---

In the ever-evolving landscape of political advertising, understanding the emotional connection between a candidate and the voter is crucial. One of the most important advertising theories in this realm is Tony Schwartz’s “Responsive Chord.” 

Schwartz was the creator of the famous 1964 Lyndon Johnson “Daisy Ad” and a pioneer in the field who theorized that effective ads resonate on a deeply emotional level. Tapping into pre-existing feelings and experiences that already exist within voters leads to a far deeper level of persuasion. Schwartz theorized that allowing voters to come to their own conclusions, as opposed to trying to force voters into submission, lead to stronger and more lasting persuasion. He was right.

At its core, the “Responsive Chord” suggests that voters are more likely to engage with messages that echo their own thoughts, emotions, and experiences. This idea challenges candidates or organizations to look beyond standard talking points on “the issues,” and instead create narratives that reflect and evoke the voters’ values and aspirations. By tapping into universal themes—love, fear, joy, and belonging—political campaigns can create a resonance that goes far beyond surface-level recognition.

Far too often, media firms today aren’t grounded in a guiding advertising and communications theory. For us, the Responsive Chord was engrained in our brains by our mentor, Joe Slade White, who was mentored by Schwartz himself. Schwartz’s book (buy it here) was required reading upon being hired at the firm. But, beyond that, the theory was employed in every script that was written. Today, we find that operating on a central theory of communications is essential for crafting winning narratives and ensuring a campaign’s messaging resonates and remains consistent across multiple channels.