Peace, little girl

Plot

The advertisement opens with a young girl, Monique Corzilius, standing in a meadow picking petals off a daisy while counting them incorrectly and childishly. As she continues counting, the camera slowly zooms in on her face until her eye fills the screen. Suddenly, the counting transitions to a military-style countdown, culminating in a nuclear explosion mushroom cloud. The ad cuts to President Lyndon B. Johnson's voice delivering a powerful message about the stakes of the election, warning that 'we must either love each other, or we must die' and emphasizing the need to vote for Johnson to avoid nuclear war. The advertisement concludes with the simple text 'Vote for President Johnson on November 3rd' on screen.

Historical Background

The 'Daisy' advertisement was created during one of the most tense periods of the Cold War, just two years after the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. The 1964 presidential election pitted incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson against Senator Barry Goldwater, who was perceived as more hawkish on foreign policy and potentially more willing to use nuclear weapons. The Vietnam War was escalating, and nuclear annihilation was a genuine fear among the American public. This context made the ad's nuclear imagery particularly potent. The advertisement represented a significant shift in American political campaigning, moving from issue-based arguments to emotional, psychological appeals. It was also created during a period when television had become the dominant medium for political communication, with over 90% of American households owning a TV set by 1964. The ad's release came at a time when the advertising industry was embracing more sophisticated psychological techniques in commercial advertising, which the Johnson campaign successfully adapted for political purposes.

Making Of

The creation of the 'Daisy' ad was a collaborative effort between the Johnson campaign and the innovative advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach. Tony Schwartz, a self-taught media consultant with expertise in sound design, was the primary creative force behind the advertisement. Schwartz had previously worked with Johnson's team and understood the power of emotional messaging in political advertising. The concept emerged from Schwartz's concern about nuclear proliferation and his belief that visual imagery could convey the stakes of the Cold War more effectively than traditional political rhetoric. The production team faced challenges in finding the right child actor, eventually casting Monique Corzilius after seeing her in a commercial for a laundry detergent. The filming was deliberately kept simple and naturalistic to enhance the emotional impact. Schwartz's innovative use of sound, including the seamless transition from the child's counting to the military countdown, was groundbreaking for political advertising. The ad was completed in secrecy within the Johnson campaign to prevent the Goldwater campaign from preparing a response.

Visual Style

The cinematography of the 'Daisy' advertisement was revolutionary for its time and contributed significantly to its emotional impact. The ad employed a simple but powerful visual technique: starting with a wide shot of the girl in the meadow, then slowly zooming in until her eye filled the entire screen. This gradual zoom created a sense of intimacy and vulnerability, drawing the viewer into the child's world before the abrupt transition to the nuclear explosion. The cinematography was deliberately naturalistic and documentary-like in the opening sequence, using available light and handheld camera techniques to enhance the sense of authenticity. The contrast between the soft, warm lighting of the meadow scene and the harsh, stark imagery of the nuclear explosion was visually striking and emotionally jarring. The camera work was innovative for political advertising, which typically used static shots and straightforward presentations. The use of extreme close-up was particularly daring for the time and contributed to the ad's intimate, unsettling quality. The cinematographer employed a technique called 'crash zoom' for the transition, which was cutting-edge in 1964 and added to the ad's dramatic impact.

Innovations

The 'Daisy' advertisement achieved several technical breakthroughs that influenced both political and commercial advertising for decades. The seamless audio transition from the child's counting to the military countdown was accomplished using innovative sound mixing techniques that were cutting-edge for 1964. The visual effect of the zoom into the child's eye and the transition to the nuclear explosion required precise timing and editing, demonstrating sophisticated understanding of visual continuity. The ad pioneered the use of stock footage in political advertising, creatively repurposing nuclear test footage for emotional impact. The synchronization of audio and visual elements was technically precise, creating maximum psychological effect. The advertisement also demonstrated early understanding of television's unique capabilities as a medium, using techniques that would not have been possible in print or radio advertising. The compression of a complex political message into a 60-second format while maintaining emotional impact was a technical achievement in itself. The ad's production team also innovated in their use of psychological research to inform the creative process, incorporating insights about fear and emotional response into the technical execution.

Music

The soundtrack of the 'Daisy' advertisement was as innovative and impactful as its visual elements. The audio began with the natural sound of the little girl's voice, counting petals in a childlike, slightly incorrect manner. This innocent counting was accompanied by ambient outdoor sounds, creating a peaceful, pastoral atmosphere. The genius of the soundtrack was in its seamless transition from the girl's counting to a military-style countdown, which was achieved through sophisticated audio mixing and echo effects. The countdown voice was deliberately mechanical and impersonal, creating a stark contrast with the child's voice. The nuclear explosion was accompanied by a deafening roar and silence, a technique that amplified its shock value. The final segment featured President Johnson's calm, authoritative voice delivering the political message, providing reassurance after the disturbing imagery. The ad's sound designer, Tony Schwartz, was a pioneer in audio manipulation, and his work on this advertisement demonstrated how sound could be used to create emotional impact in political messaging. The soundtrack's effectiveness was such that many viewers remembered the audio more vividly than the visual elements.

Memorable Scenes

• The opening scene of the little girl in the meadow, counting daisy petals with innocent imperfection, creating a sense of childhood purity and vulnerability.
• The dramatic zoom into the child's eye, which fills the screen just before the nuclear explosion, creating an intimate connection between viewer and subject.
• The jarring transition from the pastoral scene to the nuclear mushroom cloud, accompanied by the military countdown and explosion sound.
• President Johnson's calm, authoritative voice delivering the final message over the stark black screen, providing resolution after the disturbing imagery.

What Critics Said

Contemporary critical reception to the 'Daisy' advertisement was deeply divided and highly charged. Many journalists and editorial boards condemned the ad as unfair fear-mongering, with the New York Times calling it 'tasteless and manipulative' and the Wall Street Journal labeling it 'the lowest point in American political campaigning'. However, advertising professionals largely praised its technical brilliance and psychological effectiveness. Advertising Age hailed it as a masterpiece of political communication. In the decades since its airing, critical opinion has evolved significantly. Media scholars now view the ad as a landmark achievement in political communication, praising its innovative use of visual and audio techniques. Film and television critics have noted its cinematic qualities and effectiveness as a short-form narrative. Modern political analysts recognize it as a turning point in campaign strategy, even while debating the ethics of its approach. The ad is now routinely included in lists of the most influential advertisements of all time, regardless of category.

What Audiences Thought

The audience reception to the 'Daisy' advertisement was immediate and intense, despite its single national airing. Viewers were reportedly shocked and disturbed by the ad's imagery, with many television stations receiving calls from frightened viewers, particularly children who had been watching with their families. The emotional impact was so strong that many viewers remembered the ad vividly years later, even though they had only seen it once. Polls conducted after the ad's airing showed a significant increase in voter concern about nuclear war and Goldwater's perceived willingness to use nuclear weapons. The ad generated enormous word-of-mouth discussion, with people talking about it at work, in social gatherings, and in community meetings. This organic spread of the ad's message amplified its impact far beyond its single broadcast. While some viewers found the ad manipulative and unfair to Goldwater, many others found it compelling and persuasive. The ad's effectiveness was demonstrated in the election results, with Johnson winning by a landslide margin of over 22 percentage points. Subsequent analysis suggested that the ad was particularly effective with suburban mothers, a key demographic in the election.

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