From M&M's to Presidential Candidates: The Origins of Presidential Campaign TV Commercials
By Matt Blessing, State Archivist and Administrator of the Library-Archives Division
Sixty years ago, Dwight D. Eisenhower made history by recording the first television "spots" by a presidential candidate. The writer and producer of the commercials was 42-year-old Rosser Reeves, one of Madison Avenue's most successful creative directors of the era.
Eisenhower, a five-star general, was reluctant to experiment with the new medium of television, concerned that it would make him appear less than presidential. At the beginning of the television studio session, "Ike" was overheard saying, "To think that an old soldier should come to this."
Rosser Reeves and Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1952
New York City, N.Y. Presidential candidate Eisenhower and Rosser Reeves in Manhattan after a day of shooting 40 TV spots. View the original source document: WHI 95065
'Eisenhower Answers America' Television Spots, 1952
Watch this YouTube video playlist of videos from the 1952 presidential campaign when the first political ad campaign spots were broadcast on television. These clips may also be viewed in person at the Society's Archives in Madison.
Rosser Reeves, a master of selling everyday household goods, penned taglines for products such as Anacin ("For Fast, Fast, Fast Relief") and M&M's ("Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hand"). In the fall of 1952 he was able to effectively "package and sell" his candidate, establishing what's now considered a core strategy of any political campaign. Stiff and formulaic as they may seem to a modern audience, the "Eisenhower Answers America" ads marked the beginning of a revolution in political campaigning.
Eisenhower spent just one day away from the campaign trail for the experiment. Reeves designed most of the "Eisenhower Answers America" spots around a question-and-answer format with everyday citizens. Television studio staff visited nearby Radio City Music Hall with instructions to identify ordinary looking tourists, "real people in their own clothes, with wonderful native accents."
The subjects were filmed looking up, as though gazing at a hero. In one 20-second spot, a homemaker complains, "You know what things costs today? High prices are driving me crazy." A grandfatherly Ike responds, "Yes, my Mamie gets after me about the high cost of living. It's another reason why I say it's time for a change."
As the day progressed, Eisenhower visibly became more comfortable in the television studio. However, there were some logistical issues. Intimidated by the military hero, studio staff quietly discussed how they might curb the glare coming off the general's bald pate. Other staff prepared cue cards with enormous letters so the candidate wouldn't reach for his reading glasses. In the end, Reeves successfully presented a plain speaking candidate in touch with the people.
Eisenhower's rival was the articulate and graceful Governor of Illinois, Adlai Stevenson. Ironically, the eloquent Stevenson was ideally suited for television. Yet he was aghast of his opponent's spots and refused to experiment with television. Stevenson informed campaign staff that he would not speak to an invisible audience. By late 1952, 17 million American households owned a television set, but not the Stevensons.
Rosser Reeves ran a three-week, high-density media blitz in swing markets during the second week of October. He had done his market research and he knew exactly where to target his $1.5 million budget. He saturated New York City with 150 spots daily. This was a staggering media buy for any "product" in 1952. On Election Day the results were decisive. The Empire State, by far the largest electoral prize in 1952, supported Eisenhower and helped send the first Republican to the White House in 20 years.
A decade later, recognizing his profound influence on the advertising industry and American culture, the Wisconsin Historical Society approached Rosser Reeves about the availability of his papers. After a brief period of negotiation, the legendary ad man shipped his personal and professional papers to Madison. Today, the Rosser Reeves Papers, 1927-1994 rank as one of the Library-Archives cornerstone collections within our nationally important mass communications history program.
Learn More
Rosser Reeves Papers, 1927-1994 Archival Finding Aid
Available for viewing in the Archives Research Room on the 4th floor of the Society's headquarters in Madison. The collection includes Reeve's drafts and correspondence for the historic campaign commercials.Eisenhower and the Admen: The Television 'Spot' Campaign of 1952
John E. Hollitz, Wisconsin Magazine of History: Vol. 66, No. 1, Autumn 1982.'The Fifties'
By David Halberstam, Ballatine Books, 1994. Available in the Wisconsin Historical Society Library at call number E169.02 H34 1993.
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