KEY POINTS:
More than $3.2 million in taxpayer-funded television ads will start hitting the screens from today as political parties plead their case for election.
Strict election rules limit the amount of money parties can spend on broadcasting advertising and prohibit advertising on television or radio before today, writ day.
National and Labour have $1 million each to spend on broadcast advertising and will be the first to make a direct plea for votes in their 12- minute opening addresses on TV One on Friday night at 7pm.
They will be followed up on Saturday night by the smaller parties - the Green Party, NZ First and Maori Party get eight minutes each, and the three other minor parties get four minutes.
Massey University political marketing lecturer Claire Robinson said opening addresses were only watched by about 11 per cent of voters - a low return for the amount parties spend on production costs.
Their value was in setting the tone of the campaign and signalling the issues parties believe are important.
Party advertisements were more important at securing voters closer to polling day.
She said her research after the 2002 election showed about 67 per cent will be paying attention to ads by the end of the campaign. Repeated screenings made a difference.
About 27 per cent of people could change their mind as a result of ads, but for the majority they served to reinforce their own leanings.
The Electoral Commission allocates air time and funds to political parties based on their size, their result at the last election and support levels since then.
The limits were introduced to ensure wealthier parties were not advantaged by being able to advertise far more widely.
National's campaign chairman Steven Joyce said its opening address and advertisements would focus on similar themes to its billboards, including the economy, law and order, education and health.
Labour has remained tight-lipped about its advertising campaign.
The Green Party is the only party to have revealed their ads, showing them at its party launch last weekend.
What they get:
* Labour and National: $1 million, plus a 12-minute free slot on television for an opening address and six-minute closing address.
* Green Party, NZ First, Maori Party: $240,000, plus eight-minute opening address and three-minute closing address.
* Act, Progressive Party, United Future: $100,000, plus four-minute opening and three-minute closing address.
* Registered parties not in Parliament: $10,000, plus one-minute opening and a production package worth about $7000.
