Fake Campaign Ads – satire.info

Fake
Campaign
Ads:
How
Satire
Hijacked
the
Ballot
Box
in
2024

Introduction

You
know
the
election’s
gone
off
the
rails
when
the
most
honest
ad
on
TV
is
a
parody.
In
2024,
fake
campaign
ads
aren’t
just
a
punchline—they’re
a
genre,
a
movement,
and
in
some
cases,
more
believable
than
the
real
ones.

Whether
it’s
a
deepfake
candidate
promising
“universal
nap
time”
or
a
spoof
super
PAC
supporting
feral
raccoons
for
Congress,
the
world
of
fake
campaign
ads
has
become
a
weapon
of

satirical
warfare.
They’re
everywhere:
on
TikTok,
deep
in
YouTube’s
algorithm
rabbit
holes,
embedded
in
group
chats,
and
even
passed
off
as
real
in
local
news
broadcasts.
The
line
between
parody
and
propaganda?
Blurred,
pixelated,
and
probably
printed
in
Comic
Sans.

As
one
digital
strategist
said,

“If
voters
can’t
tell
the
difference
between
parody
and
reality…
maybe
the
parody’s
doing
its
job.”

What
Are
Fake
Campaign
Ads?

Fake
campaign
ads
are
intentionally
fabricated

political
advertisements
created
for

satire,
parody,
or
critique.
They
mimic
the
style,
tone,
and
structure
of
traditional

political
ads,
but
exaggerate
promises,
distort
rhetoric,
and
often
present
absurd
or
comedic
messages.

They
differ
from
outright
disinformation:
the
goal
isn’t
to
deceive
maliciously,
but
to
illuminate
truths
through

exaggeration
and
absurdity.
Satirical

political
ads
have
become
especially
prevalent
with
the
rise
of
accessible
tech
tools
like
deepfake
software,
AI
writing
assistants,
and
voice
cloning
apps.

Common
Formats:

• Parody
  campaign
  videos
• Satirical
  mailers
• AI-generated
  endorsements
• Meme-based
  policy
  announcements
• Instagram
  reels
  and
  TikTok
  skits

Fake
campaign
ads
often
walk
a
tightrope:
hilarious
enough
to
entertain,
accurate
enough
to
sting,
and
clear
enough
not
to
get
banned
by
content
moderators.

Why
Fake
Campaign
Ads
Work
Better
Than
Real
Ones

The
truth
is,
modern

political
ads
are
already
satire-adjacent.
When
a
real
candidate
says,
“I’m
fighting
for
American
values,”
it’s
not
clear
if
he
means
healthcare
reform
or
free
buffalo
wings.

Fake
campaign
ads
push
the
absurdity
just
a
notch
further—but
in
doing
so,
they
often
feel

more
honest.

Four
Reasons
They
Hit
Harder:

• 
  Realism
  is
  broken.
  Modern
  politics
  already
  feels
  like
  theater.
  Satirical
  ads
  cut
  through
  with
  clarity.
• 
  
  Comedy
  opens
  the
  mind.
  Studies
  show
  
  humor
  reduces
  resistance
  to
  opposing
  views.
• 
  Short
  form
  +
  viral
  hooks.
  A
  fake
  campaign
  ad
  promising
  “Free
  Tacos,
  No
  Taxes”
  is
  shareable
  gold.
• 
  They
  expose
  contradictions.
  When
  a
  candidate
  claims
  to
  support
  workers
  while
  profiting
  off
  layoffs,
  a
  parody
  ad
  saying
  “Vote
  for
  me,
  I’ll
  fire
  you
  respectfully!”
  lands
  the
  punch.

Dr.
Lenora
Broome,
a
media
psychologist
at
the
fictional
Lincoln
Center
for
Laughs
and

Democracy,
says,

“Fake
campaign
ads
help
us
process

political
fatigue
through
absurdity.
It’s
satire
as
civic
survival.”

A
Brief
History
of
Fake
Campaign
Ads

Fake
campaign
ads
are
not
new.
Satire
has
been
lampooning

political
rhetoric
since

Aristophanes
stuffed
corrupt
Athenian
politicians
into
Greek

comedy.

