Political posters are a major part of a campaign's arsenal - but they're also a major part of satirists' arsenal too when it comes to the run up to elections and referendums.Insults are fired and reputations tarnished - and more recently Photoshop used to its absolute best.With all the political furore surrounding the EU referendum and upcoming presidential election, here are are some of the best political campaign posters (and some photoshopped gems) ever made:
Voters across the country were left terrified by this apocalyptic offering from the Conservatives in 1997.The poster was born was part of a drive from the party to portray the new-look Labour Party as a dangerous experiment. It was not that successful.Designer M&C Saatchi, who also produced the Salmond-Miliband poster, have expressed an interest in working with David Cameron during the EU referendum.
2. Year for change
"David Cameron pledges to protect the English NHS budget in real terms" > Here's his last election poster to prove it pic.twitter.com/5jneeiREq8
Some people won't recognise the original poster, as this gem is better known for the numerous mock-ups that have appeared.At first roundly mocked for apparently showing David Cameron with an airbrushed face, people soon realised they could fairly easily replace the text. The rest, as they say, is history...
Designed by Saatchi & Saatchi, the long queue was made up of only 20 volunteers who were then reproduced several times over.The ingenious design helped Margaret Thatcher gain a 43-seat majority in the 1979 general election.
4. Get out and vote. Or they get in
(Johnny Green/PA)It's only David Cameron who's been a victim of modern-day photoshopping; William Hague has also been used as a canvas for political satire.In the 2001 general election campaign, he had Margaret Thatcher’s hair digitally rendered on top of his face. The poster wasn't very effective in putting voters off, however - potentially becauce the style rather suits the former Conservative leader.
The Conservative party has always enjoying attacking Labour over its military policies.In 1987, the Cold War was still at the forefront of public discussion and Margaret Thatcher was unrelenting in her criticism of Neil Kinnock’s handling of it.She said at a rally: “I do not understand how anyone who aspires to Government can treat the defence of our country so lightly.”Her party then proceeded to create this poster, painting Labour as a party willing to surrender.
6. Don’t let him take Britain back to the 1980s
(Labour)Political satire meets pop-culture here, when the Labour party re-imagined David Cameron as a character from Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, the BBC series about a time-travelling policeman.Unfortunately for them, the show was rather popular – as was David Cameron in the 2010 election.
7. And now – win the peace
(Labour)Dubbed as Labour's finest hour, this poster was used to help claim Government from the hands of war hero Winston Churchill in 1945.With the help of this poster, which focused on rebuilding peacetime Britain following years of hardship during World War Two, Clement Attlee formed Labour’s first majority Government following a 12% swing from the Tories in the polls.
