TL; DR: Canada’s 2025 federal election is a digital-first campaign like no other. From record-breaking Meta ad spending to TikTok influencers driving political conversations, the race is unfolding online. In this blog post, we break down the platforms, strategies, and moments defining this historic election.
Canada’s 2025 Federal Election and Social Media: A Complete Guide to Digital Campaigning, Meta Ads, and Viral Influence
As Canada heads into the final stretch of its 2025 federal election, digital campaigning is hitting a fever pitch. With millions already having voted in advance polls, the battle for undecided voters is now playing out across screens large and small. Political parties are unleashing a blitz of targeted Meta ads, last-minute influencer partnerships, and rapid-response social content in hopes of shaping perceptions and sealing support. These final days are often where momentum shifts happen – sometimes in the form of a viral video, other times via a powerful data-driven ad buy. While much has already unfolded, these final weeks could still deliver surprises that alter the race.
Why #Elxn45 is a Digital Election Like No Other
The 2025 Canadian federal election has ushered in an unprecedented era of digital campaigning. What began as a trickle in previous cycles has become a full-blown flood of social media ads, influencer content, and algorithm-savvy messaging. Campaigns aren’t just reaching voters through door-knocks and lawn signs – they’re showing up in Instagram stories, TikTok “For You” pages, and sponsored posts between reels.
More than 2 million Canadians voted on the first day of advance polls, a figure that shattered expectations and demonstrated the growing effectiveness of digital outreach. Youth voter turnout, traditionally a concern in Canada, is on an upswing, in part due to the smart, consistent use of platforms like TikTok and Instagram to engage younger audiences.
Meta Ads: The New Front Line of Persuasion
Facebook and Instagram Spending Soars
If there’s one battlefield where parties are investing heavily, it’s Meta platforms. Facebook and Instagram remain the top destinations for political advertising dollars in 2025. According to reporting by The Logic, these platforms continue to deliver scale, microtargeting, and measurable ROI, particularly useful in the vast and diverse Canadian electorate.
The Liberals and Conservatives have both invested millions into Meta ads, but their approaches differ. While the Liberals are running a blend of national branding and localized persuasion ads backed by strong investment (and leading the Conservatives almost always during the writ period so far), the Conservatives have taken a creative-first approach. Their content strategy focuses on daily video releases, compelling storytelling, and issue-specific messaging that’s constantly adjusted based on performance.
Want to run persuasive Meta ads for political campaigns? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Facebook Political ads in Canada.
Language and Localization: Winning Ethnic Votes
One of the most noticeable shifts in 2025 is the growing sophistication of ethnocultural outreach. The Conservatives have run a series of attack ads in Punjabi, targeting specific ridings with tailored narratives. It’s a strategy that not only signals cultural competency but also demonstrates how Meta’s targeting tools can be used to reach linguistic and geographic niches with pinpoint accuracy. The Liberals have returned fire with their own set of translated graphic ads in Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi, but so far, there hasn’t been any focus on high-quality video ads.
TikTok, Influencers & Viral Moments in the 2025 Federal Election
TikTok and the Power of Influence
TikTok has emerged as a major player in this election, not because of official party content, though there is some, but because of the rise of political influencers. From creators posting comedic takes on policy to earnest explainers about climate legislation, content creators are helping shape the narrative for millions of users. As explored by The Globe and Mail and Hill Times, the impact of these voices is both measurable and growing with top influencers raking in millions of views on their videos discussing the election, key moments and policy promises.
What makes TikTok distinct is its ability to elevate moments that would otherwise be niche algorithmically. One video explaining Pierre Poilievre’s housing plan or criticizing Mark Carney’s economic stance can quickly amass hundreds of thousands of views, especially when repackaged with trending audio or pop culture references.
From Mike Myers to Edmonton Crowds
Some of the biggest viral moments in 2025 have come from somewhat unexpected (but carefully orchestrated) sources. A nostalgic ad featuring Canadian actor Mike Myers – best known for his roles in Austin Powers and Wayne’s World – endorsing the Liberal leader Mark Carney, quickly racked up millions of views. and sparked debate about celebrity involvement in politics. Meanwhile, Pierre Poilievre continues to demonstrate his ability to mobilize large crowds, none more striking than his Edmonton rally, which drew over 10,000 attendees and saturated social feeds with photos and videos.
Jagmeet Singh, long known for his digital fluency, continues to punch above his weight class with engaging livestreams, TikTok trends like GRWM (which got over 4 million views) and Live Q&A. His connection with younger voters remains authentic and consistent.
Artificial Intelligence Joins the Campaign Team
Content Creation and Microtargeting at Scale
AI tools are being used behind the scenes to accelerate campaign production and outreach. From writing ad scripts to analyzing voter sentiment, artificial intelligence is no longer a theoretical campaign tool – it’s in daily use, both at the HQ War Rooms level as well as down to individual campaigns.
For instance, several campaigns are using AI to test ad copy in multiple languages, speeding up outreach to multicultural communities without relying on slow human translations. Additionally, some campaigns have begun generating multiple ad versions using generative AI, which are then tested on platforms like Meta to determine what resonates best with different demographics. These practices are speeding up workflows and reducing production costs. At any given point in time in this election, we have noticed over a thousand variations of ad campaigns running on Meta, by the leading parties – both Liberal and Conservative.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Beyond strategy and spectacle, the data is what truly highlights the digital shift. Consider this:
- Meta platforms have seen a record-breaking influx of political ad dollars. Over 3.6 million dollars were spent in the first three weeks of the writ period, with the Liberals outspending the Conservatives.
- Over 2 million Canadians voted on the first day of advance polls.
- TikTok creators are regularly hitting six-figure view counts on political content.
- Several federal candidates have spent $2,000 per week on Meta ads, and the leaderboard keeps updating every week. The top spenders are dropping almost one thousand dollars daily on Meta ads!
- This level of digital spending is historically high and still climbing.
Looking Ahead to Election Day
With just days left until Canadians head to the polls, the digital strategies of each party will face their ultimate test. Momentum can still shift. Narratives can still be rewritten. And social media platforms remain the wild cards of the campaign, capable of elevating a candidate or derailing a message in a matter of hours.
In the days after Election Day, we’ll return to unpack what worked, what didn’t, and how digital campaigning shaped the final results.
Looking for an Edge in Digital Campaigning?
For political campaigns and organizations looking to stay ahead, digital strategy is no longer optional. If you’re seeking campaign-ready insights, digital advertising execution, or social media strategy that drives results, get in touch with EOK Consults.
