Or does it?
Each of the 5 parties with representatives at Holyrood now have (at least) one party election broadcast in the public domain. Â There are five different messages here, and several different styles. But what do we really get from each of them? Well let’s try to find something positive and something negative with each of them.
SNP (5 April)
The SNP’s “Monty Python” video is an original-ish idea, its funny and it taps into people’s psyche when it comes to elections – the “why bother, what have they ever done for us” mentality. On the other hand, there’s a kind of “that’s what we got in the last election – what are you going to give us this time around?” notion as well.
Scottish Labour (6 April)
(I can’t find Labour’s latest PEB on YouTube or on the party’s website to embed here, but you can see the video of it on the BBC website here).
Labour’s “Iain Gray focus piece” is more about introducing the man who might be First Minister than any Labour policies, and while the tactic is probably right – and certainly warranted – when you compare it with Welsh Labour’s video which is based on the same format, Carwyn Jones shows Iain Gray how it should be done. The idea of talking about your family and using that as your frame of reference for politics works… but I’m not sure Iain Gray sells it right.
Scottish Conservative (7 April)
The Conservative video uses the same principle – leader Annabel Goldie talking to camera, touting the achievements of the Scottish Tories during the last session of parliament, pointing out that it was only with their support that certain measures (Council Tax freeze, small business bonus, 1,000 police officers…) were passed. I expect this message will be the central theme to their campaign. However, the format – with the leader shown at home, out rambling, birdwatching – is tired (indeed, its just about the same idea Labour have had) and I feel like I’ve seen this PEB a million times before.
Scottish Liberal Democrat (8 April)
The Lib Dems video is, for me, the most bizarre. Granted, it is certainly the most focused on a single issue (stopping the centralisation of police forces) which means you get a bit more information on that issue… but it just seems a bit small. Where do the Lib Dems stand on other things? What is their vision for Scotland? Does this issue really warrant the 2 minutes of my time over everything else? Also, the style is a bit weird. It seems to me like a news report – I’m expecting to hear “Tavish Scott, Reporting Scotland, standing beside a police car” at the end. And surely you re-shoot the bits where the leaflet gets blown about a bit, no?
Scottish Greens (11 April)
And the Greens – the concept is good here. Let’s have as many different people, different voices, different faces, from all over Scotland giving one message: “we’re using our second vote to vote Green because…” Its a simple message, delivered simply and effectively. However, each of the previous four parties utilise their leader – and I think the Greens could have given a bit more public recognition if they’d had one of their more prominent figures, Patrick Harvie or Eleanor Scott, or even Martin Ford, involved in the video. Ordinary folk work to a point – but they aren’t the ones standing for election.
So – is there value in party election broadcasts? Any more so than leaflets? No idea. Gives me something to critique though…
UPDATE:
On a vaguely-related note. Â I’m looking to put together a post with some folks views on why they are voting a particular way in May. Â Hopefully, I’ll get around 9 or 10 – and then we can have a debate around the issues arising out of that. Â I’m not looking for much – 100 words or so – setting out a positive case why you’ll be voting for X in May. Â Anyone interested – drop me an email or tweet, or a comment and we’ll set it up. Â Cheers.
#1 by douglas clark on April 11, 2011 - 1:19 pm
I am all all in favour of a multiplicity of voices.
After Independence!
#2 by James on April 11, 2011 - 1:22 pm
Thanks Malc. We could have tried to do both a many-voices video and bunged in a prominent Green or two, but I think it would have lost focus. It’s not that we don’t rate our candidates, just a different choice. And the ad experts say nothing is a bigger turnoff than politicians telling you what to think!
#3 by Malc on April 11, 2011 - 1:29 pm
I didn’t mean throughout – but an appearance at the end (a la Salmond in the SNP one) would probably have helped a bit. I like the concept – the people know best – but the Greens ARE a political party, and you have politicians too! But we don’t tend to know who they are (which is the problem Labour are having). It was meant as constructive criticism though…
#4 by Una on April 11, 2011 - 1:22 pm
nice idea to compare the PEBs for us PLEBs. Use of humour by SNP a breath of fresh air amidst the political jabber – I assume forward-looking policies will come with the manifesto launch.
Green one good, well-rounded message, but what’s with the shaky camera? Is it meant to be cinéma vérité? I felt a bit queasy!
