Why Tony Schwartz was important to the visual medium..

As I noted this week, Tony Schwartz passed on. His passing didn’t mean much to anyone, except those that remember his most famous political ad-Lyndon Johnson’s “Daisy” ad. The ad can be viewed either on this site or the link above. Wiki has a bit of info on it here as well. I remember the ad..yes, I am old enough to remember it, but I was quite young ;). I don’t recall however if I saw it as a commercial or down the road as a discussion topic. Anyway you slice it..it was a powerful ad.

The following video is a homage to Mr. Schwartz and how he changed the political landscape. It even references Hillary’s “3 AM” commercial and how it takes it’s cue’s from Mr. Schwartz.

What I find interesting about the Daisy ad is that its subtle yet powerful, the viewer isn’t even sure until the end what is being pitched. It changed political ads forever..and..some might say..for the worse. The following video is short so please watch it if you can. I am a huge fan of the visual medium and it’s power to affect humans so much more than the written word. Its ironic to me that someone who created ads for the Democrats was such a force in politics..we usually blame the Republicans for negative ads..

http://services.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/271557392

I love this man!

Actually, I don’t know The Worried Shrimp..but I love the hell out of his artwork and use it every chance I get (with proper attribution of course). I would like to encourage anyone that loves good political art to visit his site and page through his magnificent works.. Its worth your time my dear reader. Now, a couple of my favorites for a cold damp Sunday morning: