Lies, flip-flops, and building better futures: a look at the first weeks of the 22 election campaign
It’s been more than one week since the election was called for 21 May and the election campaign is in full swing for Australia’s political parties, with each side of politics scrambling to win the favours of voters in what has been described by many as the most important election of a generation.
With the election campaign set to dominate the media sphere over the next month, Mumbrella took a look at the first installments of campaign material that have graced our televisions and social media feeds so far for a first look at what we might expect from each party in the coming weeks.
Unsurprisingly, in an election that has become a battle of who is the least unlikeable party leader, both major parties have opened their campaign with an introduction to their leader, with the Liberal Party taking somewhat of a more sentimental approach. Each has also led with short spots outlining their policies with important graphs and figures, and of course, a healthy number of attacks on party leader of their opposition.
Australian Labour Party
Labor’s first election ad gave a substantial introduction to the opposition leader, though also offered a broader look at the party’s key policies. Leading with an economic focus, the ad promises to get spending under control and keep taxes low, and invest in local manufacturing. The second half of the ad is geared towards the party’s social policies, leveraging Albanese’s upbringing and understanding of the value of a dollar to back in policy cheaper childcare, free TAFE and better Medicare. The spot ends on the tagline ‘A better future’.
The second campaign ad out from the opposition over the weekend is on the offensive, using a piggy bank analogy to depict the Liberal party as greedy, growing larger with every ‘rort’. The spot also criticises the governments’ failure to introduce an anti-corruption commission, and promises that the Labor party would ensure this is done.
Online, the campaign uses memes to criticise the Morrison government, and reposts of televised interviews with Labor candidate to reinforce the Labor Party’s policy.
Australian Greens
For the Greens, calling out the major parties for their relationships with corporate donors will be a dominant line in its campaign, with the party kicking off their run with a 30-second that reaffirms that it does not take donations from ‘corporations and billionaires’. Instead, the ad poses that The Green’s plans to tax Australia’s wealthiest will provide funding for socially driven policies covering Medicare, jobs and housing.
On the social media front, the party are primarily targeting young people, with a strong Instagram presence and healthy use of political memes. The party has also introduced a number of campaign stories that voters can use on their stories.
Liberal Party of Australia
Dropping the night before the official election call, the Liberal Party of Australia kicked of its campaign with a monologue from party leader and Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, titled ‘why I love Australia’. Morrison speaks direct to camera from his office at Parliament House. Playing out under dramatic crescendoing music, the extended spot tells a story of the difficult conditions the party argues it has traversed over the past three years, with the pandemic, various natural disasters, and now war. The spot focuses on the instability and risks of the upcoming period, whilst pointing to economic opportunities at hand.
A series of shorter spots were launched over the weekend, making a more direct attack on the opposition leader, running with the rhyming tagline ‘when Australia needs certainty, it won’t be easy under Albanese’. In the spot Albanese’s image sits a top of a spin weather vane in an analogy that accuses the Labor leader of ‘flip flopping’ on big issues.
The Liberal Party has also pushed for a strong presence on social media, with the party’s Facebook page 15 times in the last 24 hours.
The National Party of Australia
The nationals launched their first advertisement of their campaign a little behind schedule, on Sunday, with an attack against the Labor party. The 15-second spot pits the opposition leader against controversial policies made by former Labor leaders, advising regional voters that they ‘can’t risk Labor’.
The party has also since launched a social campaign that follows a very similar line to that of the Liberal Party’s ‘flip flop’ ad, suggesting that the opposition leader is inconsistent in his stance.
United Australia Party
It is difficult to see where one UAP ad ends and the next starts, but the day after the election was called Clive Palmer’s party went live with a number of shorts spots that hone in on individual UAP policies, calling on voters to ‘save Australia’.
The spots add to the already strong outdoor and online presence of UAP, even before the campaign officially began.
On social media, the party is less active than its counterparts, with content comprised primarily of poster like images, and reposted content from party members and supporters. However, the UAP will undoubtedly dominated on the digital ad front, with the party’s ad spend more than $3 million higher than any other as of 11th of April.
Over the coming weeks of the election campaign, Mumbrella will continue to bring you the latest in campaign material from the nation’s biggest political party advertisers. Please feel free to send any noteworthy campaign executions that you come across to kwelch@mumbrella.com.au for inclusion in our coverage.
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topics
2022 Federal Election
Adam Bandt
Anthony Albanese
Australian Greens
Australian Labour Party
Clive Palmer
Scott Morrison
The Liberal Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia
united australia party
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