#5 by Malc on April 11, 2011 - 1:32 pm
I’d never call anyone a PLEB Una!
Yeah, I like the humour in the SNP vid, and I expect you are right – we’ll get more 2011 focus with the manifesto this week. Truth is, there are bits I like about all of them (I hope that came across). I just think that they maybe leave more questions than answers! Maybe we’ll see some answers in the coming weeks…
#6 by Shuna on April 11, 2011 - 1:59 pm
PEB – isnt that the time most of us leave to put the kettle on?
Normally dont watch any of them other than the Labour one – but have just been good and watched them all – (well so ok I switched off the Tory one half way through)
So here goes:
SNP – humour good – but could take issue with that list – smaller class sizes really? New schools really? And really is Alex Salmond their biggest selling point?
Labour – nice to see the real Iain Gray – but not the most original of PEBs
Tory – yawn….
Lib Dem – single issue, safe and yip dull!
Green – actually lack of ‘big names’ was nice but we have seen this kind of PEB before.
I am not really sure any of them would persuade the few who bother to watch (instead of putting the kettle or nipping to the loo before Eggheads)
#7 by John Ruddy on April 11, 2011 - 9:19 pm
Indeed Shuna. The new schools thing really irks me – the Scottish Government have not given financial close to a single school since 2007.
Of the 300-odd schools the SNP claim they have built, 7 of the ones in Angus were PPP schools given financial close in 2006 (I wonder who was in power then?) and 3 were funded entirely from Angus Council’s own capital funding. But hey, why let facts get in the way!
By the way, Scottish Futures Trust is now telling Angus Council that the new High School they are supposed to be helping to fund will involve no money from Scottish Government – its to be a version of PPP!
#8 by Steve on April 11, 2011 - 2:16 pm
I wonder if any of this stuff has much impact, but surely it must give cheer to green party supporters to have a good PEB, and presumably having your own supporters flyering, door knocking etc with their heads held high is a boost.
I know a guy who works in advertising who says he’s run ad campaigns that were targeted at traders on the stock exchange, putting the idea in the back of their mind that a company is a safe bet with good potential. This isn’t stated explicitly in the ad, so you wouldn’t know that’s the aim to watch it. These ads are only run in and around London, so they are cheaper to put on too.
So I reckon the impact of PEBs is similar, it has an impact on your own and other activists, that will ripple out to the voters.
I like the Greens’ one very much, and I like the SNP one too, the others are pretty lame.
Wasn’t that James stood in front of a wind turbine? Isn’t he a prominent Green? He is prominent on twitter at least! – another forum where hacks speak to each other and not ordinary members of the public?
#9 by James on April 11, 2011 - 2:18 pm
Hi Steve, no, it’s not me, it’s Gordon Cowtan. But the idea and production thereof was mine with my outstanding colleague Ben.
#10 by Steve on April 11, 2011 - 2:43 pm
sorry for the mix up, well done on the behind the scenes stuff though, a really good job.
#11 by Ali Miller on April 11, 2011 - 2:17 pm
Is it just me or is the background music to the Labour and Conservative one a bit disturbing?
I have to say I detest the whole “at home with the family” format.
#12 by Malc on April 11, 2011 - 2:21 pm
Even David Cameron’s “washing-the-dishes-“hang-on-a-minute-I’m-talking-to-the-camera” effort?
Oh yeah… see what you mean.
#13 by Brian on April 11, 2011 - 3:09 pm
I think the real question here is which one will you remember ten minutes after viewing it?
That makes the SNP broadcast more effective than the others. The humour and the python hook effectively get your attention and keep it.
The Green broadcast gets their point across well but they needed to have a memorable hook similar to the 2nd vote green. A One for them, and one for us, message would have left the viewer with something to take away.
The others are just tired vanity projects for the leaders and offer nothing that has not been seen time and again.
#14 by Despairing on April 11, 2011 - 5:41 pm
I agree about the SNP PEB – memorable, and funny (to a point) which keeps you watching.
LibDem and Conservative ones are formulaic and almost old-fashioned.
As for Labour – oh dear. Here’s Iain Gray at home, where even his family ignore him and he sits in the corner with that inane grin. Here’s Iain Gray walking along a beach, again being ignored by his family who talk amongst themselves.
