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1->''"I'm Leslie Knope, and I approve this message!"''
2-->-- '''Leslie Knope''', ''Series/ParksAndRecreation''
3
4In the United States, a portion of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, otherwise known as the [=McCain=]-Feingold Act, requires that a political advertisement for a candidate for federal office give "a statement by the candidate that identifies the candidate and states that the candidate has approved the communication." This means an ad has to say something like, "I'm [[StevenUlyssesPerhero Cole Rupt]], and I approve(d) this message." This only applies to candidates for Congress and the presidency[[note]]Or, theoretically, candidates for vice president. But in practice, VP candidates simply act as NumberTwo to the presidential candidates, and never run their own separate campaigns. Thus, it'll always be the presidential candidate who "approves this message," even if their running mate is providing the sound bites for the ad. Though [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N30_sbtE0gE Ted Cruz and Carly Fiorina]] did run some "We approve this message" ads.[[/note]], not candidates for state or local offices, or anyone other than politicians.
5
6The provision exists so that political candidates would be less likely to fund attack ads or ads with questionable claims. However, that doesn't stop outside parties like interest groups from running their own ads: the NRA or AARP could run an ad that says "Cole Rupt is a brain-eating alien," but it would obviously not have opposing candidate Bea Ribe's "approval." ''These'' must be followed by a statement along the lines of "Paid for by the Republicratic National Committee", or "The [[FunWithAcronyms S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A.]][[note]]Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc.[[/note]] has paid for this message and is responsible for its content".
7
8In addition, a number of ads for things other than politicians are parodying this requirement, and including it even though it's not legally necessary. So some ad will say "[=TropeCo's=] tropes are tropier. We're [=TropeCo=], and we approved this message."
9
10Naturally, you most likely will see these types of ads around election season, when the campaign commercials on everyone's mind, and people are most likely to get the reference.
11
12----
13!!Examples:
14
15[[folder:Political Ads]]
16* These messages are a legal requirement in Australia for all political advertisements. They are presented in the form "Spoken by (Actor/Spokesman/Polititan), Authorized by (individual/association legal name)", spoken in double-time. It does make Astroturfing harder.
17** They are likewise a legal requirement in New Zealand, presented in the form "Authorised by [Name], [Physical Address]" - for political parties, this is the party secretary and the party's headquarters respectively.
18* As noted above about a president approving the commercial even when someone else is exclusively in it, UsefulNotes/BillClinton shilled for UsefulNotes/BarackObama in a 2012 commercial, and Obama "approved" the message.
19** A similar phenomenon in the 2016 election season had AttackOfThePoliticalAd type ads that were basically just Creator/DonaldTrump making outrageous statements accompanied by text and UsefulNotes/HillaryClinton speaking to approve at the end. UsefulNotes/JoeBiden dipped into this during the 2020 election to a more direct extent, with one ad solely consisting of footage of Trump during a rally claiming "If I lose to [Biden], I dunno what I'm gonna do -- I will never speak to you again!", [[ThreatBackfire followed up immediately with "I'm Joe Biden, and I approve this message."]]
20* In Germany all political parties get guaranteed airtime for political ads on both public and private stations. However, to distinguish them from normal programming and other ads, a titlecard with voiceover is played before and after the ad saying something like "This is an ad of Party X, only the political party and not the station is responsible for the content of this ad."
21* In Britain, with a similar system to Germany, they begin and end with something like "Now, a Party Political/Election Broadcast by the X Party" and "That was a Party Political/Election Broadcast by the X Party" (depending whether it's at election time or another time ).
22* In Israel, which also has a similar system to Britain and Germany, the election broadcasts have title cards without a voiceover; one for the entire block, which states "election broadcast on behalf of lists of candidates to the Knesset and on their responsibility", and one for each part's spot, which show's the party's name and abberviation.
23[[/folder]]
24
25[[folder:Product Ads]]
26* Jerry's Subs and Pizza, a Washington, D.C.-area sub sandwich franchise, during the 2008 election period, had a radio ad asking people to come in and pick their favorite sandwich, one for each of the (then three) major candidates (UsefulNotes/HillaryRodhamClinton, John [=McCain=] and UsefulNotes/BarackObama). At the end, the announcer says, "I'm Jerry and I approved these sandwiches."
27* One ad for chocolate milk showed brown cows protesting. At the end a brown cow stated: "I'm a brown cow and I approve this message."
28* A Tostitos corn chip commercial shows two men, clearly politicians, standing at podiums arguing how the other is unqualified. One of them accuses his opponent of flip-flopping (taking one position then later switching and taking the other, like being in favor of individual ownership of guns, or opposing abortion, then changing to the other side), and the guy can hear the song "Tequila" by the Champs, and then decides to tell everyone to start partying, and the chips and dips come out. When the word "tequila" would be sung, the one-word product name is used. The sponsored product, an anthropomorphic bag of tortilla chips who is dancing, announces, "I'm Tostitos and I approved this message!"
29[[/folder]]
30
31[[folder:Comics]]
32* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': In ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #611, ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} claims to have Blackest Night symbols on his toenails ("My feet are a rainbow of power!") with a footnote reading "I'm Geoff Johns and I approve this message — Geoff Johns, former ''[[ComicBook/TheAvengers Avengers]]'' writer".
