It can be a risky business putting the face of a politician on an advertising billboard. With less than four months to go until the presidential elections in Argentina and less than two weeks until the Federal Capital of Buenos Aires choses its mayor, hundreds of campaign posters with the names and faces of the different political candidates have been defaced all over the city.
Macri poster: ‘Together we are being sold well’
The face of mayor Mauricio Macri has been the biggest target for scribblers who have altered numerous posters of the PRO leader adding clown noses, Hitler-style moustaches and the word ‘vago’ (lazy).
Together we are being really screwed’
After Macri pulled out of the running for the presidency and decided to seek re-election as mayor, and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced she will be seeking a second term in office, her party Frente Para la Victoria are expected to win the presidential elections at a canter.
Red nose day
Fernandéz, however, hasn’t escaped the marker pen either with numerous campaign posters of her and mayoral candidate Daniel Filmus defaced.
Frente y nariz Para la Victoria
All fun sincerely
Presidential candidate Ricardo Alfonsín of the Radical Party, son of ex-president Raúl Alfonsín, hasn’t been spared the red nose treatment either.
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| Cameron as Elvis |
Of course political poster campaigns can backfire. In the lead-up to Britain’s 2010 general election, Conservative leader David Cameron became a figure of fun after hundreds of advertising billboards all over England were defaced in the lead-up to the election. One altered poster famously depicted Cameron as Elvis complete with quiff and sideburns, while others mocked his private school education at Eton and the Conservative Party’s defence policy.
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| Mocking his private education |
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| With Hitler moustache |
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| Word ‘work’ changed to ‘war’ |
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| ‘Cull chavs‘ means get rid of ‘gronchos’ |
A number of websites and newspapers in Britain even offered their readers the chance to photoshop their own Cameron poster. The Conservatives’ plans to win the election with a clear majority of course failed as the Tory leader had to form a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats.
The next few weeks and months should be interesting in the lead up to the elections so keep an eye out for more amusing poster graffiti.
