Ads of the Damned: American Future Fund, "Pig"

It's ads like these that drive people to complain about negative advertising. Most people don't really hate negative campaign ads, they just hate lazy and bad negative campaign ads. This spot is a just one of those ads.

This ad exists solely as a fund-raising tool for the organization that made it, America's Future Fund. I don't know who they are or what they do, but this thing was designed for a specific audience to look at with the understanding that if the watcher sends money to AFF these ads will appear in the target's district. It's not a political ad, it's a way for AFF to spread some money around to sympathetic consultants and operatives and then have a product to show the donors.

In terms of concept, the ad was tailor-made to prey on the most cynical instincts of the viewer. There's a liberal dose of sarcasm during the first 10 seconds. The middle third of the spot is little more than rapid fire talking points and dog whistles with little attempt to tie these disparite ideas into any kind of complete sentence. The ridiculousness of the last third of the commercial is only punctuated by the oinking at the very end. The only people who would find this garbage appealing are probably the people who have already signed up for the AFF newsletter.

Final Grade: F