Rick Reed (advertising agent)

Reed was born in Wakefield, Massachusetts, to Priscilla Swett, a physician assistant, and Gardner Chase Reed, a financial advisor.^[1][2] He was raised in Chatham, Massachusetts.^[2] Reed attended the Franklin & Marshall College, graduating in 1975.^[2] He also attended Harvard Kennedy School, where he earned his master's degree in public administration.^[2]

Reed had worked for Ronald Reagan's unsuccessful 1976 presidential campaign.^[2] He was later hired to work at Stevens Reed Curcio & Potholm, a campaign advertising firm.^[1][4] Reed worked on advertising campaigns for many Republican politicians, including George W. Bush, Peter Fitzgerald, John Warner, and Lindsey Graham.^[1][2] He was involved in John McCain's 2000 presidential campaign.^[2] In 2004, he became known for his "Swift Boat" attack ads against John Kerry, which accused Kerry of lying about his service in the Vietnam War.^[1] The ads, produced for the group Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, lead to the coining of the term swiftboating to describe an unfair or untrue political attack.^[2] He helped produce ads for Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and served as Trump's media advisor.^[1][2] Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson described Reed as "the smartest political consultant I know".^[1][5]

Reed died in August 2022 at his home in Alexandria, Virginia, at the age of 69.^[1][2]