Rocco Rossi releases new campaign ads that will be unappealing to pretty much everybody

Rocco Rossi releases new campaign ads that will be unappealing to pretty much everybody

If Rocco Rossi’s campaign has had one strength, it has been its use of the Internet (mostly YouTube, Twitter, Google, Flickr and Facebook). Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the savvy has transferred to old media quite as well. To get an idea of what we mean, try the radio ad on the left. It’s already on rotation at Newstalk1010.

There’s a lot to be said for using old stereotypes in subversive ways, and we all know that Rossi is proud of his Italian heritage, but this ad makes it sound like we’re being asked to elect Joe Pesci as our next mayor (and not cuddly My Cousin Vinny Pesci, either; more like Good Fellas Pesci). Of course, the voice actor also sounds a little like Sylvester Stallone, so maybe the Rossi campaign is going for a little Rocky underdog-comes-from-behind feeling, too. There are just two problems with that: Rocky got the crap beaten out of him, and he still lost.

Of course, we would totally tune in if Rossi wanted to go 15 rounds with Rob Ford.

• Print, Radio and Video ads [Rocco Rossi for Mayor]