Lectures in History: History of Political Campaign Advertising

One of the most iconic political advertisements in American history was the 1964 “Daisy Girl” spot produced by the presidential campaign of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Professor Robert Mann uses that ad among others in his class on political communication at Louisiana State University. This week’s class looks at the history of campaign advertisements.

My Upcoming Appearance on C-SPAN

C-SPAN3 to broadcast LSU lecture

C-SPAN3 television will air a lecture taped on LSU’s campus this past April as an episode of the series “Lectures in History,” premiering at 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 6, with repeat showings at noon and 1 p.m. Sunday.

The lecture by Robert Mann, a professor in the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication, talks about the history of political advertising in the United States, according to a LSU news release.

Mann also discusses his upcoming book, “Daisy Petals and Mushroom Clouds: LBJ, Barry Goldwater and the Ad that Changed American Politics,” which centers on the “Daisy Girl” advertisement produced by Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 presidential campaign.

The commercial showed a young girl picking flower petals followed by the blinding flash of a nuclear explosion.

C-SPAN’s “Lectures in History” features university professors from across the country giving lectures on specific U.S. historical topics. For more information, or to watch episodes of the series, visit www.c-span.org/history/.