Tory Party Election Broadcast - Schoolboy error and a costly mistake

Whoever decided to make the last two Tory PEBs identical in style, 75% similar in content, have the same music and the same look in every way has, in my view, made a silly mistake.

As soon as the PEB started, my first thought was "I've seen this before". My wife lost interest (and she's not political in any way) and said she'd seen it too. I wonder how many other people felt that too ?

The problem is, as soon as someone thinks they've seen it before, they switch off, put the kettle on, lose interest in the finer details, and in some cases will think the Tories stupid for showing an identical PEB twice.

Now the more it went on I noticed a few subtle differences. There was some reference to a contract (they did something in Norwich North last year and I don't think it did anything to persuade people or change minds), and one new but at the end. But in essence, it seemed like the same PEB as before.

I was told on a Lib Dem campaign training day once to make sure every leaflet looks different from the previous one or else people will think they are the same leaflet they have already seen. The rule should also apply to election broadcasts.

In my opinion it was a schoolboy error, a silly mistake and a wasted opportunity by the Tories.

Did you spot the unpatriotic element of the Tory Party Election Broadcast ?

Did anyone see the Tory PEB ? Did anyone notice the money in the broken piggy bank ?

If you look closely you will see all the coins were US dollars.

Isn't it slightly odd that the "keep the pound" party are using piggy banks full of US dollars ?

English Democrats PEB

Having just seen the English Democrats PEB on TV, I have to say I am slightly bemused.

Some bloke presented the whole advert, looking neither excited or energised about what he was saying whilst the bullet points he was talking about were not even put on screen means you were left wondering the whole time who this rather boring bloke was. Also, the broadcast appeared to have been filmed on a cheap camcorder meaning that the colours looked slightly washed out.

Also, I was confused about their line about not being "left or right", when they stood sown in North Norfolk 5 years ago because they did not want to split the Tory vote.

I know they are a small party, but I think I could have made a better PEB than the one I saw tonight.

Why was the UKIP Party Election Broadcast made for school children ?

My wife said to me as the UKIP election broadcast was being broadcast, "Why is the voice over sounding like it is being broadcast as a programme for school children ?".

A good point, and after rewinding it on Sky+, I couldn't help but agree. A slow deliberate slightly condescending voice over with some rather amateurish graphics spoke as if the person watching is a little bit thick. Explaining rather simple facts slowly, like someone was explaining to their grandmother how to use digital TV for the first time.

Rather bizarrely and in complete contrast, Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader, appeared to be entering a competition to see who could say the most words in 30 seconds, such was his hurried delivery.

Now I know UKIP are not as well off as other parties, but with such a simple message to sell and one that ought to appeal to so many people (including me to some extent), they could have done better.