
Mike Ramsay, JWT Auckland It's pretty much impossible to avoid the hoardings around town at the moment, so the Green Party one's from Special are a nice change. They have an idea and compelling reason and they feel very right for the Greens; a really nice summation rather than the usual same-same political messages.
Agency: Special
Client: Green Party
Creatives: Tony Bradbourne, Rob Jack, Heath Lowe, Steve McCabe
Photography: Alistair Guthrie/Canvass
To be honest theses ads target grey lynn house wives and thats about it. Which is a shame as i think the greens have more to offer policy wise.
A real shame i would say as a green supporter for many years.
But if it's about getting votes instead of principles these should work fine.
It's an election my friend. It's all about votes.
Thanks for your input Andy.
What's a principle?
I like the ads, but i think the Greens problems are bigger. For years they had a point of difference to the two coke and pepsi parties. You could throw in your green party vote like you add a small helping of salad to the deep fried stuff you pile on your plate at the buffet. A guilt aleviator. Trouble is, green thinking is mainstream now thanks to al Gore and others. Once the Nats and Labour swing into action on green policies, where does it leave the Greens? Why do you need to vote for them? This is the issue the Greens need to focus on if they want to survive.
Another analogy? Ok, just one more. The specialist dance music record shop you go to down the lane for all your cool imports. But then the big music store chain realise that dance music is popular now and they swing their resources into importing all the latest shit. End result, the little independent closes down.
It wasn't Andy, it was me.
Well as we move to a more homogenised and narrowed political spectrum I think the Greens have a near perfect positioning and are thinking a little further ahead in regards the future. To continue the record store analogy, I'd perhaps suggest that the Greens will provide that Real Groovy political aspect, compared to the HMV or Sounds or whatever that Nats & Labour are.
Of course you're right, they may have to publicly extend themselves beyond the simplicity of solely environmentally driven politics, but I think that once Jeanette drops back a bit their next wave of politicians will address those wider concerns. There's a few more next-wave Greens popping up, they just need to get their profiles going, and that's going to be hard-yakka in the current economic climate, no one wants to talk about the world when their own little worlds are collapsing, unless they run a survivalist type campaign. Of course they'd have to revise their arms policies.
I think the Greens just move a bit slower and a bit quieter. They're not exactly nasty cut throat politicians, and I don't think we'd want them to be. They do make sense. It's just a bit hard to swallow because we're all inherently selfish. Eventually you do realise they're worth considering seriously.
I think swinging a vote their way this time might be highly worthwhile this election. Labour should lose and let National cop the flack thru the global meltdown; let those deluded capitalist pigs, (and the mis-informed masses who bought into the American Dream) feel the burn and realise that a good solid dose of socialism is the foundation of this country and what made it the utopia they hold in their minds.
And then come 2012, the Greens can ensure we have the best damn communal gardens ever and that we only queue for the finest organic breads.
I just hope they don't take away my Falcon, I work damn hard to keep that bitch on the road.
Real Groovy is for sale. No shock. Large premises. Lots of staff. Mp3 sales biting. Parking a nightmare. Surrounded by third-rate building housing students whom prefer karaoke and Britney.
The next best place for second-hand records is Revenge Records in Papatoetoe.
I like the billboards. But this is one of those cases where the product in real life is nowhere near as good as the advertising.
In real life, we've got Sue Bradford and anti-smacking, showers that trickle, and a load of whacky, irrelevant stuff that doesn't really represent the future of our children or the future of our world.
I'd take it to the Commerce Commission myself. False advertising.
Perhaps while you're there, you could ask if National's "brighter future" comes with a money-back guarantee?
I think you're missing the point 10.43. My comment was likening the campaign and its client to some clients who want the promise in the advertising solution to be bigger than they can or are actually delivering.
National's 'brighter future' is fairly vague in comparison to saving the world don't you think? Not that I like their campaign anyway.
Actual debate. How refreshing.
Fiona - in real life you have a group of politicians who have been successfully leaning on the government for the last 8 years to slow down climate change (Emissions Trading Scheme), create healthier food (compulsory country of origin labeling, more testing of imported food, stopping the sale of Junk food in schools, keeping GE crops out of NZ) and stop the countryside being consumed by corporate developers. Anything there your kids might appreciate?
I quite like the National billboard with the planes. At least it tackles the issue (High taxes drives smart kiwis abroad).
God now that i think about it it;s the only ad i have found which actually tackles any issue.
What's happened to this country?
3.03. You've now sunk into a political debate about Greens vs National. Sorry, but I'm not joining you. Can't stand politics. All I was debating was the billboards as per the orginal post. Suggest you go off to a Green's rally. This isn't the forum for it.
I have always said that there should be a 'None of the Above' box to tick on the election form.
Here's my position on the Greens billboards; When it comes to the crunch, on election day, when you have to tick two boxes, when you've weighed up the options on whom to vote for, are you going to vote for the people who'll lower taxes, attempt to decrease crime, improve the economy, and (if you're a beneficiary) increase your allowance - are you going to vote Green based purely on some beautiful Al Guthrie shots?
I don't know.
All up, I think photography was the winner on the day. So, well done Al.
Indeed Al, well done. You must have had a bloody long step ladder for that second shot.
In all honesty, and with my hand on my heart, I can say but one thing. Helen Clark, suck my balls.
Interesting to see Helen Clark's husband masquerading on this blog as 'Carol'.
I like them. I think they brighten up the landscape.
All the other political stuff pollutes it.
can that core-flute stuff be recycled? (Other than using them for sliding down the side of North Head)
Oh yeah, a compelling message alright: "Vote for us and we'll save the planet!!"
And if you'll swallow that you'll probably swallow the rest of their BS. Do you dimwits even know what you're voting for? Most of their party members are paid-up Marxists for christsake! And that's right, Andy, they have principles -- here's a few gems their hero Karl had to say:
"The theory of Communism may be summed up in one sentence: Abolish all private property."
"Machines are, it may be said, the weapon employed by the capitalists to quell the revolt of specialized labor."
And my personal favourite, to which all you Adwankers should pay close attention:
"Advertising people are like maggots feeding on the corpse of capitalism."
A vote for the Greens is ultimately a vote for an early career change.
Now, if you'll pardon me, I have to get on my bike and go down to LightingPlus to get me some of those squiggly bulbs for my bathroom with the dribbly shower.
... Dumbasses.
Michael. You are so on the button. Well said.
People/ bloggers/ad creatives, if you work in advertising and are not voting National this year you pretty much are a fool. You don't know what your industry is about, what it stands for and that it is capitalism at is greatest.
And no doubt you ad people will all understand that inflation this year is at 5.1%. So that means if you have not had an 5.1% pay rise your 100K you thought you were getting is now worth only 94k. So yes you just taken a pay cut and you did not know it thanks to Labour.
So with that in mind you should be voting for a forward thinking economy and National who will get this country moving. If you don't you be earning less than ever and working in a industry for the next 3 -4 years that is struggling.
Remember to bring a cut lunch after Nov the 8th.
has anyone even bothered looking at the online portal which those guys set up BEFORE the dumb poster campaign??
That is fucking genius. and it's nowt to do with saving the world. social marketing 101.