Updated June 08, 2017 11:43:36

A bizarre election campaign video produced by the Conservative candidate for East Yorkshire, Greg Knight, has become an overnight sensation for its combination of stunningly awkward 'Alan Partridge'-esque delivery and catchy jingle, fresh from the 1980s.

The ad begins with the Tory MP entering what appears to be his campaign office before introducing himself to camera and reeling off a bunch of fairly standard party lines. But it's when the jingle kicks in at 34 seconds that the magic begins.

The shaky camera moves in for a close-up of a campaign poster while a drumbeat — which Mr Knight says he wrote himself — provides the backbone for the lyrical knockout punch delivered by Mr Knight's "very good friend".

"You'll get accountability,

"With Conservative delivery.

"Make sure this time you get it right,

"Vote for Greg Knight," he sings.

But Mr Knight, who is drummer and founding member of parliamentary rock group MP4, is in good company when it comes to bizarre, B-grade campaign ads.

As the UK election looms, it's the perfect time to take a look back at some of the most awkwardly brilliant campaign ads Western democratic hopefuls have produced in attempts to win our vote.

Starting with another gem from Greg Knight in 2010, and starring a superfluous cat at 49 seconds.

Greg Knight's 2010 election ad, starring a cat

E.V.B. Sampson - Independent Country Party candidate for Wollondilly

ABC's Gruen Nation unearthed this long-lost snippet of political history from the archives back in 2010.

Mr Sampson's awkward delivery and introduction of his family, including mention of his "other two" sons who are " too busy to be here today", has been described as "painful", "creepy", and "gold".

Christopher 'Jedi' Knight's 2004 pitch for the Rockingham County Board of Education

The United States has produced far too many bizarre election ads to compile here, but this Star Wars-inspired ad produced by Christopher Knight (no relation) as a Jedi Knight, during his campaign for the Rockingham County Board of Education deserves a mention.

According to Mr Knight's Youtube channel, he did not win the seat but placed a credible 8th with 4,468 votes.

Terri Lynn Land's 12 seconds of silence

Michigan Republican senate candidate Terri Lynn Land was widely mocked for her 2014 campaign ad "Really?", in which she used 12 of her 30 seconds to sip from a blue mug and shake her head to a cheesy backing track after suggesting her audience "think about" whether she was "waging a war on women".

A series of videos were produced in response to Ms Land's "Really?" campaign, questioning her position on birth control, equal pay, and medicare.

Bob Katter takes aim at ALP, LNP rivals

During the 2016 Australian election campaign, controversial Queensland independent Bob Katter teamed up with the Betoota Advocate to produce an ad in which he appears to murder a pair of masked men in ALP and LNP shirts.

Mr Katter was called on to withdraw the video, apologise and resign, but he told the ABC at the time that he thought the video was "very funny".

It is still live on his Facebook page.

Topics: world-politics, government-and-politics, elections, advertising, united-kingdom, england

First posted June 08, 2017 11:39:13