Weekend Vid Picks: Old-Time Political Ads

After Mad Men introduced me to the long history of American political ads, I went on to discover that such a history is also beautifully archived by the nonpartisan web site The Living Room Candidate, which hosts ads from every presidential campaign since 1952. Looking at them makes clear just how many good ideas we’ve abandoned — and how many similarities remain. For example, 48 years later, this Kennedy piece is still incredibly catchy. I’m a sucker for a good jingle, so I really wish that this style of ad was still in fashion — though, come to think of it, a “Yes We Can” comparison can be drawn.

Also, most ads directly reflect prevalent styles found in film and TV at the time — the pace and execution of this 1968 Nixon “political broadcast” montage of violent images, for example, is reminiscent of Pablo Ferro’s Dr. Strangelove trailers. Except with less Peter Sellers, more voiceover and more paranoia about dirty Commies ruining the country.

And celebrity endorsements are nothing new — though, now as ever, their ability to affect the outcomes of elections remains hard to gauge. Behold Broadway star, TV host and “Ambassador of Love” Pearl Bailey endorsing her candidate of choice in 1976: Gerald Ford.

This extended metaphor about a bear in the woods was a great bit of fear-mongering — and also can be seen as a direct predecessor of Hillary Clinton’s 3 A.M. ads from the primaries.

We haven’t come terribly far over the past 50 years — the styles may have changed, but everyone’s still trying to sell hope and fear in equal amounts. It’s worth remembering over the next few weeks, when the Obama and McCain ads promise to grow increasingly ever-present and vitriolic, that really, all these ads are the same. It’s what the candidates actually stand for that matters.