Political ad goes viral for actually being inspiring (and deeply Boston)

Typically, political ads follow familiar beats. There are the dark attack ads with an ominous narrator. There are the somewhat cheesy ads touting the candidate's record.

Then there's Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey's new ad, which feels like a three-minute trailer for a Scorsese film.

In case you didn't know, Markey, a long-serving progressive Democrat, is trying to fend off a primary challenge from Rep. Joe Kennedy. Yes, he's that kind of Kennedy.

Markey's ad is downright cinematic in the way it tells the story of his career, promises action, and takes digs at Kennedy. It has a beginning, middle, and frankly amazing end. Not for nothing, it also brilliantly employs music from Nine Inch Nails and Jimi Hendrix. Oh, and the Boston accent is a delight — listening to Markey say "organize" is a treat. Here, just watch.

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People online loved the ad for Markey, whose campaign has surged in popularity after initially being considered an underdog to his competitor from a political dynasty. It's hard to remember an ad so widely shared.

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The ad has seemingly actually left some folks feeling inspired, which is a pretty damn hard thing to do in 2020. A job well done by the Markey team.