MAH/Raffel
Election of 1912 Campaign Activity
It’s 1912, and you are a young, ambitious advertising executive. Your advertising
company (known as an “advertising agency”) is competing to run the campaign of the
major Presidential candidates in this year’s election. The election of 1912 is
unusual in that three men—Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt and William
Howard Taft—are competing for the White House. However, since Taft is
unpopular and unlikely to win, eager Progressives are tending to support either
Theodore Roosevelt or Woodrow Wilson. As a junior account executive, you are
eager to work for one of these candidates because:
1. You want the candidate to win and
2. Winning the account means your company will make a lot of money (and
you will receive a generous bonus).
In this assignment, you will work for one of four advertising agencies. Each agency
will design a political campaign for their candidate. When the four groups are
done, there will be two votes. The first vote will determine which group made the
more impressive presentation. The two groups that win this vote will win the right
to direct the campaigns (and make the money for their firm).
After the first vote, the two groups will have five minutes to consult with the
other group to make any necessary modifications to their poster/presentation.
(The groups that did not win the right to be campaign managers will be paid as
consultants). The class will then hear the presentations one more time, after
which we will vote for President.
Your poster will be graded—this is a ten-point assignment.
Important clarifying points
Roosevelt:
Roosevelt has a long record—he was
President and he wants to be President
again. Remember to include both in your
presentation.
Wilson:
Your groups will be presenting some
of the things Wilson did as
President. Anything that happens
after 1912 is a promise (example: He
will support the Clayton anti-trust
act, which will …”)
Your poster/presentation needs to:
1. Describe his major accomplishments (see list)
2. Include some information about his background
3. Include illustrations and writing
4. Create a slogan or a jingle for your candidate
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Theodore Roosevelt (Bull-Moose)
Pages 529-531
Main ideas behind the “Square Deal”
Pennsylvania Coalminer’s Strike
Hepburn Act
Northern Securities case/Sherman
Anti-Trust Act/
Meat Inspection Act
Pure Food & Drug Act
Gifford Pinchot & “Rational Use”
Reaction to Ballinger-Pinchot Affair
Platform of the Bull-Moose Party
Block:
Woodrow Wilson (Democrat)
Pages 576-579
• Main ideas behind “New
Freedom”
• Underwood Tariff
• Creation of the FTC
• Clayton Anti-Trust Act
• Federal Reserve
• Workingman’s Compensation
Act & the Adamson Act
Block 7:
Saatchi & Saatchi
(Wilson)
Young & Rubicam
(Roosevelt)
Saatchi & Saatchi
(Wilson)
Young & Rubicam
(Roosevelt)
J. Walter Thompson
(Roosevelt)
DDB Needham
(Wilson)
J. Walter Thompson
(Roosevelt)
DDB Needham
(Wilson)