EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IS essential in politics.
Be it a leaflet, a poster or a tweet, an election candidate has about five seconds to grab a voter’s attention.
The medium has changed, but the message is still the same: vote for me.
So what have politicians done to reach out to the electorate over the years? Here’s a round-up of how their approach has evolved in the last century.
Warning: The below material features an excessive use of exclamation marks(!)
You wouldn’t get a font like that nowadays. People have gone sans serif mad.
Name-calling was acceptable, though.
During the 1938 General Election, an ad for Fine Gael Meath-Westmeath candidates Michael Sweeney, Patrick Giles and Charles Fagan claimed: “Meath Wants No More Migrants!!”
So where were all these immigrants coming from? England? America? Asia?
Close. Connemara. (Is countyism a thing?)
Following the foundation of a new Gaeltacht, an influx of Irish speakers from Co Galway decided to start a new life in the strange, unknown land of Rathcairn. Blow-ins.
All three men were elected.
If you weren’t surprised during the 1948 election campaign, you simply weren’t informed!
The Inter-Party promised to lower the price of bread and cigarettes to make life more “bearable”.
Labour was keeping an eye on Europe during the 1961 General Election.
On this poster for the 1975 Mayo West by-election, a unique interpretation of the Irish flag provided the backdrop for a fine-haired, if slightly-surprised-looking, young man by the name of Enda Kenny.
Our future Taoiseach topped the poll and was elected on the first count. Because he’s worth it.
Campaign songs aren’t a recent invention, you know.
Hail the leader, hail the man
With Freedom’s cause it all began
With Irish Pride in every man
We’ll Rise and Follow Charlie
Seems like a nice fella.
In the ’90s, it wasn’t an election leaflet if you didn’t have to squint. Hard. They really made you earn information back then.
Ah, the winter of ’92 – a simpler time when people wrote letters and didn’t open bank accounts.
If making people’s eyes sore doesn’t have the desired effect, one could fall back on the ever-popular: “My policies? I own a dog.”
Grassroots designer #1: Andy Warhol is still cool, right? Young people like cool people, right?
Grassroots designer #2: I believe we’ve found our ‘in’.
*high fives*
This 2005 issue of Grassroots, the Ógra Fianna Fail Newsletter, showed Eamon de Valera in a new light. Several new lights, in fact.
Alternatively, you could adopt a mysterious persona. It will intrigue the masses.
A recent poll* asked voters to rate the traits they most valued in politicians. The results were as follows:
1. Ability to look off into the distance
2. Own a dog
3. Own a lamb
4. Ability to look off into the distance
Fine Gael candidates are particularly good at looking off into the distance – but, to be fair, as the largest party in the country it has more money than others to invest in that type of training.
*Publication date to be confirmed
If none of the above apply to you, you could always go down the ‘prove you’re human’ route.
You know, do regular person stuff like take selfies and eat soup. Preferably at once.
And remember, regardless of the era: always embrace new technology.
This poster is from 2011. As in, the 2011 that happened THREE years ago.
Phil Prendergast adopted one of the most unique approaches to election campaigning this year by advertising on Grindr, a dating app for gay men.
We’ve come a long way.
All images courtesy of Irish Election Literature, unless otherwise stated.
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