State Historical Society of Iowa

"Peace, Little Girl (a.k.a. Daisy)," September 7, 1964

Courtesy of Library of Congress, "Daisy," Schwartz, Tony, Campaign to Re-elect President Lyndon B. Johnson, 7 September 1964

Description

Arguably the most famous television campaign advertisement in history, "Peace, Little Girl (a.k.a. Daisy)" depicts a young girl peacefully picking flower petals only to be interrupted by a countdown and nuclear explosion, followed by a request for voters to re-elect President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Transcript of "Peace, Little Girl" Political Advertisement

Source Dependent Questions

  • What images and sounds did the director of this advertisement be sure to carefully include? Why do you think he chose to include them? What do they represent?
  • Speculate about the type of emotional response the director of this campaign advertisement intended to create. Was the director successful? Why or why not?
  • How did this campaign advertisement portray the incumbent, President Lyndon B. Johnson? How did it portray his challenger, Senator Barry Goldwater? Use specific evidence from the advertisement to defend your interpretations.
  • Reconsider the previous sources for Supporting Question #1 of this text set. What is the common theme that ties all of them together? In their own ways, how do the authors of each portray their political opponents? Use the strongest piece of evidence from each source to connect them all.

Citation Information

"Daisy," Schwartz, Tony, Campaign to Re-elect President Lyndon B. Johnson, 7 September 1964. Courtesy of Library of Congress Courtesy of Library of Congress