The war of campaign billboards, banners & ads!
As people drive along the streets of West End to East End on Tortola, both major political parties, the Opposition Virgin Islands Party (VIP) of Premier in waiting Honourable Julian Fraser RA (R3) and the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) of current Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith, can be seen trying to convince the over thirteen (13) thousand voters which side to vote for with their many billboards, banners and posters.
NDP got the big money!
While it appears that the big money is being spent by the incumbent NDP, as they have dominated the airways, online news sites, and the island with huge billboards, and the TV stations with replays of campaign rhetoric, there is really no data to show its effectiveness on voters.
It is reported that the NDP has the radio stations on lockdown in bookings as they used their advantage of knowing of the plan date for the snap election to book prime time spots on all major local stations.
While nothing is wrong with what they did, it’s another demonstration that being the government in power has some advantages, although it does not guarantee a victory at the polls.
The people of the Virgin Islands will have to endure another three weeks or so of being bombarded with TV and radio commercials, watching sometimes unsightly billboards and posters from districts 1 to 9 and the competition as to who can erect the biggest billboard or campaign banner or have the most commercials aired on radio and TV.
It will soon be over!
How can we also escape the parties’ and candidates’ songs which are most often entertaining, flamboyant and reflect the candidate’s disposition, although the repetition can get annoying?
Those of you on the many social networks cannot escape the political ads in your inboxes from almost every candidate or the request by many to ‘like’ the many facebook pages. The tweets and instagrams keep coming and the texts, emails and whatsapp messages never seem to stop; the new face of modern Virgin Islands politics!
There is some light at the end of the tunnel, as it’s a short campaign, which may be a blessing in disguise for it remains unclear, if the public could stomach another three months of this.
According to the Election Act, all items advocating for any political candidate or party must be removed by 12:00 midnight on June 7, 2015. These include posters and banners in the public setting and ads on online news sites, TV and radio.
One thing we know for sure is that big billboards around Road Town or Sea Cows Bay do not necessarily determine the outcome of an election. Finally, we the people get to decide on June 8, 2015.
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45 Responses to “The war of campaign billboards, banners & ads!”
Talk that,
My advise to you, if you have not yet started the process, is to please get the information you need and start the process. You are here too long not to have any status. This have nothing to do with NDP-VIP-PEP or any political party but you as an individual.
Makes everything look nasty and commercial. More effective way is the old fashioned way, flyers and knocking on doors, flyers in public places like laundry mats and bulletin boards, be visible and shake hands. But these big posters are a waste of money.