Canada is about 99.9 per cent likely to be heading into an election after next week, so all national parties have started to unveil their early media strategies—and attack ads are all the rage. As they soften up the ground for the campaign (which will last between four and six weeks), we detect hints of what they’ll be selling, who they’re selling to and how well they’re doing. Here, a look at what the ads tell us so far.
CONSERVATIVES
Target: People who think the last five years have gone just swimmingly and don’t want to rock the boat. Also, judging by the soundtrack, people who liked the score to The Lord of the Rings. Is there some small government–hobbit crossover that we don’t know about? Worst. Fan fiction. Ever.
Message summary: Hey, remember that global financial crisis that didn’t turn Canada in to a pile of smoking rubble? No biggie; just the government looking out for the little guy.
Campaign tone: Unlike every other attack ad they’ve put out, this one stresses that Stephen Harper is looking out for Canada, is totally a family man and is not, as is widely believed, a robot.
Grade: A for effort, but B- for execution. It’s difficult to credit the positive, “Yay for Canada” message in the context of a half-dozen other ads about how Michael Ignatieff and a non-existent coalition are going to steal your baby, dingo-style.
Related
Related Tags
Bev Oda, Canada, Conservatives, Federal Election 2011, financial crisis, government, Green Party, Liberals, media, Michael Ignatieff, NDP, News, Politics, Rick Mercer, Stephen Harper, Tories
Popular
Most Commented