“Wizard of sound”

Tony Schwartz, the advertising genius behind many of the 20th century’s greatest political ads, died Sunday at his NYC home.

Tuesday’s Washington Post included an article about Schwartz, the infamous 1964 “Daisy” ad and his understanding and fascination with sound.

“We can hear four times as fast as we can talk,” he said. “So the question is, what do you do with the other time?” In the case of a Coca-Cola commercial, he created one ad in which two icy bottles of soda pop are accompanied by sounds of people at play, and another in which the only sound is that of liquid being poured.

“The best thing about radio is that people were born without earlids. You can’t close your ears to it,” he said.

Slate posted an amazing video profile on Schwartz and his sound-focused approach to advertising.