The 1964 television advertisement showing a girl picking petals before a nuclear countdown was called “Daisy.”
The ad was produced for Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidential campaign during the 1964 United States election. It begins with a young girl counting while removing petals from a daisy. Her voice is replaced by a dramatic countdown, followed by an image suggesting a nuclear explosion.
The commercial never explicitly names Republican candidate Barry Goldwater, but its imagery connected him with the danger of nuclear war. Goldwater had said that limited use of nuclear weapons could not necessarily be ruled out, making the theme politically relevant to the campaign.
“Daisy” aired only once as a normal commercial on NBC on September 7, 1964, although news coverage and later broadcasts made it famous. It is often called one of the most influential political advertisements in American history. The ad is also known as the “Daisy” spot or “Daisy Girl” advertisement.