Beyond...

...parody.

Smith

Citizen Lem from Mancha Productions on Vimeo.

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

Broadcast

The UUP PPB broadcast is now available over on iplayer (but not yet on the party site as far as I can see).  

Visually it has some comparisons with the DUP broadcast - bright skies Belfast skyline - although it has something of a softer vibe to the music and overall feel.  The use of the list about 30 seconds in didn't fit with the rest of it. Also there was a key emphasis point about 2.30s in that would made a better end point but they chose to  tack on another 30 secs that didn't add especially much and could have easily come before.  

What really hampered it was some wooden delivery from the party leader and some (but not all of the candidates).  

Forward

DUP's Conference PPB.

When Harry met Sally met an election

Background information here.

Vote Dem or the puppies get it

Undecided

Another ad from Americae, this time for embattled republican Senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell.  She has not had her troubles to find as regards her campaign with the republican establishment as unhappy as the Democrats are about her.

As regards the ad, I get the concept - address a negative stereotypes upfront (the witch story and judgementalism) and try to redefine by playing to the strength, in this case being an outsider (and even just ordinary citizen).  However, I'm just not sure if she manages to pull it off.

Free Beer

The US electoral cycle continues to provide us all with entertainment from Dale Paterson's all out assault while Basil Marceaux provided a media masterclass.  Now we have the candidate with a name in the tradition of the bands that have called themselves 'Free Beer'.  The Republican candidate for Alabama State Treasurer is called Young Boozer and unlike the others is odds on to win.

The Blame Game

While any 'silly' season polling has to be treated with some scepticism, the clear trend for the government is down.  Today a new web ad was launched on webcameronuk to re-focus attention of how the situation is Labour's legacy:

A reasonable effort with the genre and less OTT than their previous attempt. However, I don't think the disillusionment is all necessarily about the cuts programme, a few less gaffes by the Coalition would help.

All publicity is good publicity?

Arguably going viral helped the profile of Dale Peterson against more established and better supported republican candidates and while losing he may never have got the showing he did.  However what impact will going viral have on another person seeking the republican nomination for Governor in Tenessee, Basil Marceaux.  A local news station gave every primary candidate a slot and his performance has gone viral.

He has also made national TV appearances as a result.  The attention also meant Marceaux's criminal record of mostly traffic offences was revealed.  Although on one occassion charges were dismissed as the court ruled he was insane.  However, a local judge provides an apt refrain for those who would wish simply to ridicule:

Moon described Marceaux as a “character,” and noted, “I have always liked characters and have always been kind of infatuated with people who hear the sound of a different drummer.”

A poll had him at 1% before the video went viral so will the extra attention help his campaign?  A perfect opportunity to test the old publicity adage.

Hat tip Guido Fawkes.

Why wait?

Tom Harris isn't waiting for the referendum to begin his anti-AV campaigning.  He argued previously that anti-Coalition sentiment could be the means to win the referendum.  Now in a web video he directs his ire on the junior partner of the Con Dem coalition, the Liberal Democrats - "'Just because the Liberal Democrats keep losing elections doesn't mean they shouldn't be in government"

It's all been done before III

The Greens are in a preference pact with the Australian Labor Party and it appears they have decided to do a bit of piggy-backing on the Labor Party slogan.  In their TV ad they say:

"Your vote can move Australia forward."

Proving a popular phrase in 2010.  I find the the dual forward and back motion of the PEB a bit disorientating and thus does distract from the message.

Meanwhile the polls are continuing to shift against Labor with the latest poll putting them tied.  Any bounce from ditching Rudd seems to have quickly worn off with a strong suspicion that a series of leaks that have embarrassed Labor and its new Leader, Gillard, may be coming from her predecessor.

It's all been done before (Part II)

It's not only the Australian Labour Party that has lifted its election slogan from elsewhere but the Liberal Party too.  In its first broadcast it has revealed its Action Contract with the slogan "Stand up for Australia".  This was the same slogan that the Conservative Party of Canada used in the 2006 federal election (pdf file).

Humour v All out Assault

A while back I mentioned about about humour in election planning and how the Best Party has actually run such a campaign. The alternative to humour in the planning room is when you spend 5 minutes thinking about the full blown ideological campaign that you wish you could run with no floating voters to worry about. Dale Peterson tried this approach in Alabama to get the republican nomination for Agricultural Commissioner. His internet ad became something of a sensation even described as the best political ad ever.



