NEWS: Labour is on top in poster battle

Independent research has found people preferred the Labour party’s much-

criticised poster campaign to the Conservative Party’s high-profile

‘demon eyes’ work.

More than 70 per cent of the respondents to Maiden Roadside’s Signpost

survey, which quizzes 300 people each month to gauge reaction to

campaigns, remembered seeing the Tory ‘New Labour. New danger’ and

Labour ‘Union Jack’ ads. However, more than two-thirds said that they

did not like the posters.

Conversely, less than half remembered the Labour ‘Same old Tories, same

old lies’ ad, but 48 per cent liked the campaign.

The Tory campaign was more successful with men than women, and appealed

particularly to ABC1s and 18- to 24-year-olds. The Labour ad campaign

was liked by both sexes equally but was popular with 35- to 44-year-

olds and ABs.

The results suggest the two campaigns are running neck and neck in terms

of effectiveness. Francis Goodwin, the managing director of Maiden

Roadside, said: ‘They are well above average, nearly twice the normal

scores.’

Labour is understood to have booked poster sites in key locations in

marginal constituencies for next March and April. The Tories have yet to

secure sites for next spring - when the general election is likely to be

called.

Poster contractors have ruled out the booking of sites under the names

of other advertisers, so both political parties are expected to reveal

their plans at least three months before polling day.

This article was first published on Marketing