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The Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband made a real feature of the phrase “Downgraded Chancellor” throughout his speech. He also made a point about it being possible to fit the Coalition government’s budget into a single tweet.
The Labour Party subsequently released the image above which featured both pieces of messaging.
Very good.
The Labour Party released this image almost immediately after Ed Miliband made the exact same point in his Budget response in The House of Commons.
This synergy between broadcast and social execution is great and is something that all political parties and causes should be trying to achieve.
Here’s a few Budget Day memes which attack George Osborne and feature the end line “Well done, George”.
The various headlines use the lines of attack that Labour will no doubt be using to attack the Chancellor on his big day.
Ed Miliband stars in a new party political broadcast by The Labour Party on the topic of immigration.
I wish it wasn’t important what a politician sounds like, but unfortunately it does. And Ed Miliband’s voice sounds really very odd in this broadcast. You can’t help The Leader having a cold on the day on the day of filming, but it doesn’t help the communication.
That aside, it’s a fairly solid broadcast. It seems that the political parties are more focused on not letting the googly of a political broadcast result in them hitting their own stumps, rather than attempt to hit it for six.
The comments section of the broadcast on YouTube watch page is also hilarious. The YouTube commenting community are not known for their unconditional ‘on message’ support, so either there has been an outbreak of contentedness or the Labour Party have sent out a message asking friends to post.
The Labour Party have released this piece of online content which alerts people to the fact that the government’s decision to reduce the top rate of income tax from 50p to 45p for those earning over £1 million a year comes into effect on 6th April 2013.
Independent financial organisations have estimated that this will save around 13, 000 people, all earning £1million+ a year, around £100, 000 annually. When you compare this saving to the overall reductions that a far greater number of people will experience (the millions of people on working benefits stand to lose around £500 per year) the policy can be made to seem incredibly unjust.
In his Labour Party Conference speech last year, Ed Miliband said: “Next April David Cameron will be writing a cheque to each and every millionaire in Britain” and the comms team at Labour HQ have taken that sentiment and put it in an image.
It’s a fairly dry piece of content. It looks very staid and corporate.
When the Labour Party’s content is at its best it has spirit, energy and attitude. The party’s comms needs to inspire people to get more involved or tickle them enough to share it with their (non-political) friends.
Using stock-looking-photography and creative vehicles like a cheque book are not the way to do this.
Comment to follow.
A source close to John O’Farrell, The Labour Party candidate in the Eastleigh by-election taking place in 2 days time, has released a video which celebrates his (to quote the blurb on YouTube) “better than the average” candidacy.
O’Farrell comes across brilliantly and the video serves as a reminder that authenticity is the most valuable trait in a candidate.
Whilst there are fears that O’Farrell may not even make the podium in the by-election, I’m sure this video will be a helpful aid to his candidacy’s posterity.
This is a leaflet being used by The Conservative Party to attack Lib Dem candidate Mike Thornton in The Battle of Eastleigh by-election that is currently in full swing.
The clip art ‘stop press’ star burst is so hilariously shit that it made this door drop worth sharing.
If you want people to read your election communications, perhaps try writing something eye catching, arresting or amusing in the headline. You could include an impactful visual. Or, have some nice, clean art direction which allows your well crafted copy to breath.
Sticking a ‘stop press’ star burst on a your leaflet won’t magically make the electorate want to read what looks like a terminally dull leaflet.
Communications like this (along with the ever-present ‘campaign leaflet dressed up as local newspaper’ trick) really do contribute to the public perception that politicians think the electorate are a bunch of easy-to-manipulate mugs.
An unofficial poster for the Labour Party has been released which attacks the Prime Minister’s economic policy.
The advert, featuring David Cameron as a doctor, attacks the Conservative Party leader for sticking with his economic ‘Plan A’, regardless of the fact that the UK is hurtling towards a triple dip recession.
Here is an unofficial poster for the Labour Party which attacks David Cameron’s announcement that he will hold an in / out referendum on Europe by 2017.
The advert, which uses this week’s Economist front cover, accuses the Prime Minister of taking a reckless gamble with Britain’s future.
