Poster Apocalypse

A week is a long time in politics, so six months equates to an eternity. Just ask David Cameron who, six months ago, looked to be a shoe-in for the next Prime Minister.

I’ve been up in the smoke all week and the conversation, from left and right, is dominated by the possibility that the Tories might not win the election. It’s a simple case of making a couple of mistakes and watching confidence seep away. And the ill-advised Tory poster campaign, featuring an airbrushed David Cameron, is not so much a mistake as it is a PR disaster.

The poster, pictured above, has been subvertised and graffitied, lampooned, laughed at and criticised. There is a website dedicated to endless satirical versions of the poster and even the Daily Mail has weighed in to pontificate on the foolishness of it.

What’s equally surprising is that Gordon Brown’s response has been to record a hearts and flowers interview with Piers Morgan. From the quotes that have leaked it seems like Brown is doing his best to get away from the airbrushed PR sheen that has besmirched Cameron’s image and reputation. It could be a triumph or an abject failure, depending on Brown’s delivery, but if it manages to bring out a human side to the notoriously awkward PM, it could mark a radical change in fortunes that no one would have predicted six months ago.