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Five of the best political parody ads from the Chip Shop Awards

By Emma Mulcahy, Staff writer

June 6, 2019 | 5 min read

No one is safe from the Chip Shop Awards, least of all our politicians. And in a dramatic political year dominated by Brexit, there has been no shortage of material for creatives to eagerly lampoon.

Labour Party, Burger King, Snickers, Mastercard

Labour Party, Burger King, Snickers, Mastercard

In a typically topsy turvy week that sees US president Donald Trump visit Britain, UK prime minister Theresa May and a certain gathering called the Chip Shop Awards take place in London, we are rounding up submitted into the event's political ads category from recent years.

Expect strong language, eye-watering digs and a distinct lack of political correctness all round.

Heading for a breakdown? (2019)

This submission from creative agency The Marketing Store for emergency breakdown service, the AA.

AA: Theresa May breakdown

Poor old Theresa May hasn’t had the easiest time as Prime Minister. After her disastrous handling of the Brexit deal that has drawn criticism from everywhere (even Donald Trump), May is stepping down from her position. But her well-publicized failures have led many to question if May remains, strong and stable in her outlook at this time. This prompted the AA to reach out to her in her time of need, reassuring her of their help in her time of need.

You’re not EU when you’re hungry (2019)

This humorous creative from Abhinav Ullal takes the Snickers tagline and puts a Brexit inspired twist on it.

Snickers: You're not EU when you're hungry

Playing on ‘you’ and switching it out for ‘EU’, the ad alludes to the tantrums and petulant behavior exhibited by characters in the ad videos and draws comparisons between that and the behavior of political leaders. The tagline could also be read as an allusion to reports of food shortages in the UK, should Brexit go ahead.

Biggest Whopper (2018)

There couldn’t be a list of satirical ads that didn’t include one that takes a dig at the infamous Brexit bus. Created by students Will Simpson and David Milligan of Northumbria University, the ad incorporates Burger King’s signature tongue-in-cheek humor with its most famous product.

Burger King: We don't tell whoppers

After the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016, the politicians claiming that £350m sent to the EU every week could instead be given to the NHS instead hastily backtracked. It’s been called the biggest lie of the campaign trail and has led to serious questions over the legitimacy of the whole campaign. This ad highlights the lie fed to the British public by creating a comparison between making Whopper burgers and telling whopping lies.

Britain can’t live with these cu*ts (2016)

From agency Ric Baxter, this cheeky ad from 2016 relies on form as well as audience participation to make it work.

'Britain can't live with these cu*ts'

In what appears to be an ad for the Labour Party, creatives highlight the significant budget cuts that are impacting public life, while also insulting the current Conservative government. The ad features the tagline ‘Britain can’t live with these cuts’ with a cutaway section between the U and T. This invites the public to guess the expletive being leveled at, yet missed out from the ad.

Priceless (2016)

In another entry from the 2016 awards, this ad uses Mastercard’s famous ‘Priceless’ marketing slogan to attack Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's unnammed - but strongly alluded to - 'opponent'.

Mastercard: Piggate

Political headlines were dominated in 2015 with the claims that during an initiation ceremony at Oxford University, a young David Cameron had put a part of his anatomy in a dead pig’s mouth. Clearly, this was an opportunity that the opposition and creatives simply couldn’t pass up…

The Chip Shop Awards took place on June 6 at The Ministry of Sound, London, a full list of winners can be found here.

We're bringing these awards to the USA, make sure you enter now.

Sponsors of these awards are: Stein IAS, One Minute Briefs and Winmo.

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