Fine Gael launch new billboard campaign

[David Cochrane]

Fine Gael Leader, Enda Kenny TD has unveiled billboards identifying key failures in the areas of Crime and Health. The billboards will form part of a nationwide party campaign, including billboards, leaflets, bus shelters and dart ads, highlighting that a health service in crisis and losing fight against crime. The billboards direct the public to the Fine Gael website where Fine Gael’s proposals to change things for the better are put forward in detail.

[qtman]

The billboards direct the public to the Fine Gael website where Fine Gael’s proposals to change things for the better are put forward in detail.

If they want people to go to their website, why don't they just use web advertising?

Cross-media advertising doesn't work, and these posters just emphasis that FG is an Opposition party.

When will they realise that people don't want to vote for the Opposition, they want to vote for a Government in Waiting.

[rockofcashel]

Can I just say, without wanting to attract the ire of FGers here, but these are absolutely crazy.

Whoever is taking their money, and no doubt its big money to produce these billboards is robbing them, and are probably FF supporters.

Do they know the basic elements of Billboard postering ?

Billboards are designed to be glanced at, usually while driving or in a bus, hoping the brain will process a tiny amount of information very quickly, and retain it.

It's a perfect medium for soundbites. Thats why "A lot done, more to do" was perfect for FF last time. Simple, understandable, stick in the head.

Contrast with FG's.. "We'll deliver social justice" ?

That means nothing to 99% of people.

Now they put a whole load of statistics on a billboard that very few people will read, and then put up a big shiny happy picture of a lovely sunny beach, emblazoned with the words "Everything is just great" and "Fianna Fail" in big letters.

Thats positive billboarding for FF.

Ask any neutral non party hack to look at that billboard for 3 secs maximum, close the pic, and ask them what the billboard conveys.

Jesus lads, what are ye thinking sometimes

[joemomma]

Cross-media advertising doesn't work

Incorrect. Apparently radio advertising of web sites works a treat.

I believe billboards can work too but some people hold that you if you want to direct people to your web site then the billboard should include the web address. That may just be an old-fashioned outlook.

[qtman]

Can I just say, without wanting to attract the ire of FGers here, but these are absolutely crazy.

Whoever is taking their money, and no doubt its big money to produce these billboards is robbing them, and are probably FF supporters.

Do they know the basic elements of Billboard postering ?

Billboards are designed to be glanced at, usually while driving or in a bus, hoping the brain will process a tiny amount of information very quickly, and retain it.

It's a perfect medium for soundbites. Thats why "A lot done, more to do" was perfect for FF last time. Simple, understandable, stick in the head.

Contrast with FG's.. "We'll deliver social justice" ?

That means nothing to 99% of people.

Now they put a whole load of statistics on a billboard that very few people will read, and then put up a big shiny happy picture of a lovely sunny beach, emblazoned with the words "Everything is just great" and "Fianna Fail" in big letters.

Thats positive billboarding for FF.

Ask any neutral non party hack to look at that billboard for 3 secs maximum, close the pic, and ask them what the billboard conveys.

Jesus lads, what are ye thinking sometimes

I have to agree. I can't be bothered to read the stats on a web page, never mind if they were flashing past my windscreen.

I showed this poster to my partner for 3 secs and they thought it was an ad for Budget Travel.

[tonys]

Can I just say, without wanting to attract the ire of FGers here, but these are absolutely crazy.

Whoever is taking their money, and no doubt its big money to produce these billboards is robbing them, and are probably FF supporters.

Do they know the basic elements of Billboard postering ?

Billboards are designed to be glanced at, usually while driving or in a bus, hoping the brain will process a tiny amount of information very quickly, and retain it.

It's a perfect medium for soundbites. Thats why "A lot done, more to do" was perfect for FF last time. Simple, understandable, stick in the head.

Contrast with FG's.. "We'll deliver social justice" ?

That means nothing to 99% of people.

Now they put a whole load of statistics on a billboard that very few people will read, and then put up a big shiny happy picture of a lovely sunny beach, emblazoned with the words "Everything is just great" and "Fianna Fail" in big letters.

Thats positive billboarding for FF.

Ask any neutral non party hack to look at that billboard for 3 secs maximum, close the pic, and ask them what the billboard conveys.

Jesus lads, what are ye thinking sometimes

Feck it, ROC, do you know how hard & long we worked to keep that from them and you blow it on the first day.

[HanleyS]

Just noticed, those aren't actually the full billboards.

There is a footer on them with the Fine Gael logo and a web address.

That's not a picture of the FG billboard, the ad has that picture of a guy "papering over the cracks".

[tonys]

What’s the subliminal message here?
Everything’s grey and dismal, then FF come along and everything’s tickety-boo again?

[dmc333]

I agree about this poster look at 2002 all FF billboards had berties face and Alot done still alot more to do or together lets create something great, vague but it sticks in your head, we as all this takes a good bit to take in.

[hiding behind a poster]

Billboards are designed to be glanced at, usually while driving or in a bus, hoping the brain will process a tiny amount of information very quickly, and retain it.

That's correct - and was also done by FG in a previous billboard campaign. But its also the case that how much info from what you put on a billboard gets taken in depends on where you place the billboard. Obviously one on a roadside in South Tipp, where everyone's zooming past at speed as they drive home from the pub, won't be taken in unless its very concise. But put one near a major junction in Dublin, or across the road from a bus-stop that serves ten routes, and people will see it and read it.

and then put up a big shiny happy picture of a lovely sunny beach, emblazoned with the words "Everything is just great" and "Fianna Fail" in big letters.

Thats positive billboarding for FF.

I'm not sure - firstly, I'm sure this has been market-tested. Secondly, "Everything is just great" is so ridiculous a slogan that anyone will see the irony straightaway. Presumably the testing showed that.


A final point on this is that if you go too anodyne, your poster doesn't attract any media attention. If instead its a bit contentious, everyone goes on about it for ages in the media, and thus the general public knows both the poster and the point you're making, before they've even seen it for real - and indeed even if they NEVER see it. That was seen with the McDowell poster - FG managed to link McDowell to high crime figures in the media for days, without ever even putting the poster up in the first place.

(Reminds me of the West Wing episode, where the Santos campaign spent what little money they had for ads on one one-minute ad on some small public TV station - but made it so controversial - I forget how exactly - that all the big stations ran it as a news story - and hence for no charge.)