How it's done: Political advertising at its best

23 May 2016
 
The Kevin 07 campaign captured the mood of the time and the appetite for change.

With the 2 July double dissolution election around the corner, advertising, mainstream and social media has become a campaign battleground. But so far, no one has made election advertising inspirational.

Australian politicians could learn from these five campaigns from the US, UK and Australia, which captured voter attention and helped win elections.

1. UK: New Labour, New Danger 1997 by M&C Saatchi London

The 1997 Conservative campaign aimed to undermine the New Labour position that Tony Blair, the then leader of the party had built up to revive Labour’s reputation and engage a new generation of Labourites. It portrayed Blair, who went on to win the 1997 election, as untrustworthy and sinister. The UK ad watchdog received more than 150 complaints about the ad – which were upheld and the ad had to be pulled. Shortly after, the body ceased regulating election ads.

2. UK - Labour isn't working 1970 by Saatchi & Saatchi London

Unemployment was high in the UK in the late 1970s under the Labour government led by James Callaghan. The Conservatives’ ad depicted a queue outside a dole office where the unemployed could collect benefits. It played on the theme that neither the public nor the party “was working” and Britain would be better off under Conservative leadership. The ads worked and Margaret Thatcher became the UK’s first female Prime Minister.

labour isn't working3. US: Obama, Hope - 2008

Barack Obama, who will step down as President of the United States in November after two terms, ran one of the most striking presidential election campaigns in recent times. The now iconic poster was not originally commissioned by the Obama campaign, but began as an independent artwork designed by artist Shepard Fairey. It became one of the most recognisable elements of Obama’s successful campaign.

obama hope4. Canada - Just not ready 2015

Canada’s 2015 election campaign season was the country’s longest and costliest in 100 years. The now Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won over the public with his down to earth manner and contemporary approach. Part of his campaign saw him reverse the widely held belief in political advertising circles that candidates shouldn’t “parrot” the language of their rivals, according to an analysis in Canadian paper The Globe and Mail. When Conservative attack ads turned on him using the slogan “Just not ready” to show the young politician wasn’t qualified to lead the nation, instead of shying away from it, he adopted the slogan and turned it to his benefit. It worked.

5. Australia - Kevin 07 2007

Kevin Rudd’s 2007 campaign captured the mood of the time and the appetite for change. At that point, Liberal Prime Minister John Howard had been in power for 11 years. The contemporary campaign spoke to young voters without alienating older voters, presenting Rudd and Labor as the fresh choice. And it worked (although an ad campaign can only get you there, it can’t keep you in power).

 

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