Regardless of your political affiliation, you'd be hard pressed to deny that this year's political race has been a bit of a farce thus far. With so many warring (and jarring) personalities vying for public attention in a staggeringly negative media circus that feels more American than British, it's all been a bit much so far, and things really came to a head with the televised debates last week, which played out more like a pantomime than politics. One positive aspect of the debate though, was that it managed to give some of the smaller parties a voice, though on the flip side, it also gave the pompous and frustratingly popular Nigel Farage yet another platform from which to spout his incendiary piffle.
The “Change The Tune” video casts rival political party leaders as members of a boy band called (rather aptly) “Coalition”
One party that seemed underserved by the debate, and (in my opinion at least) continues to be under-looked in general, is the Green Party. Of course, party leader Natalie Bennett is hardly helping herself by giving poor interview after poor interview, but people need to understand that you're not necessarily voting for a person here, you're voting for a party and their policies. As such, the latest party political broadcast from the Greens chooses to leave out its figurehead altogether, instead taking a more satirical look at the competition.
The spot is the second piece of work for the Greens by Creature of London, who also released a satirical film for the party ahead of last year’s European elections
Hoping to take the already exaggerated caricatures of David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Ed Miliband and Nigel Farage to their logical conclusions, the “Change The Tune” video is hardly biting satire, but it is actually funny, which is a major achievement for a political spot! The video, directed by Johnny Hopkins from Acne, casts the rival party leaders as members of a boy band called (rather aptly) “Coalition,” and is the second piece of work for the Greens by Creature of London, who also released a satirical film for the party ahead of last year’s European elections. The film was first broadcast yesterday (April 9) on BBC2, and is also being supported by an integrated outdoor and social media campaign.
Change The Tune – Green Party 2015 Election Broadcast
The boutique music production company Eclectic were approached to help write the music to accompany the lyrics written by Creature. Eclectic’s Colin Smith said “The key was to make it sound as convincing as possible. This helps elevate the lyrics and increase their comedy value in that context. You also have to ensure all the comedy and ad libs are in the right place.” Eclectic’s Simon Elms adds; “A project like this is great to work on. The guys at Creature wrote fantastic lyrics and helping them to find the right composition to bring it to life was an honour and a lot of fun!”
The boutique music production company Eclectic were approached to help write the music to accompany the song's lyrics
Stu Outhwaite, creative partner at Creature of London, said “The Greens are the progressive alternative voice we need in politics. With this in mind we’ve created a broadcast that we hope goes some way to making that voice louder.” Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, meanwhile, adds; “For many years the Establishment parties have been singing from the same hymn sheet, but The Green Party is offering a real alternative to business-as-usual politics.”
The video opens with a few valid points about how the Green Party has more members than the Liberal Democrats and UKIP
Of course, the clip isn't just about making a mockery of the competition. In fact the video opens with a few valid points about how the Green Party has more members than the Liberal Democrats and UKIP and is not the wasted vote many believe, and closes with a list of the party's policies, all of which stand in stark contrast to the vague policies espoused by their rivals. Of course, the Greens are still fighting an uphill battle here, but they've made a wise decision in not taking themselves too seriously. What are your thoughts? Is the old boy band spoof a little overdone? Or does the spot hit the nail on the head? Sound off below.
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and musician from Kidderminster in the UK. He's yet to make a definitive opinion on where his vote will go come May 7, but he at least knows it won't be heading towards Admiral Ackbar and the Xenophobes.
