Whatever your views on the Scottish referendum, it has not been a good one for the marketing industry.
While the Yes campaign can be criticised for deploying rent-a-mobs at events and having some very dodgy infographics, the No campaign’s efforts have been far worse.
The latest “No” film is sexist and patronising – despite presumably trying to chase the crucial female vote. So it is rightly taking an internet roasting in the process.
And today, the same creative geniuses are trying to suggest that Yes voters hate their kids.
Posters. Problem with saying “I’m x because y” is some will think you’re also saying “I’m not x because I’m not y” pic.twitter.com/627mngz3rz
— Niall Paterson (@skynewsniall) September 1, 2014
It has echoes of the ill-fated Tory ad campaign “are you thinking what we’re thinking.”
So, the question is, who is behind these marketing fails?
Well according to industry mag, Campaign, Labour’s Douglas Alexander is making the marketing decisions. While Channel 4 (and others) report that M&C Saatchi are behind the ads.
M&C were the creative team behind the infamous “Labour isn’t working” ads from the ’79 election and is the Tory ad agency of choice. They may have been ditched by David Cameron as part of his detoxification efforts, but M&C “naturally” came back on board for the last election.
With the polls narrowing, perhaps it’s now Saatchi’s creatives who aren’t working.
FYI: It’s perhaps worth noting that M&C Saatchi’s slogan is “the brutal simplicity of thought.” Also perhaps not wise given its founder’s previous?
Ramblings Of A PR 
September 4th, 2014 → 9:19 pm
[…] No campaign in the Scottish Referendum may have issues with its sexist and patronising adverts, but Sir Brian Souter’s appearance on the BBC last night serves as a reminder that the Yes […]
September 21st, 2014 → 7:21 pm
[…] the worst PR campaign in modern politics. The Better Together campaign, helped along by some ill-judged help from an ad agency, was lacking in hope, optimism and vision – and it ended up relying on threats and a major […]
October 10th, 2014 → 7:46 am
[…] the headlines, Labour have been quick to distance themselves from the impact of the result with Douglas Alexander claiming it is coalition supporting defectors switching to […]
December 31st, 2014 → 11:22 am
[…] In pretty much joint second place come a series of posts about the Scottish referendum. The issues the no campaign faced. How the CBI faced a reputational crisis. The bigots behind the yes campaign. And how the outcome […]