1The commercial that set a precedent for negative campaign ads
In 2014, the "Daisy" ad, run by Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 presidential campaign, turned 50. The aim of the one-minute spot, widely known as the first political attack ad, was to frame Republican Barry Goldwater as a warmonger. It only aired once (an estimated 50 million viewers were watching) and never even mentions Goldwater or even shows his image, but the message was clear.
Republicans fought back, protesting against what they considered a grossly misleading attack. That, in part, helped spurred media coverage for the rest of the week, with all three news networks airing the ad. Experts say it was the first example of a political spot becoming a news event. The commercial also set a precedent for what's become five decades of increasingly negative political ads.
2The presidential candidate who parodied Adele
Just before the 2016 Iowa caucus, Adele's “Hello” got the presidential candidate treatment, Mike Huckabee style.
The Republican hopeful released a campaign ad entitled "Hello, HUCK." In it, he ambles near a roadside snow bank making phone calls while a singer delivers lyrics riddled with hokey references to local businesses and cuisine ("Try the pork chops... baked beans..."). There are also swipes at Texas Senator Ted Cruz, showing photos of him and Glenn Beck as "Adele" sings “this election has all gone insane. Cuckoo-ca-choo.”
Needless to say, the ad influenced pretty much no one, and the former Arkansas governor suspended his campaign after a poor showing in the Iowa.
3The Senate candidate whose ad featured a glowing-eyed "demon sheep"
In 2010, Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina called her primary opponent, Tom Campbell (whom she eventually crushed by nearly 35 percentage points), a "fiscal conservative in name only" — a wolf in sheep's clothing, if you will. In her campaign ad, he's not only a wolf in sheep's clothing, but a glowing-eyed "demon sheep."
The Fiorina creative team produced the ad with almost no budget and used a variety of pieced-together clips from the team's archives. The result is arguably one of the most bizarre campaign ads in human history. Take a look:
4The Republican presidential candidate's awkward commercial outtakes
By law, super PACs (independent political committees that support a candidate with unlimited, often anonymous, donations from companies, unions, or individuals) aren't allowed to coordinate with the campaigns they support. To get around this, campaigns often quietly upload raw footage of their candidate onto public sites like YouTube, so super PACs can legally use the material in their ads. The hope, of course, is that no one will notice the videos, but US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz wasn't so lucky.
CNN has edited the viral footage down to the most cringeworthy, embarrassing moments. Watch as a notably annoyed Cruz cringes every time someone off camera coughs or clears a throat, pushes family members through countless takes to get the dinner prayer right, and pesters them to tell stories they don't deem appropriate.
5The Congresswoman whose hog castration ad led to her winning the election
In 2014, Joni Ernst was lagging behind in the race for the Republican nomination for US Senate. However, the 30-second ad "Squeal" featured her gazing into a camera and boasting of castrating hogs on the farm where she grew up.
“When I get to Washington, I'll know how to cut pork,” she said. It showed images of pigs, then came her punchline. “Washington is full of big spenders. Let's make 'em squeal.”
The ad, made for just $9000, went viral. Some people recoiled, considering it bad taste, but Ernst's name recognition soared and she won the Iowa Senate seat in 2014.
6The controversial Nevada rancher who starred in an ad for a Congressional candidate
Infamous racist rancher Cliven Bundy appeared in an ad for (and with) Nevada congressional candidate Kamau Bakari in 2014. Bakari was a long-shot candidate running for Congress in Nevada's liberal-leaning 1st district under the Independent American Party.
Together, Bakari and Bundy share stilted dialogue while dressed in traditional Western garb and are flanked by a white horse. They call out former Attorney General Eric Holder for his famous “nation of cowards” speech. “Did he just call me a coward?” Bundy asks incredulously. ”No he called all white folks cowards,” replies Bakari. It's safe to say it gets even more cringeworthy from there.
We don't want to give too much away, so watch the video below. (Bakari was defeated by Democrat Dina Titus in the general election on November 4, 2014.)
7The presidential candidate who spoofed Office Space in his campaign ad
For his second spot on our list, Ted Cruz went after something topical — 17 years ago. His latest ad is titled “It Feels Good to Be a Clinton” and is a parody of the notorious printer-bashing scene in Office Space. The ad has everything you could want — changed lyrics, a premise that falls apart the moment you think about it, and an actress who looks like Hillary Clinton, sort of — if you squint.
8The candidate for Canadian parliament who slays dragons and robots in his campaign commercial
Of all the political ads on our list, this one may be the most bizarre.
Wyatt Scott is an Independent candidate who ran for Canadian parliament in 2015. His skills consisted of riding a giant goose, slaying a dragon with a sword, growing a beard, and fighting a giant, Mars Attacks-style robot with lasers shooting out of his eyes. We have no idea what any of this had to do with the political issues facing Canada, and neither, apparently, did the voting public. (He lost.)