A pretty little girl, a black-and-white daisy, and an atom bomb help to elect Lyndon Johnson president in 1964. This is an independent project created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners founders Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein ... who channeled the classic 1964 "Daisy" in an Obama 2012 ad, "The Children of the Future." Is this today's "Daisy," and will it help propel Obama to a second term? Probably not.
A comparison to the 1964 "Daisy" classic is in order.
After the bomb explodes, incinerating the adorable "Daisy," Lyndon Johnson intones a simple message: "These are the stakes. To make a world in which all of God's children can live, or go into the dark. We must either love each other, or we must die." The commercial ends with a simple printed message: "Vote for Lyndon Johnson on November 3."
Today, we have the Children of the Corn — oops, Future.
What are the ad messaging mistakes? Let me count the ways.
1) 28 hollow-eyed children, not just one cute little girl.
2) Horrific song.
3) In 1964, most people were afraid of the atom bomb and total nuclear war. It's hard to say what the Children of the Future fear, except mom & dad not voting for Obama.
But, I'll try. Apparently, we're horrified by . . .
