Call me crazy, but I must admit I’m a sucker for political ads. Not only do I like to see how candidates position themselves, but how they position their opponent.

We are in the thick of election season, and it is getting ugly. We see ad after ad of candidates attacking each other and all I can really think is, who is their right mind would want to put themselves in a position to get bludgeoned, attacked, smeared and investigated on television, in blogs, in the paper and on flyers.

Let’s face reality: it is strategic branding at its finest. Planning, punching, counter-attacking, and going after your opponents, while positioning yourself to get the “mother load” of undecided votes.

What was once just a dance around the ring has turned into a full-on blood bath. With just a few short weeks until Election Day, we will find out the inevitable decision- which candidate will be victorious, and which one will be left picking themself up off the mat, wondering, “What the hell happened!?!”

Written by Michael Doyle, President, Brand Iron