Shout out to Gordon Reid for this photo capturing the chaos of election season. Here's my brief take on the various brands competing for your X on May 29:
ANC - "Let's do more, together": meaningless, tired, recycled twaddle. They're not even trying. Meh.
DA - "Rescue SA": Points for being a call to action and inspiring the voter's inner hero, if that's your thing. It's a pity the DA continues to fall into the trap of engaging in twars and culture wars instead of focusing on its track record of delivery. They've also done a good job of raising awareness of one of their competitors, Rise Mzansi. Half of my X timeline is Rise Mzansi vs DA. I'm thinking of muting both of them.
Action SA - "Only Action will Fix SA". Somebody questioned their use of green, but it does stand out. Points of simple visuals and posters that are easy to read while driving past and swerving to avoid the wastepicker with his giant trolley while a Polo barrels towards you. In terms of attention, they've lost ground to Rise Mzansi, which is benefiting from the fights they've picked with the DA.
BOSA - "A job in every home". These posters appeared very recently in my suburb. It's a nice sentiment, but there's too much competition in this segment. No compelling reason to vote for them.
Rise Mzansi - "We need new leaders": Not the most compelling call to action (literally, not a call to action, come to think of it). Their posters were up before anyone else's, but they clearly were designed to look good on a computer screen in an agency office rather than a streetpole on Rivonia Road, because those early ones were very hard to read. However, they've used social media effectively, and the DA has helpfully focused attention in their direction. I like them and am considering voting for them, but while their vibes are good, they don't have a track record of delivery, and the constant social media tussles with the DA are annoying. As mentioned, I'm thinking of muting both of them.
EFF - "Vote 29 May": They're so confident in the power of their brand that they don't even need to differentiate it. Owning the colour red is definitely an advantage when it comes to standing out. They've also invested in a number of prominent billboards, as has the Freedom Front Plus. So has the IFP, which features the ghost of Shenge in its visuals. Nothing from MK in my area, though.
I'm looking forward to June.
#SouthAfrica #elections