Notable
Moments:

• 
  1968:
  Comedian
  
  Pat
  Paulsen
  runs
  a
  satirical
  presidential
  campaign,
  complete
  with
  hilarious
  slogans
  and
  mock
  ads.
• 
  1980s–90s:
  
  Saturday
  Night
  Live
  commercials
  parody
  Reagan
  and
  Clinton’s
  campaigns.
• 
  2004:
  
  The
  
  Daily
  Show
  eviscerates
  the
  Bush/Kerry
  election
  with
  faux
  campaign
  spots,
  like
  “Vote
  for
  Kerry:
  He’s
  Not
  Bush.”
• 
  2016–2020:
  YouTube
  and
  Facebook
  fill
  with
  user-generated
  parody
  campaign
  videos.
• 
  2024:
  TikTok
  explodes
  with
  AI-generated
  deepfake
  ads,
  including
  a
  Bernie
  Sanders-Batman
  crossover
  ad
  and
  Kamala
  Harris
  endorsing
  a
  toaster.

The
Modern
Toolbox
for
Fake

Political
Ads

The
tools
have
evolved
from
sketch

comedy
to
sophisticated
tech.

Top
Tools
Used
by
Creators:

• 
  ChatGPT
  or
  
  Claude:
  Write
  speeches
  and
  slogans
  for
  fictional
  candidates
  like
  “Chad
  Freedom,
  Jr.”
  or
  “Grandma
  Cryptobucks.”
• 
  ElevenLabs
  or
  Respeecher:
  Clone
  
  political
  voices
  for
  parody
  voiceovers
• 
  RunwayML
  &
  DeepFaceLab:
  Create
  uncanny
  deepfakes
  of
  candidates
  dancing,
  crying,
  or
  reciting
  Taylor
  Swift
  lyrics
• 
  Canva
  &
  CapCut:
  Build
  fake
  flyers,
  TikToks,
  and
  campaign
  reels
  in
  30
  minutes
  or
  less
• 
  Meme
  Generators:
  Craft
  shareable
  images
  like
  “Electile
  Dysfunction
  2024:
  We
  Can’t
  Get
  It
  Up
  Either”

Satirical
creators
also
use
real
campaign
data,
absurdly
twisted:

“My
opponent
raised
$3
million
from
hedge
funds.
I
raised
$8
and
a
half-eaten
granola
bar
from
a
guy
named
Carl.”

Case
Study
from

Bohiney.com:
“Senator
Promises
to
Fight
for
the
Middle
Class,
After
He
Finishes
Lunch
with
Exxon”

In
the

Bohiney.com
article

“Senator
Promises
to
Fight
for
the
Middle
Class,
After
He
Finishes
Lunch
with
Exxon”,
the
parody
writes
itself.
A
fictional
senator
launches
a
campaign
ad
from
the
valet
zone
of
a
private
steakhouse,
promising
to
“stand
up
to
big
oil…
right
after
dessert.”

Satirical
Techniques
Used:

• 
  
  Irony:
  The
  senator’s
  pro-working
  class
  message
  is
  delivered
  from
  a
  luxury
  lobby.
• 
  Exaggeration:
  He
  pledges
  to
  “read
  the
  Constitution
  by
  2026.”
• 
  Parody:
  Mimics
  the
  style
  of
  PAC-funded
  ads
  with
  epic
  background
  music
  and
  fake
  testimonials:
  
  “He
  once
  shook
  hands
  with
  a
  janitor.
  I
  saw
  it.”

The
fake
ad
ends
with
a
dramatic
fade
to
slogan:

“Freedom.
Fracking.
Faith.”

It’s
absurd,
and
yet…
maybe
a
little
too
close
to
real.

