BRITAIN's general election is less than a month away, but the most expensive advertising campaign in its political history is confusing and boring the public, industry experts say.
"Neither of the main political parties is managing to get its election message across, despite a bigger advertising spend than in any previous campaign," Ms Lucy Bannister, a director of the advertising research company, Davies' Riley-Smith Maclay (DRSM), said.
The Conservative Party launched an aggressive advertising campaign last summer and has continued to blitz streets and motorways with its poster ads, and Labour has been hitting back.
Neither party would reveal how much they are spending on advertising, but industry experts estimate the Conservatives will spend about £14 million and Labour £6 million. Both, however, seem to be failing to make an impact.
DRSM, which regularly surveys voters' opinions of the contest, said many were confused because the parties kept changing their campaigns.
"Despite the heavyweight teams of `spin doctors' advising both parties, we have already seen umpteen different messages being communicated, much to the confusion, if not boredom, of large parts of the electorate," said Ms Bannister.
Another advertising agency executive added: "The problem is that the parties keep changing the message and all the work has been pretty lacklustre. Where are the great campaigns to rival those of the past?"
The Conservatives kicked off their advertising last summer with a so-called "demon eyes" poster, in which the Labour leader, Mr Tony Blair, was shown peering from behind curtains with maniacally red eyes.
The poster carried the slogan "New Labour, New Danger", a theme that the Conservatives, nicknamed the Tories, used again in posters featuring voters crying red tears and one with a lion crying red tears.
The latest Conservative posters carry the slogan "Britain Is Booming. Don't Let Labour Blow It". A Conservative Party spokesman said the party might run a new version of the "demon eyes" poster.
Labour's ad campaigns have carried slogans ranging from "Same Old Tories, Same Old Lies" to the current "Britain deserves better".
The Conservatives are credited with being the first British party to have used poster advertising effectively when they attacked the ruling Labour Party hi 1979 with a stark black-and-white photo showing a long queue of unemployed people. The ad read "Labour Isn't Working".
This year's ads, however, are failing to hit the mark, which may reflect a change in their audience, advertising industry analysts say.
. Labour's lead over the Conservatives has narrowed, a new opinion poll showed last night.
The survey puts the Tories on 34 per cent, up two from last week, Labour steady on 46 per cent, and the Liberal Democrats down two on 15 per cent.