From ‘Daisy’ to ‘Demon Eyes’: a history of political attack ads

After Labour’s targeting of Rishi Sunak, we look back on past ads, some of which have swung elections

The tradition of the modern political attack ad is often traced back to Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 US presidential campaign, which sought to portray his Republican opponent, Barry Goldwater, as an ill-disciplined warmonger likely to plunge the world into a nuclear apocalypse.

The so-called “Daisy” advert, in which a little girl counted as she plucked petals from a flower before a massive nuclear blast filled the screen, delivered a visceral message two months before Johnson won.