Opposition Leader Bill Shorten admits new Labor Party ad was not diverse enough
The Australian Labor Party’s Bill Shorten has admitted its latest campaign, which aimed to position the party as putting ‘Australians first’, should have been more diverse but has rejected the idea the ad featured too many white people.
Nine News Australia unveiled a sneak peak of the ad in its 6pm news last night, with reporter Charles Croucher describing it as “mixing patriotism with protectionism”.
The ad, which features Bill Shorten posing in front of ‘everyday’ Australians aimed to position the party as putting ‘Australians First’.
A budget bonus is on the way for some of those who need it most. @ccroucher9 reports. #9News pic.twitter.com/bKNOxlpHjv
— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) May 7, 2017
The ad’s lack of diversity – it features only one non-white person – was quickly picked up and scrutinised by the public and the media.
Hey @billshortenmp you know there are Australians that aren't white, yeah? pic.twitter.com/RY8b2EcHm8
— Marc Fennell (@MarcFennell) May 7, 2017
Hey Labor, how about you put the dog whistle away and start fighting for multicultural Australia. pic.twitter.com/2lbNe78ywr
— Nick McKim (@NickMcKim) May 7, 2017
The only thing whiter than this Labor ad is the SBS Eurovision hosting team pic.twitter.com/Shg1eDiawG
— Stephen Murray (@smurray38) May 7, 2017
— so-called bog dad (@AynRandy) May 7, 2017
According to news.com.au, in a statement to reporters in Canberra this morning, Shorten said it was “rubbish” to suggest the ad contained too many white people but added: “I’m not in the ad making business … but I certainly think we need to encourage as much diversity as we can.
“I’ve had a look at the final production and I think we should have had more diversity in it and I will speak to the Labor Party about that,” he said.
He took to Twitter adding: “Some people have pointed out the lack of diversity in the ALP’s video about local jobs. Fair cop. A bad oversight that won’t happen again.”
Some people have pointed out the lack of diversity in the ALP’s video about local jobs. Fair cop. A bad oversight that won’t happen again.
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) May 8, 2017
Mumbrella has approached the Australian Labor Party for comment.
If we need to take one white person out of the ad could it please be that weird creepy guy on the far left?
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If we need to take one of the white people out of the ad could it please be that creepy weird guy on the far left?
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Are there any links available online where we can watch this?
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Epic fail. Shorten claims he knew nuffink, which is kind of hard to swallow when he’s standing next to the (almost) all-white rent-a-crowd. Unless his bit was greenscreen, which only highlights his fakeness even more. “Paint me in, Scotty, I’m a busy man.”
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Which agency made this campaign?
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Who made this? With Neil Lawrence passing does the ALP have a new creative agency?
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There’s obviously more than a few problems with this ad, but let’s not let the Bill Shorten duck and weave away from this one so easily. What kind of leader lets a campaign go to market without seeing the final ad? He’s either completely incompetent or (more likely) lying. Either way not a great traits of someone that wants to lead the country.
This ad, and Bill’s obvious campaign strategy, is straight from the Trump play book. He’s inciting white Australia to evoke the ‘us against them’ mentality, putting jobs for (white) Australian’s at the top of his agenda and blaming the opposition for not prioritising Australia first. All sounds very very similar to the rhetoric that Trump spewed throughout his campaign.
Not to mention, it’s white on white here – so he’s clearly hoping to snag a few votes from Pauline’s supporters also.
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There is absolutely zero chance this was an “oversight”. This is squarely focused on winning back the One Notion voters.
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Would seem pretty deliberate strategy that achieved the desired result, right down to the predictable clucks from the twitter cluckerati.
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I want to know who created it to. And why was this detail not included in the article Mumbrella??????
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Hi Louise,
Although we’ve had an agency name suggested to us, we’re not certain who is behind it.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella