Media giant Global has rejected an Alba Party’s out-of-home (OOH) poster featuring Rishi Sunak as a vampire feasting on Scottish oil, over fears it is ‘slanderous’.
The creative shows the British prime minister in a caricature-like depiction with black oil dripping off his fangs and an upturned vampire-esque style collar.
The advert, by former first minister Alex Salmond’s political party, also contains text that reads, “No wonder he’s laughing. He’s got Scotland’s oil. Stop him – join Alba Party.”
The OOH poster, which Alba had intended for Global to showcase on billboards and phone boxes, echoes a similar campaign run by the Scottish National Party (SNP) against Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.
However, the media firm refused to run the advert, due to fears the creative was “slanderous” towards the PM.
In a statement seen by the BBC, Global said: “The only political messages we allow to run are basic messages such as ‘vote for us’, but not when a party is slandering someone.”
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In response, Alba Party general secretary Chris McEleny declared that advertising companies should not be allowed to censor political campaigns.
He said: “Our proposed advert was a completely legitimate means of getting across the important point that Scotland’s enormous North Sea oil reserves are being plundered by Westminster.
“The proposal that we can run an advertising campaign but only if it doesn’t contain the image or any political messaging whatsoever is completely ridiculous.
“It misses the entire point that big corporations shouldn’t get to pick and choose what political messages the public get to see in Scotland,” he concluded before adding, “Global Media should think again.”
It is not the first time a political campaign featuring PM Sunak has ignited controversy. Earlier this year, a Labour party social media campaign faced criticism after recreating and subverting a Conservative Party style ad to ‘attack’ the prime minister’s leadership.
The creative featured a headshot of Sunak along with the text, ‘Do you think adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison? Rishi Sunak Doesn’t‘, leading to Labour being accused of ‘gutter politics’.
Marketing Beat has contacted Global for comment
1 Comment. Leave new
Alex Salmond is on the left..