NDP, Greens turn to pop culture to woo voters online

Deep into Canada's longest election campaign, the NDP and the Green Party are using pop culture references on social media to build an image for their leaders and attract support.

Two notable examples drew a lot of onlineresponse in recent days.

The NDP tweeted a photo on Friday that likened party leader Tom Mulcairto "The Most Interesting Man In The World," the older man in DosEquisbeer ads. The photo showsa well-dressedMulcaircocking his head sidewaysandposing with a bottle of Dos Equis, a nod to the original ad.

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It wasposted to Twitter by George Smith,Mulcair'spress secretary, and wasretweetedon the leader'spersonal account and the main party account, giving Twitter users many chances to weigh in.

Almost instantly, users posted their own takes on the ad'sinfamous tag line.

The Dos Equisad has spawned countlessmemes. One Twitter account has devoted itselftomeme-ing Mulcair's take on it.

Others used it to make swipesat hischoice of beverage.

Like it says on the bottle, Dos Equis comes fromMexico.In theMulcairphoto, it should be noted that the beer cap is still affixed to the bottle.

There were a few mentions of Old Stock, a nod to Conservative Leader Stephen Harper's somewhat confusing choice of words during Thursday night's economic debate.

The Mulcair-Dos Equisguycomparison isn't new.

The suggestion has been made online for several years. It was referred to in an analysis piece on Mulcair in the Ottawa Citizen.But it is one of the first times (if not the first time) thatMulcairhas drawn on thecomparison himselfand promoted it on social media.

Twitter users have beenlikeningthe twomen sinceas early as 2012.

A Twitter account thatstarted in July exists solely to draw Mulcair-Dos Equis comparisons.

The Green Party opted for Justin Timberlake and his formerboy band, 'N Sync.

In the lead up to leader Elizabeth May'svirtual Twitter videoappearance during Thursday night's debate, the Green Party'sFacebook and Twitter accounts promoted the event using photos of Timberlake and the 'N Sync crew with the tag lineIt's Gonna Be May.

And thatseemed to really confuse some people

It'sa reference to 'N Sync's song, It's Gonna Be Me. Since the song was released in 2000, many have misinterpreted the lyrics of the song to say "it's gonnabe may." The misinterpretation has been widely parodied in online memes, photos and GIFs and now as a promotional tool for the Green Party.

and others just really seemed to like it.