Dale Peterson: We Are Better Than That!

Written, directed and edited by FilmLadd, within a week this ad had millions of views on YouTube, countless mentions and plays on CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox and more, and even had parodies on Funny Or Die and 30 Rock, that tv show by Tina Fey. You know, the one that starred that guy who killed a cinematographer.

For a first time politician, Dale Peterson was incredible performing in front of the camera. He has since passed away, after a brief and devastating fight with Alzheimer's. RIP.

The Dale Peterson ad in many ways heralded the beginning of the viral online ad, and like many such beginnings, those that came after started doing more and more "outrageous" things to top what came before. Today it doesn't really work, because there is a difference between virality for being crazy and virality for being different from everyone else.

In other words, crazy can go viral if it is authentic. Staged crazy is no longer interesting. Being different, even when staged, will always be interesting. Peterson was different than any other politician advertising at the time, and that's why it all seemed so crazy.

Rick Barber: Gather Your Armies!

Written, directed and edited by FilmLadd, this ad features a time-traveling candidate.

Glenn Beck was not crazy about this ad because he thought it "promoted violence" and attacked it without warning one day. Which only made it go more viral. It was really just about covering for his prefered candidate Martha Roby, who was the GOPe candidate at the time.

John Dennis vs The Wicked Witch of the West

It's San Francisco and it's Nancy Pelosi, so why not?

It was a light-hearted ad but even so, Nancy was still super-upset, and probably got studio executives to claim a bogus manual copyright claim on the music.

The music was written from scratch by Mark Slater, who was very careful to create new music. Even so, YouTube went along with the claim and removed it for two weeks during the election season, before putting it back up.

In the end that censorship just got more attention and fundraising dollars for the candidate. Streisand effect, how does it work?

Glenn Wilson: Don Rino & Don Dino!

The candidate could not travel & FilmLadd could not travel, so FilmLadd threw together a skit starring Evan Sayet and Jack Marino. This one didn't go viral, but still it's FilmLadd's favorite.

Les Phillip: A Story Of Two Men

Made at the very last minute, it ended up on Bill O'Reilly's Fox show the night before the election. Ladd's first political ad.