He’s just... David?
This afternoon, a suspicious Act campaign billboard with a Barbie-inspired design was seen on Cambridge Rd next to State Highway 29 in Tauranga.
The billboard depicts Act party leader David Seymour as Ken from this year’s massively successful film Barbie, along with a pink Jeep and palm trees. It’s bright pink and filled to the brim with “kenergy”.
“I just love it,” Seymour told the Herald.
Usually, he despises the vandalism done to the campaign signs, typically consisting of black spray paint and obscene language.
“However, there’s an exception to every rule and this is the greatest piece of billboard vandalism I’ve ever seen,” Seymour said
He admitted this was the first time he had been compared to this year’s biggest heart-throb, actor Ryan Gosling, but he said it was a very “flattering comparison”.
“But nevertheless, I was pretty happy with the result here and I’d be fascinated to know how they actually did it,” Seymour said.
The artist has yet to come forward and claim their art.
Seymour intends to leave the sign up for the remainder of the campaign, calling the sign “more than Kenough”.
It comes as the campaign season nears the end of a busy first week. Act has remained steady in the polls, only dropping a few points in the most recent Newshub and 1News polls.
Seymour said the polls have shown a lot of variation, with some saying he is at 18 per cent and others at 10 per cent.
“It’s very difficult to tell which ones are real, I suspect Act is higher than 10 and lower than 18, somewhere in the middle,” Seymour said.
Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022.
The 19-year-old disappeared without her wallet or mobile phone.