Tomorrow’s ad – and three rejects

I think the above would have made a popular billboard, but the party had higher priorities.

Maybe it’s not too late to sell it to the Exclusive Brethren.

Below, two competing ideas for the final day full page press ad tomorrow.

The first uses John Campbell’s idea from the TV3 debate of stacking up children’s building blocks into towers.

The aim was to counter the main threat to ACT: people thinking they needed to vote National to get rid of Labour.

Of course they don’t. It’s not the number of your blocks, but the size of your bloc that counts.

I’m a bit worried that we’re not going with this.

The party decided it was more important to emphasise the symbolic cup of tea between John and Rodney.

This sent the signal to National voters to give Rodney their party votes in Epsom, and to ACT supporters round the country that it’s safe to vote ACT. 

Newspapers being about news, I thought we should feature several relevant facts up big, in case people didn’t read any further from the headline.

These facts are that Rodney’s safe in Epsom, that ACT doesn’t need 5% to make it back, and that there are three big policies that ACT will drive a hard bargain on if ACT holds the balance of power.

But after much debate, the guys in Auckland decided to go with the following simpler approach, challenging the voter and leaving the detail to the body copy…

What do you think?

Helping Rodney scupper the ETS

You read it here first. ACT’s new ad for the Sunday Star-Times tomorrow. Poking the borax at parties who tell it like it isn’t.

John Key is a genuinely nice guy, but I doubt I’ll be getting a Christmas card from him this year after this.

While I don’t like upsetting my friends at the Nats, I just can’t agree with someone who knows that man-made climate change is a hoax, but would rather waste billions of our dollars on a fix that won’t work, than use his public platform to explain the science.

John thinks explaining is losing. Maybe he’s right. Maybe not. But surely if you’re really ambitious for New Zealand, it’s right to try. 

Rodney and Roger are made of sterner stuff, and I’m proud to try and explain their position. I hope this ad helps get ACT the traction they deserve.

If it doesn’t, it’s my fault. They approved the copy as written.

The photo of Rodney – which I really like - was by ACT Hutt South candidate and artist Lindsay Mitchell.

(I remain mystified why such a passionate and knowledgeable candidate as Lindsay is ranked only 14th. Bob Jones launched her campaign, and Bob doesn’t come out for just anybody.)

Thanks to Mike Boekholt, Lance Tomuri and Andrew Rundle-Keswick for the artwork.