Bland and nondescript or strikingly like an image used to good effect in another election campaign?
A picture of Auckland Super City mayoral contender Len Brown in a campaign advertisement is being compared to posters of Barack Obama used during his successful bid for the White House.
Mr Brown, the Mayor of Manukau City, maintains that although he greatly admires the US President and what he stands for, he is focusing on putting his own ideas out there.
"Obama is way up there and of course many of the things he's about - bringing people together - are what we're aiming for, to bring Aucklanders together.
"But I just want to be known as Len Brown. I'm not trying to be anybody else - it's hard enough being Len."
The image of Mr Brown - which ran as an advertisement in yesterday's Herald - calls on Aucklanders to put him in charge of the Super City.
Asked if his team had tried to go for an Obama look, Mr Brown said: "I think it's a little different. Mostly in my political advertisements we've used a photo of me, and on the odd occasion I've been caricatured.
"This is something a bit different."
Mr Brown's main rival for the super mayoralty, Auckland Mayor John Banks, did not want to comment. However, his campaign strategist, Auckland City councillor Aaron Bhatnagar, described the ad as "bland and nondescript".
"Our campaign's about talking about the issues of the people, not just showing off a big photo."
I'm not trying to be Obama, says poster boy Brown
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