The First Political TV Ad

Advertising and politics didn’t always mix.

Society mostly looked down upon #Advertising for the way it manipulated public emotions.

The very idea of using it for something as serious as politics sounded ridiculous and cheap.

That changed in the 1920s when both Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover enlisted the help of Madison Ave adman Bruce Barton (the second B in BBDO).

In the ‘30s & ‘40s, Jack Warner, Humphrey Bogart, and Orson Welles crafted entertaining radio ads for FDR.

And in the summer of 1952, Dwight D. Eisenhower met with advertising legend Rosser Reeves ( M&Ms Melt In Your Mouth Not In Your Hands) to discuss the best way to turn his WWII military fame into a political career.

Reeves tried to sell him on what was a dramatically new approach at the time: the 30 second TV spot.

Ike initially resisted.

How could he articulate his qualifications and policy stances in 30 seconds?

When Ike eventually agreed, the first presidential tv ad campaign was born.

“Eisenhower Answers America!” aired in-between popular prime time tv shows.

Not only did it help Ike get elected, it change political campaigning forever.

Some say for the worse.

Here’s a rare clip of Rosser Reeves talking about the experience & those concerns, along with examples.