Guerrilla ads attacking Theresa May sweep the UK as the snap election inspires creativity
To mark the UK’s snap general election taking place today (8 June) The Drum has gathered some intriguing guerrilla ad posters – most of which batter the incumbent Conservative government.
Three works spotted in Shoreditch
Across the country, creatives got artistic, looking to use their roguish ways to make political statements in a much edgier fashion than the traditional campaigning platforms utilised by the main political parties.
Below is some of the top work we sourced from social media, (and on the streets).
Vote Corbyn bus stop
Pretty cool Corbyn poster in Ilford pic.twitter.com/3wxbfMNR1a
— Dan O'Donoghue (@DanChronicle) June 8, 2017
Corbyn Run DMC
And it's like that and that's the way it is... #poster #bethnalgreen #ge2017 #labour #corbyn #rundmc pic.twitter.com/TZJ1hDPJU5
— Arwen Roberts (@ArwenElinor) June 6, 2017
Grime 4 Corbyn
'Grime 4 Corbyn...a vote for Labour is a vote for the #NHS' > most original poster of #GE2017 ?@LabourEoin @UKLabour pic.twitter.com/66hN2nlj2l
— Charlie Bell (@thistoomustpass) June 2, 2017
The People 4 Corbyn...
Graffiti artists 4 #OrdinaryLabour
The People For Corbyn... JC - The People's Champ pic.twitter.com/Dpk0y1Fxvz
— Daniel Blake's Vest (@WarmongerHodges) February 21, 2017
Even the kids are guerrilla-ing
Dear @conservatives and @theresa_may stop sending your propaganda to my daughter. She has now become a graffiti artist pic.twitter.com/OaRONDBCQQ — paul (@paulpdh) June 5, 2017
May-rilyn Munroe
Theresa May caught in a compromising position by a gust of hot air! #GE2017 #theresamay #london #graffiti #lorett… https://t.co/r9fAeUCSNf pic.twitter.com/ip9379qtqE — Olivia Crellin (@OliviaCrellin) June 2, 2017
Theresa Who?
Theresa Who? #ge2017 #graff #graffiti #londongraffiti #streetart #londonstreetart #ukgraff #streetartuk #streetart… https://t.co/CAGveXAlhG pic.twitter.com/PE0Wp9sQnZ — Leake Street Art (@leakestreetart) June 2, 2017
More May-hem in London
Street artist in North and East London are calling out Theresa May and the Tories. #StreetArt #graffiti #Mayout #VoteLabour pic.twitter.com/eJz0Zllp71 — martin smith (@martin1smith2) May 20, 2017
Strong and Stable and NH$$$
— VOTE LABOUR (@goulcher) June 8, 2017
FanDabiDozy
Leith Walk. Leith. #fandabidozy pic.twitter.com/gzIqEjQOST — The Boy Fitz Hammond (@tbfhDotCom) June 7, 2017
Smelly Tories
— Gareth Rutter (@GaReth_Rutter) June 7, 2017
Cannot Unsee
pic.twitter.com/7QzTTNHHPc — VOTE LABOUR (@goulcher) June 7, 2017
Delete NHS?
Guerrilla ads resembling Windows notification say the Tories will delete the NHS https://t.co/UfJtFlmwn3 pic.twitter.com/on9VJ1TVi1
— The Drum (@TheDrum) June 8, 2017
And while not strictly coming under the guerrilla remit, Charlie Hebdo's May cover is worth an inclusion.
Charlie Hebdo decapitates Theresa May in latest brush with controversy https://t.co/R9EwNcKOPX pic.twitter.com/6p7RrTMQ3q — The Drum (@TheDrum) June 8, 2017
Judging by the volume of anti-May sentiment in these works, its fair to say, Labour leader Corbyn has won over the street art types. Even Banksy offered free prints to those voting against the Conservatives, before u-turning on a technicality.
Guerrilla activity can make or break the election, craft ale company BrewDog is using free beer to entice the public to take part in the democratic process, it's packaged with a respectable pun, a 'BrewGov' poll.
Search data provides insight into who may well win the election, Scott Donnelly, search engine marketing strategist at DigitasLBi, took a look at who can win in his opinion piece for The Drum.
And if you've not had enough of creative political ads, check out The Drum's definitive collection of Donald Trump creative here.