Sadly risk taking and innovation were not part of the Italian elections' advertising. From what I have seen, the outdoor communication of this Italian election has not produced anything like the famous 'labour isn't working' campaign. The content of their message is not only dull, but it's totally predictable and pretty empty. I guess their only ambition is awareness.
When I saw some photos of the same posters in italian cities, they finally become more interesting. They seem to become more engaging. Context is what seems to have boosted many of the posters' effectiveness and not their content. Context seems to be so powerful that often it even overtuns the advertiser's message.
Here's some examples sent in by readers of La Repubblica . Shame all of them are accidents, rather than clever marketing.
When the right leaning Casini and his UDC created their 'A different idea' poster, they cannot have imagined the meaning it would gain when placed next to an ad showing two men pushing a pram.
When Fini, the leader of the AN right leaning nationalist party, had his picture taken for this poster and proudly looked left, he would never imagined he could be outstaged by Lou Reed on tour in Ravenna. If he had I am sure he would have at least looked for some cool sunglasses.
When his slogan 'the future to the right' is placed to the left of some bins the effect is bad. But when it is next to the same party's other slogan 'the past is to the left' showing a picture of the 'enemy' left wing canditate; you are working for the opposition.
And how can Berlusconi's Forza Italia only worry about the quantity of media buy, when context can be so cruel to the ads' final effectiveness
