Gallagher said: 'He resisted the temptation to adjust. I think he stayed true to his brand. McCain had a massive head start and had the field to himself but he found himself surpassed. Obama just had a more compelling message.’

Gallagher added that Obama's PR campaign would be remembered as groundbreaking thanks to outstanding event management, impeccable message discipline and mastery of the media environment.

‘His speech on race in America following the Rev Wright development in the primaries for example both introduced and defined him positively for millions who otherwise may never have seen him,’ said Gallagher.

Obama’s use of technology such as his website and large social networking initiatives have also been praised.

The CIPR found that 85 per cent of senior PR practitioners thought Obama’s campaign best communicated a vision of potential international leadership, compared to a mere 8 per cent for John McCain.

Westminster director of comms Alex Aiken said: 'Obama stuck to his core message while McCain travelled across the range. McCain went from the middle to conservative to the standard candidate to the rightwing candidate.'

Picture: Getty