Adman tells Act rival Goff should just be himself

Rodney Hide became a personality thanks to his dancing spot on TV. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The man behind the award-winning 42 Below Vodka advertising campaign says Labour leader Phil Goff should ignore the image-building suggestions of his advisers and be his
natural self.

Darryl Parsons, a guest speaker at Act's weekend conference and a 13-year veteran of the advertising industry, said he was sure Mr Goff would be good company were he to meet him over a beer or dinner.

"He would do quite well if he was just Phil Goff and backed himself .. It doesn't seem he's been given the chance to be his own man. It seems he has a whole lot of people around him who tell him, 'You have to be like this; you have to dye your hair; you have to ride this motorbike."'

Mr Parsons described two future aspirants for the Labour leadership, front benchers David Cunliffe and David Parker, as "boring as mud", and said party president Andrew Little "had no personality".

He singled out Labour backbencher David Shearer, who holds Helen Clark's old seat of Mt Albert, as someone with "the John Key factor".

"He seems comfortable talking to just about anyone. He seems a decent bloke."

Mr Parsons said National would win this year's election because of Mr Key.

"He's a straight shooter; he does dopey things and then smiles and walks off. John Key is the reason why National is so popular now."

He said it did not matter who led the Greens because people who voted Green were "voting for trees". They were voting for the environment and voting for the future.

The Greens' advertising campaign at the last election had been "completely emotional" whereas Labour's had been incomprehensible, National's was boring, and Act seemed to have used the same billboards as at the previous election.

Mr Parsons said the best thing Act had done was put its leader, Rodney Hide, on Dancing with the Stars.

People got an insight into Rodney Hide the person and had quite liked him, whereas they had probably never heard of Act's 20-point action plan.


Notes from the expert

ACT
Rodney Hide: The best thing his party did was put him on Dancing with the Stars.

Labour
Phil Goff: It doesn't seem he's been given the chance to be his own man.
Be yourself. Ignore those who tell you to dye your hair.
David Cunliffe and David Parker: Boring as mud.
David Shearer: Has the "John Key factor". A decent bloke.
Andrew Little: No personality.

National
John Key: A straight shooter who will win the election for his party. Does dopey things and then smiles and walks off.

Greens
It doesn't matter who leads them - a vote for the Greens is a vote for trees.