Tom Cotton's great new ad: 3 reasons it works

Tom Cotton&#039;s great new ad: 3 reasons it works — (Image credit: YouTube)

Some TV ads just work. This one, by Arkansas Senate candidate (and U.S. Rep.) Tom Cotton, would be good even if it weren't for the strategic reasons I'm about to describe below.

First, though, give it a watch:

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So what does this accomplish?

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1. It obviously reinforces the key part of Cotton's bio — his military service.

2. It serves to remind everyone of Sen. Mark Pryor's most costly gaffe (his comments about Cotton's military service giving him "a sense of entitlement.")

3. Both these things are accomplished in a humorous manner. And as I've noted before, the knock on Cotton has always been that he's too stiff and serious — that you'd rather have a beer with Pryor. This humorous ad (coupled with the music) shows Cotton's personality, and undermines the notion that he's aloof.

Lastly, an interesting point: You'll notice Cotton's drill sergeant isn't wearing the official drill sergeant hat (similar to the Smokey Bear hat). That might have made for an interesting visual, but I'm told this was done to avoid potentially running afoul of any official U.S. Army regulations.

Even without the hat, this ad is a home run.

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Matt K. Lewis is a contributing editor at TheWeek.com and a senior contributor for The Daily Caller. He has written for outlets including GQ Politics, The Guardian, and Politico, and has been cited or quoted by outlets including New York Magazine, the Washington Post, and The New York Times. Matt co-hosts The DMZ on Bloggingheads.TV, and also hosts his own podcast. In 2011, Business Insider listed him as one of the 50 "Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." And in 2012, the American Conservative Union honored Matt as their CPAC "Blogger of the Year." He currently lives in Alexandria, Va.