A bold new set of “What if?” portraits depicts how the major 2016 presidential candidates might look if they won election and re-election, to serve consecutive four-year terms in the White House. (CaptialSoup.Com Image)
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA (CapitalSoup.com) – A bold new set of “What if?” portraits depicts how the major 2016 presidential candidates might look if they won election and re-election, to serve consecutive four-year terms in the White House.
The presidency of the United States – arguably the most demanding job in the world – exacts a significant toll on those who serve, seemingly advancing the speed of the aging process, as reflected in these original images.
Sachs Media Group today unveiled the gallery of portraits, which starkly project the potential visual and physical impact the presidency could have on the man or woman who ultimately succeeds in 2016.
The age-progressed images reflect the unforgiving pressures of an unyielding 24/7 job – the most pressurized job on the planet.
Ron Sachs
“The candidates who aspire to be president face an unenviable task if they win – and the costs likely include entering a virtual time machine that seems to double the rate of the aging process,” said Ron Sachs, president and CEO of Florida-based Sachs Media Group.
“We think it’s important that voters keep in mind the tremendous sacrifices these individuals are willing to make in exchange for the privilege of serving.”
Sachs pointed to the rapid aging evident in photos of most modern-era two-term presidents. President Obama and other recent chief executives, from the time they were first inaugurated to the latter days of their administrations, reflect dramatic, visual signs of aging beyond the actual years in office.
With that in mind, Sachs Media Group commissioned photo restoration and manipulation firm Phojoe to envision the possible physical changes in more than a dozen current candidates at the end of a hypothetical two-term presidency in January 2025.
Candidates included in the image gallery are (in alphabetical order) Republicans: Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and Donald Trump; and Democrats: Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. (Biden is not a declared candidate but is widely reported to be seriously considering a bid.)
In producing the series of artist interpretations, the age-progression specialists at Phojoe took into account a range of factors, including how the presidency has affected the appearance of chief executives and how the candidates’ parents looked in their later years. Sachs Media Group and Phojoe teamed up in 2013 for a highly popular gallery of images depicting how some legendary deceased rock stars might look today, if they had lived, in a project called “Rock Heaven.”
President Obama’s progression from a youthful, dark-haired candidate to a second-term president with a head of gray hair and an aged face provides just the latest real-life illustration of the substantial physical changes that have occurred in those who have held the nation’s highest office. (White House images)
President Obama’s progression from a youthful, dark-haired candidate to a second-term president with a head of gray hair and an aged face provides just the latest real-life illustration of the substantial physical changes that have occurred in those who have held the nation’s highest office.
With that in mind, the 2016 contenders’ images seek to age the candidates more than the actual nine-plus years that would pass before the end of a second term for the next president.
“Only five people alive today – Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and President Obama – truly have experienced the burdens and toll that come with the presidency,” said Sachs.
“Regardless of your party affiliation or political leanings, all Americans owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to anyone capable of, and willing to, take on this excessive burden. Our images try to show the impact such immense responsibility could have on today’s candidates.”
The full gallery of aged candidate portraits can be found at http://sachsmedia.com/agingpresidents. The site allows visitors to vote for the image they believe most accurately depicts what that candidate would look like.
About Sachs Media Group Sachs Media Group, based in Tallahassee, Fla., is a leading integrated marketing communications firm with diverse advertising, public relations, public affairs, branding, digital and market research services. The firm has additional offices in Orlando, Boca Raton, Tampa and Washington, D.C.
About Phojoe
Creative magic. Phojoe offers a wide range of photo restoration and manipulation services by combining skilled artists and technicians with state-of-the-art technology. Images created by the Michigan-based company have been featured around the world through such media outlets as CNN, Fox, ABC and the New York Times, among countless others.
