It won the bid with this effective slogan:
"Saatchis is understood to have clinched the business after impressing Labour with the breadth and depth of its creative ideas, its capacity as a big agency and the new management approach under SSF chief executive Robert Senior."
What it doesn't mention is that M&C Saatchi (now a different company) is applying for the Conservative contract. Robert Senior was glowing about Brown:
"This is a seminal moment for Saatchi & Saatchi and a seminal moment for Kate [Stanners] and myself. It's a real statement of intent for the agency. We have the opportunity take the strength and conviction that Gordon Brown has shown as Prime Minister and apply our creativity to that to do the right thing for the country."
Saatchi & Saatchi was the company that successfully worked on Thatcher's campaign, although Maurice and Charles Saatchi were ousted from it in the mid-90s and it was M&C Saatchi that ran Howard's advertising campaign.
Deputy Editor
Of course S and S would want to be with Labour and not the tories given a choice. They want to be on the winning side and I say that as a tory.
Posted by: Radical Tory | September 13, 2007 at 12:32
If that is going to be the basis of their campaign, then Labour are playing a very dangerous card.
On the one hand, some people may have been bought by Gordon Brown PM, but on the other hand, it makes their entire campaign an easy target by reminding people that Brown is one of the main reasons why we are in such a mess in this Country at the moment.
Posted by: Alan Collins | September 13, 2007 at 12:38
Radic Tory, you're coming across as a troll.
S&S have supported the losing side for many years.
It's good that we dumped them, we do NOT need expensive advertisers.
Posted by: Jaz | September 13, 2007 at 12:39
Anyone that surprised? They produced some terrible stuff for us over the last ten years - and made a fortune from it!
Posted by: Justin Hinchcliffe | September 13, 2007 at 12:39
Easy retort to that.
He's jilted Tony and John.
Gordon is a Moron.
Posted by: Mike Thomas (215cu) | September 13, 2007 at 12:44
Brown is more popular than Cameron when it comes to who people want to be PM. At least Brown looks the part, Cameron looks like a boy playing at politics who thinks he has some God given right to be PM. Brown will beat him.
Posted by: Radical Tory | September 13, 2007 at 12:44
Actually, M&C Saatchi are the people we've used.
It's a different company (they kicked Maurice and Charles out when they tried to buy Midland Bank).
Posted by: Mike A | September 13, 2007 at 13:04
The name Saatchi and Saatchi doesn't guarantee anything. The fact that Margaret Thatcher used them so much could easily suggest that they are not going to be able to adapt their major campaigns to modern politics, which has changed considerably in the last 15+ years.
Posted by: Letters From A Tory | September 13, 2007 at 13:05
The Libdems can have "Not merciless, just Ming"
Posted by: Jon Gale | September 13, 2007 at 13:06
My understanding is that S&S haven't done any work for the party for over a decade - M&C Saatchi has, which is a different thing.
Kate Stanners is a former exec at St Luke's, an interesting agency that paid all its people exactly the same, regardless of seniority, success, etc. Nice lady, but socialist to the core.
Posted by: Baskerville | September 13, 2007 at 13:09
I've amended the post so that the distinction between the two companies is clear.
Posted by: Deputy Editor | September 13, 2007 at 13:13
COMMENT OVERRIDDEN FOR IRRELEVANCE
Posted by: CCTV | September 13, 2007 at 13:17
Justin wrote "They produced some terrible stuff for us over the last ten years".
But not as terrible as the dreadful Tory Tosser campaign.
Posted by: Moral minority | September 13, 2007 at 13:17
That's an awful election poster.
Truly amateur.
Labour are welcome to them!
Posted by: Edison Smith | September 13, 2007 at 14:18
Well that's Labour's narrative for the next election in four words.
What's ours?
Posted by: Old Hack | September 13, 2007 at 14:18
Old Hack - Time. For. A. Change.
Posted by: Edison Smith | September 13, 2007 at 14:33
A laughable play on character and Gordon Brown's bumbling inoffensiveness. That is inoffensive so long as you are not one of those pensioners mugged by Gordon Brown or one of those failed by the NHS under Gordon Brown, or one of the 5.4 million without work under Gordon Brown.
Posted by: Tony Makara | September 13, 2007 at 14:45
"Well that's Labour's narrative for the next election in four words. What's ours?
"Oh..Er..Um..Bye"
Or possibly more than four - "Not the Messiah, just a very naughty boy"
Posted by: Teesbridge | September 13, 2007 at 14:54
I made a 'Flash Gordon' joke on Iain Dale's blog the other day so I think I deserve the contract.
Posted by: Richard | September 13, 2007 at 15:10
Flash Gordon ? OK but we've been calling him HASH BROWN for ages after his wrecking of the Farmers, the flood defences, the NHS, the Tax Credits, our defences, the education system, immigration and police force morale.
Posted by: christina | September 13, 2007 at 15:17
It's funny, but the problem is...
...what does it tell the swing-voter about the Labour Party and its policies? We won't be facing a presidential election, as much as leaders are important.
All it seems to do is say "our leader is cool" - rather pathetic, really.
Posted by: Raj | September 13, 2007 at 16:39
How about "No policies, just Dave"?
Posted by: Paul D | September 13, 2007 at 16:51
That poster makes Brown look...
1) Like a leader without any followers
2) A loner
3) Awkward
4) Ordinary
Plays on words or phrases never work as they're like jokes without the punchlines.
I though the Conservatives' efforts that were shown online were much, much, better.
Posted by: Edison Smith | September 13, 2007 at 19:09
Gordon,no flash in the pan but money down the drain.
Posted by: michael.mcgough | September 13, 2007 at 19:28
We could always come up with some smart put down line concerning Gordon and Gin. No? Perhaps its time I went to bed then.
Posted by: Annabel Herriott | September 14, 2007 at 01:06
Just saw this on another website which I thought was a fun response -
No Capability, just Brown
Posted by: Mastiff | September 14, 2007 at 21:09