Esquire Magazine: Nixon’s Last Chance

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George Lois was well known for designing magazine covers about controversial topics, whether it was about culture, celebrities, or politics. This Esquire cover was published while the 1968 presidential election was in full force. Nixon had campaigned in the 1960 race and had a terrible debate against John F. Kennedy and was often seen as corrupt and less charismatic than his opponents. How do you fix the negative image of a public figure? Just put some makeup on them and call it a day. The caption, which states: “Nixon’s last chance (This time he’d better look right!).” implies that from the perspective of the American public, in order to succeed in this election, he better do all that he can to convey the best version of himself in order to win the votes.