Brown wins the billboard battle hands up

Brown has an effective slogan, some say. Photo / Herald on Sunday

In the battle of the billboards, Supermayor hopeful Len Brown appears to have a narrow lead over arch-rival John Banks.

Giant ads have sprung up in Auckland as the countdown to October's election heats up.

Advertising and marketing experts say Brown's message has most impact and Banks' open-handed pose is "indecisive".

Political marketing expert and Auckland University senior lecturer Jennifer Lees-Marshment said Banks looked friendly and confident, with a nice smile and suit, but the billboard was confusing.

The message from the palms-up stance was: "I don't know what I'm going to do," she said.

"It could be seen as openness, which is positive, but in the whole context it suggests indecision or lack of clarity."

And the background image of Rangitoto was too relaxed for the slogan 'Making Auckland Work. For you.'

"What has an island and sea got to do with making a Supercity work? Will he put the city to sleep, make it more relaxed, like a holiday resort?"

Lees-Marshment said Brown had an effective and believable slogan - Auckland It's Our Time.

But using an illustrated image instead of a photograph conveyed falseness.

"This isn't a good idea. Communication needs to be as genuine as possible," she said.

Senior lecturer in advertising at AUT Paul White said Brown's billboard had the most impact.

"There's three main elements on it, and you get it straight away," he said.

The red paintball fired at his head on the billboard photographed by the Herald on Sunday was a distraction.

White said Banks' open-handed gesture looked forced and posed.

"Is he saying, 'look how big my new salary is'?"

Sydney-based body language expert Michael Kelly also said the posture looked false. "It would have been a very good image without the false hands."

Banks' campaign manager Scott Campbell said the photographer told Banks to do something he felt comfortable with. "He started smiling and put his hands out like that," said Campbell.

The photo was taken for Banks' new website and was already used online.

"It's the one we most liked for the website so for continuity we stuck with the same photo."

Mike Hutcheson, who worked on Brown's billboard, said the illustration was chosen as a better alternative to an air-brushed photograph.

"It was an economical way of delivering a good image without having to go to full colour."