surveyed 12,000 psychiatrists, members of the American Psychiatric Association, asking whether Goldwater was "psychologically fit to serve as president of the United States".
[60] The publication of these results was controversial; Goldwater successfully sued and won $75,000 (equivalent to $657,000 in 2023) in punitive damages from Ralph Ginzburg, the magazine's publisher.
[61] This ultimately led to the American Psychiatric Association implementing the "Goldwater rule", which prohibits psychiatrists from disclosing their opinions on a public figure's mental health unless they have personally examined them and obtained their consent.
[62] Nearly three weeks after its broadcast, Goldwater said that "the homes of America are horrified and the intelligence of Americans is insulted by weird television advertising by which this Administration threatens the end of the world unless all‐wise Lyndon is given the nation for his very own.
[63] Though the exact viewership of the commercial is unknown, Robert Mann, the author of the book Daisy Petals and Mushroom Clouds, estimates that approximately a hundred million people saw it.
[64] Mann said, "What one of the brilliant aspects of the daisy girl spot was they never mentioned Barry Goldwater, never showed his image, because they didn't need to.
[65] The advertisement begins with a young girl eating ice-cream, while a female voice-over warns of the presence of radioactive isotopes like strontium-90 and caesium-137, which originate from atomic explosions, in the food.
[76] "Daisy" was also re-made in 2010 by the American Values Network, to encourage voters to ask their senators to ratify the New START program.
[77] Robert Mann concluded that "DDB brought to politics the same approach it applied to advertising automobiles, soap, and other products.
[79] While campaigning for the 2016 presidential election, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton enlisted Corzilius to appear in a sequel to the ad that argued that Donald Trump was not competent to control nuclear weapons.
The ad was intended to remind voters of Johnson's prudence; it wasn't meant to make you think Barry Goldwater was a warmonger – but that's how a lot of people interpreted it.
