The art of advertising a US presidential campaign

This 1860 campaign banner for Republican presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln and running mate Hannibal Hamlin misspells Lincoln's first name as "Abram." The banner consists of a 33 star American flag pattern printed on cloth. Lincoln's portrait appears misaligned. Hamlin was vice president during Lincoln's first term.

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Abraham Lincoln -

Pictured: a presidential campaign button for Abraham Lincoln, also from 1860. The reverse side of the button shows a portrait of Hannibal Hamlin.

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Abraham Lincoln -

This political campaign button for the 1864 United States presidential election features a more familiar portrait of Abraham Lincoln, but no title or slogan.

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Rutherford B. Hayes and William A. Wheeler -

The presidential campaign of 1876 coincided with the centennial of the founding of the United States. Republican presidential nominee Rutherford B. Hayes and his running mate William A. Wheeler were afforded celebratory publicity in the run-up to the election.

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William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt -

"WE STAND FOR The Gold Standard, Protection and Prosperity, Just Pension Laws, And To Redeem All REPUBLICAN POLEDGES To The People," reads this 1896 campaign poster supporting the Republican candidate for president, William McKinley, and his running mate, Theodore Roosevelt. McKinley was assassinated in September 1901, with Roosevelt assuming the presidency shortly afterwards.

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William McKinley -

"PROSPERITY AT HOME, PRESTIGE ABROAD" was the slogan used during William McKinley's reelection campaign. McKinley won two elections, but was assassinated shortly into his second term.

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Woodrow Wilson -

"AMERICA FIRST - Wilson, That's All!" was the slogan chosen for this 1912 campaign poster, which helped Woodrow Wilson win the White House in 1913.

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Warren G. Harding -

A simple campaign button for Warren G. Harding's Republican presidential campaign in 1920. Harding served as the 29th president of the United States from 1921 until his untimely death in 1923.

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Calvin Coolidge and Charles Dawes -

Calvin Coolidge and Charles Dawes, "TWO GREAT AMERICANS," served as the Republican standard bearers during the 1922 election campaign. Coolidge won the presidency the following year, while Dawes became VP in 1925.

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Herbert Hoover -

Republican presidential candidate Herbert Hoover is ringed by the stars and stripes in this campaign button from 1928. The following year, Hoover became the 31st president of the United States.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt -

"WE NEED YOU" was the message conveyed by Franklin D. Roosevelt to voters during his bid for the White House. And they heeded him: Roosevelt served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt -

"AMERICA - ROOSEVELT" summed up the simple message conveyed by the Democratic Party as FDR bid for an unprecedented fourth term in the White House.

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Harry S. Truman -

This stylized poster of Democratic candidate Harry S. Truman riding a bucking bronco was published in 1944, when he was FDR's vice president.

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Dwight D. Eisenhower -

"I LIKE IKE" provided a simple but effective slogan for Republican candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1952 presidential campaign. He was ensconced in the White House the following year and served two terms in office.

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John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson -

Unusually, this campaign button for Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy and his running mate Lyndon B. Johnson is rectangular in shape. The slogan reads: "LEADERSHIP for the 60's."

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John F. Kennedy -

JFK's youth and charisma made him the perfect poster boy during the 1960 US presidential campaign.

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Robert F. Kennedy -

Robert F. Kennedy's presidential bid ended on June 5, 1968, when he was gunned down while campaigning in Los Angeles. He died the following day. Like his late brother John, RFK's good looks served campaign managers well, with beaming portraits of the former attorney general used widely to promote his run for the White House.

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Richard Nixon -

White House hopeful Richard Nixon promised "PEACE IN VIETNAM" as he campaigned in 1968. But the war was still raging when he resigned the presidency in 1974.

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Jimmy Carter -

Pictured: a 1976 campaign button promoting the presidential bid of Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale as his running mate.

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Ronald Reagan -

Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign slogan "Let's make America great again" proved a powerful rallying call long before Donald Trump took possession of the same message.

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Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush -

Designed rather like a movie poster, the Reagan-Bush'84 presidential reelection campaign poster promised voters that the Republican Party would be "Bringing America Back!"

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Bill Clinton and Al Gore -

The names of Democratic candidates Bill Clinton and Al Gore feature on this 1992 United States presidential campaign button. Clinton served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001, with Gore as his vice president.

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Barack Obama -

Pictured: a vendor sells buttons supporting Senator Barack Obama in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election.

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Barack Obama -

One of the most iconic US presidential campaign posters of recent years is the "HOPE" poster designed for Barack Obama's 2008 bid for the White House. In other versions the words "progress" or "change" appear.