33[[/folder]]
34
35[[folder:Film]]
36* Played for laughs in ''Film/{{Machete}}''.
37[[/folder]]
38
39[[folder:Live Action TV]]
40* ''Series/{{Arrow}}''. In "State vs. Queen", Count Vertigo does a DoNotAdjustYourSet broadcast announcing that he has secretly addicted large numbers of innocent people to the drug Vertigo, of which he controls the only supply. He concludes with, "I'm Count Vertigo, and I approve this high!"
41* From ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''[='s=] parody of Hillary Rodham Clinton's 3 a.m. ad: "I'm Hillary Clinton and I approve this unfair and deceptive message."
42* A Creator/{{FOX}} commercial for the ''Series/TheXFactor'' calls Simon Cowell the "best judge ever" and has him stating "I'm Simon Cowell and I approved this message."
43* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'': In "Sorry, Bro":
44-->'''Ted:''' I never said I was gonna get back together with her. But I was thinking, she's new in town, would it be the worst thing in the world if I gave her a call?\
45'''Marshall:''' No, no, Ted, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. It would be the fourth worst thing. Number one, supervolcano. Number two, an asteroid hits the earth. Number three, all footage of Evil Knievel is lost. Number four, Ted calls Karen. Number five, Lily gets eaten by a shark.\
46'''Lily:''' I'm Lily and I approve the order of that list.
47* In an episode of ''Series/ThirtyRock'', Tracy is manipulated by Jack into making a political ad encouraging black people ''not'' to vote. He finishes it off with "I’m Tracy Jordan and I improved this message!"
48* ''Series/TheWestWing'': Minority candidate Matt Santos can only afford one single TV spot in a key market, so his team spend endless effort on coming up with something incredibly memorable and original. He ends up delivering the ad directly into the camera - live on air and personally, ending with a sarcastic "I'm Matt Santos, and you better ''believe'' I approved this ad!"
49[[/folder]]
50
51[[folder:Music]]
52* Subverted in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57oUeO_OJMg Gersberms]] music video.
53--> '''R.L. Stine''': I'm R.L. Stine, and I ''didn't'' approve this video. It's pronounced ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}''. ''Goose-bumps''. Thank you.
54[[/folder]]
55
56[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
57* In 2006, Wrestling/{{WWE}} renamed their ''Taboo Tuesday'' [=PPV=], where fans would get to vote online on who they wanted in matches and/or what kinds of matches would be on the show, ''Cyber Sunday.'' [[Wrestling/JimFullington The Sandman]] was one of the three potential opponents, along with Wrestling/ChrisBenoit and Wrestling/{{Kane}} (who was the winner of the vote, but not the match), for Wrestling/{{Umaga}}. The Sandman cut a promo urging the fans to vote for him. As this was a mid-term election year, he ended his promo with, "I'm the Sandman, and I approved this message."
58[[/folder]]
59
60[[folder:Video Games]]
61* A commercial for ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' announced the addition of Creator/ChuckNorris as an apparently ''very'' tough character in the game. An announcer says, "There are five million people playing ''World of Warcraft'', only because Chuck Norris allows them to live," and at the end, Chuck says, "I'm Chuck Norris, and I approve this game."
62* In ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'', the mayoral candidate Peralez runs a campaign ad where he shoots a stack of paper representing an unpopular law. He then strikes a PistolPose and says "My name is Jefferson Peralez, and I approve this message."
63* In ''VideoGame/WeHappyRestaurant'', the titular restaurant advertises its chickens with the following text:
64-->Our genetically modified chickens are superb by all our internal standards.
65[[/folder]]
66
67[[folder:Web Original]]
68* Popular vlogger Ray William Johnson ends all of his Website/YouTube videos with "I'm Ray William Johnson, and I approve this message."
69* [[http://sendables.jibjab.com/originals/good_to_be_in_dc "I'm Dan Rather and I approved this message. Kind of. Sort of. Not really."]]
70* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq0tk0vB7CE "I'm Ahuizotl and I approve of this message."]]
71[[/folder]]
72
73[[folder:Western Animation]]
74* ''WesternAnimation/BarbieLifeInTheDreamhouse'' In the episode "Mayor of Malibu" at the end of Raquelle's ad a cutout of Barbie held by Ryan appears saying "I am Barbie Roberts and I aproove this message"
75* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'': "My name is George W. Bush and I approve this message: Tacos rule!"
76* "I'm [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated Sentinel Prime]], and I approve of this message."
77* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' had a campagin for the president of the home between Mr. Herriman and Frankie. Herriman resorted to an attack ad on Frankie which ended with "I'm Mr. Herriman and I approve this message."
78* "I'm [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Ralph Wiggum]], and I've been a good boy!" [''puts finger up nose'']
79* In the ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' episode "The Beak", Dr. Doofenschmirtz makes a video about how he has supposedly seized control of the Tri-State Area, ending with the line, which sends Major Monogram and Carl into a panic. It turns out to be [[BavarianFireDrill a bluff he's hoping nobody will actually bother to check]].
80[[/folder]]
81
82[[folder:Real Life]]
83* In a rather scary example, attack letters sent to U.S. government officials in 2013, including President Obama, tainted with ricin, included the message "I am KC and I approve this message."
84[[/folder]]
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