Neither The Guardian, whose Steve Hilton page has nothing after the 5 October story on the ad, nor BBC News, in its 4 November 2026 report on his defeat, says the Hilton campaign removed or replaced the Just Try It, California ad by 3 November.
History. 2 of 5. Both came down within four days of release; after the first week none did, 0 of 5.
Hunch. On 5 October Hilton defended the ad as satire and asked for understanding, and it is already more than a week old.
The ad market resolves on statements by the Hilton campaign, confirmed by The Guardian or BBC News, checked on 4 November 2026: YES if the campaign itself removes or replaces the “Just Try It, California” ad by the end of 3 November. Removal by a platform does not count, and if the campaign is silent, two reports from The Guardian and BBC News settle it.
We looked for cases where a candidate or party ran a campaign ad that the press called offensive, and members of the candidate's own party condemned it in public. We found five since 1993, in the US, Britain and Canada. They include a TV ad, an online video, online posts and leaflets, and votes for a national parliament, a Senate seat, a party nomination, a city mayor and local councils.