Dogs, dancers and Bjorn: Fine Gael referendum ads
Fine Gael’s digital strategy people have launched a series of Facebook ads – featuring Great Danes, Bjorn Borg, and Maori dancers – to a mixed reaction.
Fine Gael said the ads have been chosen to hammer home the fact that these three countries, similar in size to Ireland, have abolished their Senates in the past 100 years.
The Danes abolished their upper house, the Landsting, after World War II with their new constitution of 1953. New Zealand never had a Senate, but it did have a very similar Legislative Council, which was abolished in 1951, while the Swedes cut off their parliament in 1970 with a constitutional amendment – but enlarged the main assembly at the same time.
A spokesperson said the colourful approach was “about generating debate and discussion online – the more we can talk to people about our campaign, the more they learn about the Seanad.”
The party has also published their campaign website, using cartoons and brightly-coloured art and itneractive elements rather than pages of long text.
It’s not the first time they’ve taken a colourful approach to digital media – back in general election 2011, they made a Super Mario-style side-scrolling video game where Enda incinerated his political opponents.
