Gary Johnson and Bill Weld Take a Tip from Bernie Sanders' Ad Team

Is 2016 the Year of the Third Party?

Thanks to the near-crippling levels of unpopularity between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, many Americans are considering voting for a third party this November. And so far, Libertarians Gary Johnson and Bill Weld have made a splash.Some of the most popular ads of the 2016 cycle have gone off the beaten path of traditional 30-second spots most of us have always been used to. Thanks in part to the internet erasing time constraints, this year many political ads have upped their level of cinematic creativity. When these political videos are done right, they often seem more like a mini-documentary than a political ad. One candidate who has seen success with this idea is Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who's powerful advertisements certainly played no small role in propelling his early success.In their latest ad, "A Third Choice," Johnson and Weld seem to be tugging on similar heart strings to grab the attention of voters.The video mashes together a diverse cast of Americans, from a farm worker tending to his horse, to kids playing basketball in New York City. We hear an uplifting speech in the background from an unnamed narrator, who talks about the new vision of freedom that America's founding fathers introduced.Right in time for the Fourth of July, we see clips of soldiers raising a flag at Iwo Jima and modern day soldiers firing up a helicopter. "But freedom wasn't free," the narrator says. "It was paid for by the hard work and perseverance that birthed a revolution."Then we hear Johnson, who says, "I've heard from many, that they don't want to waste their vote. Wasting your vote is voting for someone you don't believe in."The narrator closes out the video, over shots of Fourth of July fireworks, "The freedom to live. The freedom to love. The freedom to dream."Even though there has been a Libertarian candidate on the ballot nationwide since 1980 , this cycle may be the first time the party has received so much mainstream attention. Both Johnson and Weld have made many primetime news channel appearances, including a televised Town Hall hosted by CNN. Later today, Johnson will sit down with Jake Tapper on State of the Union.But even with the modest level of mainstream attention their party has gotten this cycle, Johnson and Weld still concede that they have no shot in November unless they can get on the presidential debate stage with Clinton and Trump. For now, the prospects don't look good.Be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter and get the latest from the 2016 campaign trail.