Conservative Party attacks PM in ad blitz
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The Conservative Party is ramping up its campaign efforts with a series of posters attacking Prime Minister Gordon Brown, while Labour has taken the unusual step of asking supporters to create its new advertisement.
The Conservative Party campaign
The Tories have rolled out 800 outdoor advertisements featuring a smiling PM alongside text such as: “I took billions from pensions - vote for me”, “I let out 80,000 criminals early - vote for me” and “I increased the gap between rich and poor - vote for me”.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party is asking voters to suggest ideas for its planned poster campaign. One possible ad featured on the Party’s website shows a picture of the Prime Minister next to the line: “Building a foundation”, while the caption next to Tory Party leader David Cameron reads: “Wearing it”.
The ad is a reference to allegations that a recent poster campaign featuring Cameron was airbrushed.
The Tories have launched several high-profile outdoor campaigns this year as they look to build support ahead of the May poll but Labour, shackled by a lack of funds in comparison to the Tories, has concentrated its efforts on direct marketing.
The advertising blitz comes a week after it emerged that the Tories have appointed M&C Saatchi to handle their advertising alongside lead agency Euro RSCG.
M&C Saatchi was founded by the Saatchi brothers who created the famous “Labour isn’t working” campaign that was said to have contributed to Margaret Thatcher’s 1979 poll win over Labour.
The brothers were also behind the “Labour’s tax bombshell” campaign that helped swing the 1992 election in favour of the Conservatives.
Readers' comments (7)
Neil Hopkins | Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:07 pm
What a surprise...
What is evident with all of this type of advertising is that the advertiser hasn't got anything good to say about their own product/policies (delete as appropriate).
This is nothing more than 'Mine is bigger than yours' and doesn't really advance British politics or political debate over policies.
Perhaps the Tories haven't got any policies of their own? This is the only reason I can think of for not advertising them...
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Anonymous | Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:19 pm
The Conservatives seem to be banking on people having short memories ... the gap between rich and poor widened significantly under their watch as they checked the entrails and waited for the 'trickle down effect'. They seem to be reliant also on slagging off the PM instead of communicating their own policies - having highlighted what they see as a deficiency of Labour, what would THEY do? Does anyone actually know?
This indicates the complete lack of constructive debate that will probably blight this election and further undermine voters' faith in the democractic process. Cameron vowed to eschew 'Punch and Judy' politics; as for Saatchi? - "Same old Tories!".
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Christian Hirlemann | Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:49 pm
I can only agree with the previous comments. Where does this campaign look at what the conservatives CAN do.
If all you have is negativity then you do not have much at all.
I am not a Labourite but I have been becoming less and less conservative recently. Campaigns like this have no way of convincing me to turn back! Did anyone see Senator McCain try to inpire America with No We Can't.
Hopefully someone will have something helpful to say that will help me see how they will govern this country and not just why no one else could.
For me what happens in the future is far more important than what happened in the past 10/20 years and that is what we are voting for.
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Alix George | Mon, 29 Mar 2010 5:31 pm
All Labour and Conservative do is sling as much mud at each other as possible.
The bottom line of it is that neither party can tell us where these future cuts are coming from because both parties believe us, as the general public, to be flightly, nervous and to be frank, stupid.
I have more important things to worry about than whether David Cameron used an airbrushed picture.
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Anonymous | Mon, 29 Mar 2010 5:44 pm
Remember when Labour came to power it was 'things can only get better' and 13 years later? still singing it!
David Cameron it's time to grab this Country with both hands and run with it...please!
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Tim Skinner | Mon, 29 Mar 2010 7:16 pm
A dodgy Saatchi poster and The Sun.
Perhaps someone should update the calender at Conservative head office - they really do still think it's 1979.
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Anonymous | Thu, 1 Apr 2010 11:44 am
Seems to me that people will put up with a lot ( blood, sweat, toil and tears) in return for brute competence, honesty and fairness, or at least sharing out the misery.
Yar boo posters and fantasy budgeting doesn't suggest that any party has understood the problem
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