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Donald Trump -

In 2016, the Republican Party urged the country to vote for Donald Trump and "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN." Trump won, but only served one term in office.

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Joe Biden -

Joe Biden's bid for a second term as president of the United States has seen the campaign publicity machine move up a gear with the distribution across the country of posters, pins, and buttons.

Sources: (Library of Congress)

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Getty Images

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James Knox Polk and George Mifflin Dallas -

Getty Images

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Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore -

Getty Images

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Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin -

Getty Images

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Abraham Lincoln -

Pictured: a presidential campaign button for Abraham Lincoln, also from 1860. The reverse side of the button shows a portrait of Hannibal Hamlin.

Public Domain

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Abraham Lincoln -

This political campaign button for the 1864 United States presidential election features a more familiar portrait of Abraham Lincoln, but no title or slogan.

Getty Images

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Rutherford B. Hayes and William A. Wheeler -

Getty Images

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William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt -

Getty Images

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William McKinley -

"PROSPERITY AT HOME, PRESTIGE ABROAD" was the slogan used during William McKinley's reelection campaign. McKinley won two elections, but was assassinated shortly into his second term.

Getty Images

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Woodrow Wilson -

"AMERICA FIRST - Wilson, That's All!" was the slogan chosen for this 1912 campaign poster, which helped Woodrow Wilson win the White House in 1913.

Getty Images

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Warren G. Harding -

A simple campaign button for Warren G. Harding's Republican presidential campaign in 1920. Harding served as the 29th president of the United States from 1921 until his untimely death in 1923.

Getty Images

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Calvin Coolidge and Charles Dawes -

Getty Images

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Herbert Hoover -

Republican presidential candidate Herbert Hoover is ringed by the stars and stripes in this campaign button from 1928. The following year, Hoover became the 31st president of the United States.

Getty Images

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Franklin D. Roosevelt -

Getty Images

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Franklin D. Roosevelt -

"AMERICA - ROOSEVELT" summed up the simple message conveyed by the Democratic Party as FDR bid for an unprecedented fourth term in the White House.

Getty Images

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Harry S. Truman -

This stylized poster of Democratic candidate Harry S. Truman riding a bucking bronco was published in 1944, when he was FDR's vice president.

Getty Images

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Dwight D. Eisenhower -

Getty Images

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John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson -

Unusually, this campaign button for Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy and his running mate Lyndon B. Johnson is rectangular in shape. The slogan reads: "LEADERSHIP for the 60's."

Getty Images

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John F. Kennedy -

JFK's youth and charisma made him the perfect poster boy during the 1960 US presidential campaign.

Getty Images

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Robert F. Kennedy -

Getty Images

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Richard Nixon -

White House hopeful Richard Nixon promised "PEACE IN VIETNAM" as he campaigned in 1968. But the war was still raging when he resigned the presidency in 1974.

Getty Images

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Jimmy Carter -

Pictured: a 1976 campaign button promoting the presidential bid of Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale as his running mate.

Getty Images

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Ronald Reagan -

Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign slogan "Let's make America great again" proved a powerful rallying call long before Donald Trump took possession of the same message.

Getty Images

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Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush -

Designed rather like a movie poster, the Reagan-Bush'84 presidential reelection campaign poster promised voters that the Republican Party would be "Bringing America Back!"

Getty Images

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Bill Clinton and Al Gore -

Getty Images

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Barack Obama -

Pictured: a vendor sells buttons supporting Senator Barack Obama in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election.

Getty Images

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Barack Obama -

NL Beeld

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Donald Trump -

In 2016, the Republican Party urged the country to vote for Donald Trump and "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN." Trump won, but only served one term in office.

Getty Images

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Joe Biden -

Joe Biden's bid for a second term as president of the United States has seen the campaign publicity machine move up a gear with the distribution across the country of posters, pins, and buttons.

Sources: (Library of Congress)

Getty Images

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The art of advertising a US presidential campaign

How they publicize White House candidates

04/10/24 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Presidential campaign

Persuading voters is the essence of any political campaign. And in the United States, the presidential election campaign is a months-long, in-your-face publicity drive to steer a candidate into the White House. As far back as the 1840s, posters were being designed to advertise the merits of a potential president. Patriotic slogans were printed under portraits extolling the virtues of nominees, imagery that sought to influence and affect. Advances in photographic and printing technology turned the campaign poster into a work of art, with pictures of candidates appearing on buttons, pins, and huge billboards. And with the 2024 US election campaign firmly under way, we can expect to see an equally compelling advertising race run by some of the most savvy marketeers in the country. But for now, let's reflect on how they used to publicize a potential president, and the copy created to get them home.

Click through and admire the art of advertising a US presidential campaign.