With the UK general election coming up in July, campaigning is in full swing. And one of the most eye-catching initiatives is not for a specific party but for the Just Vote campaign, which aims to get people to register and to turn out to exercise their democratic right.
As ever, there’s a fear that voter apathy may lead to a low turnout, particularly among young people. But this cheeky poster campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of putting an X in a box by making it look like something X-rated (see our pick of the best billboard advertising for more inspiration).
The Voting is hot AF campaign (Image credit: Saatchi & Saatchi)
Devised by Saatchi & Saatchi with Ecotricity founder Dale Vince and the communication agency Borkowski, the OOH and social campaign uses bold colours, suggestive graphics like animated aubergines and hairy bottoms and the tagline “Voting is hot AF” in a bid to turn on young voters.
Some have questioned the tenuous connection between putting an X on a voting slip and X-rated material, with some feeling that the campaign is a bit cringey. However, it gets the message across, and there’s some logic behind the approach.
The inspiration for the use of language and iconography from online dating culture came from research commissioned as part of the campaign, which found that 40% of 18 to 24 year-olds think people who vote regularly are more attractive, while more than half think they’re more intelligent. Despite that, the Just Vote campaign notes that only around half of 18 to 34 year-olds voted at the 2019 general election, which compares to nearly 80% of over-65s.
Posting on Instagram, Saatchi & Saatchi said: “Finding the right message, at the right moment to influence real behaviour change is when advertising is at its most powerful.” We’ll see if there’s any change in behaviour on Thursday 4 July. People can register to vote until Tuesday 18 June at 11.59pm.
