In the long history of political campaign posters and ads, some examples readily come to mind. People still talk about the so-called “Daisy” commercial that only ran once on television, yet was so effective at painting Barry Goldwater as a war mongering lunatic that it helped cement LBJ’s already overwhelming popularity.
Others remember the devastating “Willie Horton revolving door” ad that successfully portrayed Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis as soft on crime.
Generations from now, a more recent piece of election propaganda will still be reproduced, satirized and taught in schools: Shepard Fairey’s iconic “HOPE” poster, depicting Barack Obama in shades of red, blue and teal, his head upturned.
Created in 2008, the image was soon ubiquitous, unavoidable — and certainly helped Obama capture the presidency.
But eight years is a long time in politics. What does Fairey think about the man he once supported?
