The Guts of a Decent Slogan

Note: this post originally appeared on ‘Douglas to Dancing’, a blog I maintained from 2007-9 on the ACT New Zealand political party. The blog was an extension of the thesis I wrote about the Act Party in 2007, From Douglas to Dancing: explaining the lack of success of ACT New Zealand and evaluating its future prospects (PDF).

TV3 has run a slogan competition via its election website. I’ve collated the ACT-related ones and grouped them into and anti- and pro-ACT categories (in some cases this is hard to tell!). The anti ones are first because there are more of them and they’re much funnier.

Anti-ACT:

• Personal favourite: Vote for ACT: Rodney needs something to do between reality TV gigs.
• We’re going to party like its still 1979
• action against Winston Peters backfired! but Rodney Hide still thinks he is right…YEAH RIGHT!
• Personal favourite (this was submitted as applying to all parties; the bad grammar just adds to its “message”) DON NOT VOTE IT JUST ENCOURAGES US TO LIE CHEAT AND STEAL YOUR MONEY
• Colour choices tells a lot. Green is always GO; Yellow caution; we can handle spilled red, but could call a Code Blue.
• Let us roger you with rodney.
• Rodney Hide and Roger Douglas – Digging up our past to force feed us our future…
• Hide-Hi? Ho-de-Ho!

Pro-ACT:

• Yellow is the new green
• Act is the Key to the battle with Helengrad
• I can dance, I can dance, if you give me a chance.
• Vote for Rodney: ½ the violent criminals off the street ½ the tax ½ the leader he was ACT – Bringing us a healthier NZ.