Sunday, April 11, 2010

PEB: Labour's Long & Winding Road



Over the next few weeks I intend to post every single Party Election Broadcast on the blog. Call it a gesture towards public service blogging!

The first one comes from Labour. It's simple (and cheap) but strangely effective in the way it conveys its message. But it's at least a minute too long.

Not sure about the editing, though. They could at least have removed the bit where the actor "rearranges" his crotch...

23 comments:

Alan Douglas said...

"the bit where the actor "rearranges" his crotch..."

Surely that is deliberate - Labour's instant rebuttal unit going after the gay vote Cameron has lately so assiduously been courting !

Alan Douglas

Daily Referendum said...

I think they could have finished the film better - their road seems to lead to a cliff edge.

Jason Myers said...

I think it's terrible! It'll thrill Labour die-hards but apart from that it'll fail.

Just more Tory attacking.

Tories should copy the ad only this time put some road signs in on "labour's road to recovery" such as JOB TAX AHEAD.DOUBLE DIP RECESSION AHEAD.MORE WASTE AHEAD.END OF THE ROAD.

ananse said...

A nice spin. If I'm not mistaken, the voice-over at the end is by David Tennant (the tenth Doctor Who).

Unknown said...

They would have done better to pick an actor who hadn't portrayed a "big brother" character in a film.

Sean Pertwee was "Father" in Equilibrium

Christopher Jones said...

It is very effective, and I think probably the best piece of advertising I've seen from any of the parties this campaign so far, at least in term of getting a message across. Maybe I haven't seen enough campaign videos previously but it also doesn't appear to be too generic/clichéd. I wonder if this will mean people will pay attention for longer before switching over, which is no bad thing, not only for Labour, but also generally as it will increase political awareness.

I see where you are coming from regarding the running length, but on watching it for the first time I couldn't see where a minute of cuts would easily come from. The only particular point was the screwed up newspapers in the rubbish bin (I thought it was very obvious what was being inferred without the screwed up newspapers).

I look forward to seeing what the other parties come up with in response.

pb88 said...

I found it patronising in the extreme. I give the electorate more credit than falling for this sentimental nonsense.

Anonymous said...

There are alternative impressions that could be got from this film.

This is a solitary guy who seems to have gone for a walk on unfamiliar bleak moors without a map, or compass, or drink, or food and no idea of where he is going. He was not prepared for the journey.
As such he could easily get into trouble and need rescuing. Alternatively, if the weather turned, and with no phone he could die of exposure. However, most likely he will only end up exhausted with sore feet, wiser for the mistake.

Britain entered this recession with a structural deficit. It was not best prepared for the banking crisis and recession. We then had a Prime Minister who had spent years isolating himself from contrary opinions, and so had to make decisions on his own. As a result of his imprudence, we Britain may need to be rescued in the near future, no matter who gets into power. Most likely, in a few years, we will emerge a nation weaker as a result of imprudence, but wary of ever electing a Labour government again.

Bardirect said...

Hmmm, such a shame to see that versatile actor Sean Pertwee, brought down low to play er Sean Pertwee.

Couldn't they get David Threlfall or would that be too close to their core voter profile?

Anonymous said...

A lone friendless man wondering along an empty winding road with no clear sense of direction, anyway enough about Gordon Brown.
The best thing about this broadcast is the music. Labour should be standing on their proud record of the last 13 years not peddling negatives about the cruel conservatives.

Houdini said...

Yet another idiot actor who I thought was okay but who has now been consigned to the bin.

Gareth said...

Is this *really* a campaign video?

The sound is very badly done.(Do we have to keep hearing the swishing of his clothes?) The editing is atrocious. Presumably the purple roadsigns were intentional. Wonder if they closed the road for it. Not another one of those diy jobbies is it?

Sean's walking on a road. He'd make faster progress on a bicycle, in a car, even on a bus. To purloin the roadways and travel metaphor the Labour Government has been one of those prats that follows the sat nav right off a cliff. Too busy blindly following a set of instructions to engage their brain and notice the real world around them.

Fair dos to Sean though, at least he's not done his scarf up like a jesse.

"There were some who opposed the measures to safeguard people's savings." The Government had already created a compensation scheme and when the crunch came they prevented it from working as intended. That says enough about them - they had no faith in their own regulations.

Unknown said...

Iain, a correction: it couldn't have been any shorter. Party Election Broadcasts are legally obliged to be a minimum of 2min 40secs. This literally cuts it to the wire.

Tony_E said...

It's ok, but the 'anti Tory' message comes through stronger than the pro labour one.

Plus, they expect that the public will accept this despite everything we have experienced as if they had nothing to do with any of it.

Johnny Norfolk said...

Far too reasonable Iain, you will never have a labour blog showing Tory broadcasts. Labour do not act like gentlemen they are street fighters.Its all part of Camerons wealthy mans guilt complex.

CC Baxter said...

Hats off to them finding a road without potholes.

Jules Wright said...

i was waiting for the bit where pertwee yells: "cover your ears, open your mouth, mind yer toes!" then shoots out the floor of the wardrobe with an MP5 to escape the pack of baying werewolves.

typical labour. all sizzle and no steak.

Christopher Jones said...

Sadly Johnny Norfolk, a Labour MP has already promised to follow Iain's lead:

http://www.tomharris.org.uk/2010/04/12/the-road-ahead/

David in Rome said...

Did they not see the irony of using Sean Pertwee here, who in the next couple of months will start filming "The Fourth Reich" variously described as a Zombie Nazi film..

Yes I thought it was a larf until I found:

http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/35372/the-4th-reich-steps-it-up-with-some-concept-artwork

Martin S said...

So Labour's election borecast (sic) features a pedestrian with a bad haircut who doesn't have the sense not to walk down the middle of the road, thus endangering himself and other road users.

What a great message.

wv = haterlad oops! Second wv = bilabit. Both seem aposite in a way.

Martin S said...

Too late, David! Gordon Brown is already staring in a Nazi Zombie film!

Grandpa said...

Only a hard-line socialist would walk down a country road in suede winkle-pickers on a rainy day telling us we lack judgement if we do not vote labour.

Andy Brim said...

Grandpa is right, why is this strange lone man walking the moors in winkle pickers?

A strangely bloodless PEB.