In the spot, well-heeled bankers and journalists clutching laptops, briefcases, and yellow legal pads race over the Mexican border into the United States, while a soundtrack that could have appeared in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation pulses in the background.
The ad was inspired by a comment Cruz made about immigration during CNN’s December debate in Las Vegas. “The politics of it would be very, very different if a bunch of lawyers or bankers were coming across the Rio Grande or if a bunch of people with journalism degrees were coming over,” he said. “Then we would see stories about the economic calamity that is befalling our nation.”
The quote itself is questionable, but the ad? Pretty phenomenal. With its crisp footage and catchy soundtrack, the spot outshines Donald Trump’s new campaign ad, a mashup of grainy aerial footage and old newsreels.
More than any other candidate, Cruz has managed to get his ads to go viral online. Last month he released another whimsical ad, which featured him reading “Christmas Classics” like “How Obamacare Stole Christmas” and “Rudolph The Underemployed Reindeer” aloud to his family. It aired in Iowa for only one night. But the spot racked up more than a million views on YouTube.