#15 by Welshguy on April 11, 2011 - 6:00 pm
Funny to hear Goldie extol the virtues of Proportional Representation (albeit implicitly) while her Westminster chums object to even the slightest change in that direction.
#16 by Malc on April 11, 2011 - 6:52 pm
I picked up on that too. It did amuse me. But that’s the ironic thing about the Tories – they were opposed to devolution and to PR but without either they’d have nothing in Scotland.
#17 by Jeff on April 11, 2011 - 10:57 pm
Without wanting to sound too easy, they were all good! Well, Gray’s was a bit bland.
Greens and then SNP were the best ones for me. The Greens edge it for the stronger, hairs-on-edge ending and, well, just having better policies for my money. I don’t even think the Lib Dems are being that daft making the election about a single issue either, it’s got to serve them better than the drubbing they are on for the UK coalition.
When Goldie said “No, you’ve had your biscuit”, did anyone else expect to see Bill Aitken on the other side of that fence?
I do cringe at Iain Gray’s “With the Tories back we need Labour…” message. He does seem to be saying that he is doing his job because of Margaret Thatcher and the 1980s. He asks “what do you want” without really saying what he is for, except for opposing the Tories in London.
Ok, I liked four of the five.
#18 by douglas clark on April 12, 2011 - 1:37 am
Och Jeff,
When are you going to come off the fence?
#19 by Jeff on April 12, 2011 - 8:53 am
What fence?
#20 by Doug Daniel on April 12, 2011 - 10:10 am
The SNP one is the best of the bunch for me, but I was pretty impressed with the Greens one when I saw it last night. I recognised a couple of faces though – one of them was that guy Michael Forbes who Donald Trump was trying to evict, but was there definitely no Green candidates or councillors in there?
The SNP one had humour, which is important because like any presentation it helps get the audience on your side – “these guys are alright, actually”, that sort of thing. The Greens one was very clear about what their policies were. The Labour and Tory ones were standard PEBs, the kind of thing people have seen hundreds of times before. “Oh look, here’s me doing my stuff, having a laugh.” Note for politicians: the public don’t really care about what you do in your spare time, they’re more concerned about what you’ll do for them.
Predictably, I thought Iain Gray’s one was the worst by far. Dull, dull, dull. You can’t sell a personality that doesn’t exist, and the more savvy amongst the electorate will have noticed that Scotland voting almost unanimously for Labour in 2010 has not done a thing to stop the Tory cuts, so the “vote Labour to stop the Tories” line won’t work anymore (except in “certain areas I think “Despairing” above is absolutely spot on.
Annabel’s one was slightly less dull, but is she really going to attract new voters by walking about dressed like she’s about to go on a pheasant shoot? Somehow, I don’t think so.
I don’t think I’ve seen the Lib Dem one (if I have I’ve forgotten it already), but it doesn’t sound like I missed anything important.
Looking forward to the minor parties doing their PEBs, which are usually the most entertaining – will anything beat 2007’s efforts of Tommy Sheridan driving about in his car, ranting into a camera sitting on the passenger seat, or the Christian guy who used to be in an 80s funk band spouting anti-gay messages of hate?
#21 by James on April 12, 2011 - 10:12 am
Thanks Doug – we did have a couple of candidates in there from lower down the lists. And yes, that’s Mike Forbes in front of his barn.
#22 by Doug Daniel on April 12, 2011 - 10:15 am
I thought so. One of them looked like Deborah Storr, I think.
#23 by Doug Daniel on April 12, 2011 - 10:13 am
That should be (except in “certain areas”…)
#24 by BM on April 12, 2011 - 12:54 pm
The music at the beginning of the Tory’s effort made it look like the opening credits for a mystery/crime series: Annabel’s Renfrewshire Murders.
#25 by jim jepps on April 15, 2011 - 6:08 pm
Have any of the other PEBs come out for the ‘other’ parties?
#26 by Malc on April 15, 2011 - 6:36 pm
I haven’t seen any of them – but I will add them to this page when they do if there is interest. Saying that, I’m not overly keen on promoting extremists, so I maybe won’t.
#27 by jim jepps on April 15, 2011 - 7:00 pm
Extremists? What a thing to say about the pensioners!
#28 by Malc on April 15, 2011 - 10:31 pm
I’m pretty sure you knew what I meant…!
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