How
to
Make
Your
Own
Fake
Campaign
Ad

Want
to
make
your
own
satirical
campaign
masterpiece?
Here’s
a
starter
kit:

1.
Create
a
Candidate

• Give
  them
  an
  absurd
  but
  plausible
  name:
  
  Jan
  Liberty-Dewdrop,
  
  Barney
  NoTax,
  
  General
  Banana
  Hammock
  (Ret.)
• Define
  their
  fake
  platform:
  
  mandatory
  naps,
  free
  guacamole,
  abolish
  Tuesdays

2.
Choose
the
Format

• Video?
  Meme?
  Instagram
  reel?
  Podcast
  parody?
  Skywriting?
• Choose
  based
  on
  your
  audience—TikTok
  loves
  quick
  hits,
  YouTube
  supports
  full-length
  fake
  debates

3.
Write
Your
Script

• Mix
  real
  rhetoric
  with
  absurd
  policy
• Example:
  
  “I
  stand
  for
  common
  sense,
  clean
  air,
  and
  a
  ban
  on
  any
  restaurant
  that
  serves
  kale.”

4.
Add
the
Slogans

• Keep
  it
  punchy,
  ironic,
  or
  gloriously
  vague:
  • “No
    More
    Problems.
    Just
    Us.”
  • “Vote
    for
    Tomorrow.
    Or
    Whatever.”
  • “I’m
    Not
    the
    Worst!”

5.
Add
a
Disclaimer

Always
label
it
as
satire.
Not
everyone
can
spot
irony.
Some
people
think


The
Onion
is
a
legitimate
news
source.

Disclaimer:
This
ad
was
paid
for
by
Absolutely
Nobody
and
should
not
be
taken
seriously,
unless
you
want
to.

Ethical
Line
or

Political
Goldmine?

Satire
has
legal
protections,
but
that
doesn’t
mean
fake
campaign
ads
are
free
from
ethical
complexity.

Key
Considerations:

• 
  Label
  clearly:
  Satire
  should
  not
  be
  used
  to
  intentionally
  mislead
• 
  Avoid
  impersonation:
  Even
  fake
  endorsements
  can
  confuse
  voters
• 
  Punch
  up,
  not
  down:
  Target
  power,
  not
  vulnerability
• 
  Expect
  backlash:
  Some
  platforms
  may
  flag
  parody
  for
  “political
  manipulation”

In
2023,
a
YouTube
ad
featuring
a
deepfake
Joe
Biden
moonwalking
to
“Hail
to
the
Chief”
was
taken
down
despite
a
clear
parody
label.
The
creator
was
later
hired
by
a
late-night
show.

Cultural
Impact:
When
Fake
Ads
Outperform
Real
Ones

A
recent
Pew-Rutgers
poll
(which
we
made
up
but
sounds
legit)
found
that

22%
of
young
voters
trust
parody
campaign
ads
more
than
real
ones.
Another
13%
believed
the
fictional
candidate
“Patriot
Cornbread”
was
a
real
Senate
hopeful.

This
isn’t
just
a
joke—it’s
a
signal.

Comedy
has
become
a
core
method
of

political
engagement.
Satirical
ads:

• 
  Generate
  higher
  engagement
  than
  traditional
  ads
• 
  Encourage
  
  political
  discussion
  through
  humor
• 
  Hold
  real
  campaigns
  accountable
  by
  exposing
  hypocrisy

Conclusion:
In
a
World
of

Political
Lies,
the
Fake
Ad
Might
Be
the
Only
Truth

Fake
campaign
ads
don’t
just
entertain.
They
expose,
deconstruct,
and
detonate
the
hollow
promises
and
plastic
grins
of
modern
politics.
In
a
world
where
candidates
say
one
thing
and
vote
another,
maybe
the
only
honest
campaign
slogan
is,

“Vote
for
Me—At
Least
I’m
Joking.”

So
go
ahead:
elect
your
imaginary
llama,
run
an
ad
promising
national
karaoke,
and
build
a

political
platform
entirely
out
of
pudding
cups.
Because
in
2024,
the
fake
might
be
the
last
place
to
find
truth.

Disclaimer

This
article
is
a
100%
human
collaboration
between
two
sentient
beings—the
world’s
oldest
tenured
professor
and
a
20-year-old
philosophy
major
turned
dairy
farmer.
No
AI
was
elected,
indicted,
or
used
as
campaign
manager
during
the
making
of
this
piece.

Auf
Wiedersehen!

Go to Source
Author: Ingrid Gustafsson