Relentless execution produced a clear result: victory.

As Creative Director, the job was straightforward: make viral ads. But not viral for viral’s sake—viral with a purpose.

We built a system grounded in archived research, rapid deployment, and clear messaging. It produced the most viral digital ads of the cycle and established the playbook for defining Kamala Harris.

We moved first on every major news cycle of the race because we were prepared: the clips were saved, organized, and waiting for the right moment. We recognized opportunities no one else saw and showed the country what a modern rapid-response operation looks like.

The payoff? Over 20 million views on X and 70+ national TV mentions—proof our ads converted online traction into real coverage. Every major TV network—from CNN to ABC to Fox News—ran our ads for free, and top print outlets—from The New York Times to the Associated Press—covered them positively. The TV coverage was so extensive we cut a 12-minute highlight reel of the best segments.

With 6.8 million ballots cast, Dave McCormick defeated a three-term incumbent U.S. Senator by just over 15,000 votes—a margin that didn’t happen by accident.

Here’s how we did it:

Execution

1. Kamala’s Coronation

OPPORTUNITY (Jul 23): Harris’s ascension dominated coverage—putting Republican messaging in disarray. But we saw a better way to define her.

RESEARCH: We collected old clips of Harris from the 2020 Democrat primary and had a clip saved of Bob Casey touting Harris.

ACTION: We released the first ad attacking Harris—a 90-second spot highlighting her past liberal comments with Casey praising her at the front and back.

RESULT: The spot was quickly hailed as “the playbook” for branding Harris.

It aired for free on CNN, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Fox Business, NewsNation, and others, and received positive write ups in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, and other major outlets. "Biden allies privately raised concerns about a new ad from Dave McCormick that describes Harris as 'the most liberal nominee ever,’” wrote the Associated Press.

It refocused Republican messaging and set the framework for how our campaign defined her. The Trump campaign and NRSC followed with similar ads.

TOTAL VIEWS: 14.6M on X

2. Biden-Trump Debate

OPPORTUNITY (Jun 30): Biden’s debate performance dominated the news, giving us the perfect opportunity to re-up the many times Casey defended Biden’s health.

RESEARCH: Old clips of Casey defending Biden’s capacity were already cataloged and ready to deploy.

ACTION: We released a 30-second spot contrasting Biden’s performance with Casey’s previous comments—becoming the first Senate campaign to use the debate in an ad.

RESULT: It gained national coverage in Politico, CNN, The Dispatch, and Fox News. NBC, CNN, and Fox News played it on air.

TOTAL VIEWS: 540k on X

3. Immigration

OPPORTUNITY (Jul 29): News coverage centered around Harris’ past comments supporting open borders—but no single ad existed with all of the top hits. We saw an opening to tie Casey to Harris' border agenda and pounced.

RESEARCH: We found several never-before-seen clips of Casey supporting open borders, along with recently resurfaced clips of Harris floating around X.

ACTION: We released a 60s spot with Harris and Casey, in their own words, demanding open borders.

RESULT: It went viral among both conservatives—notably Donald Trump Jr.—and mainstream journalists.

TOTAL VIEWS: 1.1M on X

4. Econ Rollout

OPPORTUNITY (Aug 15): Harris was about to give her first big speech on the economy—and we needed to tie Casey and Harris’ economic record together.

RESEARCH: We saved numerous comments from Casey downplaying inflation and cheering on inflationary spending, and a poorly-aged clip of Harris from 2021 promising Biden’s agenda would lower the cost of living.

ACTION: We were the only campaign to preempt Harris’ speech—releasing a 60s spot the night before.

RESULT: It dominated X, being shared by many high-profile conservatives sharing it. “This is a complete BANGER of an ad,” wrote Scott Jennings.

TOTAL VIEWS: 1.6M on X

5. Iran

OPPORTUNITY (Oct 1): Intelligence leaks revealed that Iran was planning to attack Israel—so we prepared an ad to post as soon as the attack happened.

RESEARCH: We pulled never-before-seen clips saved of Bob Casey promising his vote for the Iran Deal would make the U.S. and Israel more secure.

ACTION: As soon as the first missiles landed, we grabbed a clip of a reporter announcing the attack, added it to our ad, and posted it.

RESULT: It spread like wildfire on conservative Twitter—with several commentators noting how fast it was put together. “Every time I see a great ad it seems to be McCormick,” the New York Post’s Karol Markowicz wrote.

TOTAL VIEWS: 600k on X

6. “Garbage”

OPPORTUNITY (Oct 30): Biden launched a tirade at Trump supporters, calling them “garbage.”

RESEARCH: We saved multiple clips of Casey praising Biden’s “integrity.”

ACTION: Within 12 hours of Biden’s comments, we became the first campaign to release an ad—showing Casey repeatedly praising Biden’s “integrity” while Biden insulted Trump voters.

RESULT: Both Fox News and the New York Post published stories about it while conservatives on X praised our speed once again.

TOTAL VIEWS: 100k on X

Conclusion

In the end, Dave McCormick won by just over 15,000 votes—defeating an opponent the Beltway media insisted couldn’t be beaten.

Every decision and every piece of content mattered.

Our ads worked because we anticipated what was coming next. The clips were already saved, organized, and waiting. When a moment broke, we didn’t scramble—we executed. Time and again, we moved first because we were prepared and saw opportunities others missed.

And our ads didn’t just go viral online—they shaped the 2024 cycle. The research that powered our digital ads was utilized in both campaign and super PAC TV ads.

The McCormick playbook is a blueprint for success—and we know that our team can replicate it in any state, in any race. If we could make ads of milquetoast Bob Casey go viral—imagine what we could do with your crazy opponent.

McCormick