"Demon Sheep" Adman has Notable History

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Campaign 2010

(FCINO/youtube)

It's day three of the Demon Sheep saga, and the latest news is that the man behind the instantly-iconic video on behalf of California Senate candidate Carly Fiorina is none other than Fred Davis III, a former campaign adviser to John McCain who has been Wrote the Washington Post in 2008, when Davis was McCain's creative director: "Mr. Davis -- with his feathered and graying long hair, jeans and black linen shirt and nickname 'Hollywood' -- could be mistaken for a band member of his friend Joe Cocker."

Davis crafted the "celebrity" spot that cast then-candidate Obama as "the biggest celebrity in the world," before asking "but is he ready to lead?" The spot, which compared Mr. Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, helped McCain rise in the polls.

Perhaps Davis' masterpiece, however, is a 2002 video for Republican Sonny Perdue, who would go on to an upset victory in the Georgia gubernatorial race. The spot portrays the then-governor as a giant rat named "King Roy" who is stamping, Godzilla-like, all over the state. It's absolutely amazing. (Start watching around the 1:30 mark.)

Writes Time's Michael Scherer of Davis' work: "He envisions a democratic process driven by viral oddities and visual tricks, campaign ads so weird that no one can look away."

"My whole deal in life is if nobody sees it and nobody talks about it, you have wasted your money," Davis told Time. He certainly succeeded with the Fiorina spot. "I would say we probably got more attention on this little sheep film that they would get for $10 million of advertising," said Davis, who says Fiorina "loved" the video.

Watch the "Demon Sheep" video here.

See how Fiorina's opponents are trying to capitalize on it here.