He lost coming last in a three way contest.

"Whatever Works"

When people sit in a backroom to plan a political campaign I've tended to find that there is a significant amount of humour. It is needed to calm tempers as a particular word in a slogan is argued over again and again. It is needed to raise spirits as voting data or polling is analysed for meaning. It's needed to deal with frustration with voters as focus group reports are trawled through to identify what their core concerns are among the laundry list of contradictory messages you get in such reports. Part of the humour is invariably about mad slogans or insane policies with some fantasising about the fun it would be too run such a campaign. A glimpse of freedom from planning, message management and handholding candidates.

Of course it never happens but the wonder is always there what would happen if it ever was tried - Iceland has given us the answer.

The Best Party, a collection of comedians and arty types, was launched last year on the promise that:

"...it will not honour any of the promises given prior to elections. It claims all other parties are secretly corrupt, so it promises to be openly corrupt."

It's policy portfolio included (non-)promises of:

"free towels in all city swimming pools, a polar bear for the city zoo, a Disneyland at the city airport and a drug-free parliament by 2020."

Riding the wave of public anger about the Icelandic economic crisis and using the slogan "Whatever works", the party performed very well in the Rejavik local government elections polling the highest among all the parties. Below is their 'PEB'.

The TUV PEB

Now for a critical eye on the TUV PEB (still can't find the original Alliance PEB on the internet for some odd reason I can only find a remix version). There are no surprises in terms of the TUV's messages - scandal, terrorists in government, Stormont's crap etc.

In terms of message they actually do the DUP three small favours - they acknowledge the DUP shift on multiple mandates, they reiterate the hung parliament narrative and attack the Ulster Unionist and Conservative link-up. They do repeat the fallacy that they have the answers to 'terrorist inclusive government' but they are hardly going to admit that in a PEB or anywhere else for that matter.

Visually it's a mixed bag - they use the newspaper headline approach (useful for reinforcement of message by 'neutral' sources). In terms of backdrops they veer to having them to not - Allister and Ross do others have blank walls. Falls down a bit on their candidates failure to learn their scripts and the Harbinson, Kilpatrick, Ross sections needed re-shot - the off camera eye movement isn't good.

Slogan Subversion and Mainstreaming

Some political communication from the other side of the big sheuch. This is from the Republican Governors Association. They have gone for a mix of subversion and mainstreaming. First it attempts to subvert the successful 'Yes We Can' slogan of the Obama campaign by tying it to a series of negative outcomes. However, its sub theme is an adaption of remember remember the 5th november simply remember november. The 5th November theme was used successfully by the Ron Paul presidential campaign in an online fundraising drivewhich itself was influenced by left-wing emphasis of the Fawkian myth as an anti-Bush metaphor.

We Will Remember from Republican Governors Association on Vimeo.

The Green Party PEB

Just when you thought it was safe to return to this blog, here is another review of a PEB. Political communication nerds of the world unite is what I say. This time it is the turn of the Green party. Visually it is the best so far copying the Hearts and Minds comment section format. The candidates get a good airing but possibly began to drag near to the end and the Brian Wilson speech could have easily been cut without losing anything, especially as it was unclear what issue he was actually talking about.

UCUNF's second PEB

This second effort is in the same mould as the first - visually dull but a range of candidates stating the key messages. One rather surreal moment when shots of daffodils were used as the visual representation for the Bill of Rights section.

The Conservative PEB No.2 - Immediate v Strategic?

I was more impressed with the second Conservative PEB than the first one. It seemed to flow much better and provide a better insight into the 'Big Society' idea. However, it was a frank admission that the mantle of being the change candidate has been lost to Clegg with the broadcast pitching to reclaim it. This will be no easy task and more likely to happen in the debates than by a PEB.



The difficulty the Conservatives may find themselves in with the Lib Dems is that part of their long-term strategy relied on cosying up to their regular voters. For Tories toachieve their target of a majority they need to take Lib Dem marginals and attract Lib Dem votes in Labour marginals. However, to undermine the new Lib Dem surge they have had to start attacking their more unpopular policies with the broader public. The Lib Dems more unpopular policies tends to be their more 'liberal' ones.

So while this may attract back some of the surge it may undermine the cause of attracting regular Lib Dem voters and undermine the narrative of a new Liberal Conservatism. Essentially the solution to the immediate problem (the surge) could undermine the work to deal with the strategic problem (attracting Lib dem voters in marginals).