The Conservatives’ best-performing ad was probably their most derided

Sometimes, the most effective ads are the ones we ridicule first.

Some dismissed it as the “erectile dysfunction” ad. Others laughed it off as a desperate Hail Mary to salvage a faltering campaign in Southern Ontario—specifically in the all-important 905 region.

Well, they can stop laughing.

Call it the blue belt now. The Conservatives not only held their ground in the 905—they flipped several Liberal ridings.

Plenty of factors contributed to this outcome, despite dire forecasts and even a Conservative strategist accusing the Poilievre team of “campaign malpractice.” And while we can’t pin the result on a single ad, the much-mocked “Golf” spot may have hit the sweet spot for many voters who were this close to backing Mark Carney as the best defence against Trump-style economic coercion.

I said as much on CBC’s Power & Politics a week before election day.

I chose not to dwell on the ad’s production values, which were average at best. But I argued that its target and message were bang on.

Here’s the exchange that played out:

“How’s your son David?”
“It’s been a tough couple years. He just can’t seem to get ahead.”
“Yeah. We had to pay for Sarah’s down payment last year. Things are tough for her too.”
“You know what Mark Carney says…”
“Come on. You really think a fourth Liberal term is gonna change anything?”
“You know, I’ve been thinking the same thing.”
“Are we really gonna give these clowns another term? I’m voting Conservative.”
“There you go.”
“Yeah. For a change.”
Vote for Change. Vote Conservative.

Yes, the dialogue was contrived. The casting and acting—cringeworthy. But the message? Spot on.

It echoed what the Conservatives should’ve been saying from the start - but not through Poilievre.

The leader could never credibly go toe-to-toe with Trump the way Carney could. That made the ballot question—Who can best stand up to Trump?—a losing frame for him.

But there was another, quieter question lurking in the background: Do the Liberals really deserve a fourth term?

That’s where the ad worked. Instead of painting Carney as “just another Trudeau,” a line Poilievre loved, the Conservatives should have let those two guys on the driving range—and countless other Canadians—make the case: Yes, Trump is a threat. But giving “these clowns” another shot isn’t the answer.

Sometimes, the most effective ads are the ones we ridicule first.