There's no such thing as bad publicity. Well, maybe there is.

Army veteran Dan Helmer is a Democrat running for Congress in Virginia, determined to unseat Republican incumbent Barbara Comstock. There's a crowded field of Democrats, so how do you rise above the noise and make yourself stand out. You make a campaign ad that is so bizarre it goes viral.

Helmer did just that, appearing in this spot that's a take on the popular scene in Top Gun where Tom Cruise serenaded Kelly McGillis with the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" (you can see that below).

Helmer's commercial has been panned, but, as The Daily Beast points out, it "is so bad it might just be genius-level good." That's because the ad has made the rounds and gotten Helmer's name out there. Sure, you may think this spot is terrible, but it's merely a vehicle to discover what he's all about.

Whether the ad pays off remains to be seen. In the meantime, check out the beating (with a sprinkling of support) Helmer is taking on social media, which is infinitely better than taking a beating at the polls.

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