
Boris Johnson’s election broadcast tried to copy Vogue but ended up looking more like The Office.
All of the political parties have been trying out creative (and mainly terrible) new ways to campaign online in this election and let’s just say that the Conservatives are not naturals at social media…
Their latest attempt to win over younger voters is a rip-off of Vogue’s 73 Questions format, in which celebrities answer rapid-fire questions in a single-shot take.
The video series is a pretty big deal – here’s an example starring Kim Kardashian with nearly 40 million views.
Unsurprisingly, Johnson’s attempt is a lot less glamorous, as he bumbles his way through just 12 questions in a soulless Conservative Party office.
I’ve answered a few questions about Brexit, the economy and Marmite. Watch our first election broadcast now. https://t.co/boH1GfJdJU— Boris Johnson (@Boris Johnson) 1573583250
Although the video mainly sees Johnson responding to soft-ball questions with his stock answers for this election, we did learn a few things about him.
Firstly, he bizarrely thinks nothing can beat “fish and chips on a cold night on a beach”…
I really don't think a man who yearns for "fish and chips on a cold night on a beach" can be trusted to give us a… https://t.co/7DoYeCO1YK— Will Black (@Will Black) 1573631562
And secondly, he shows a profound lack of self-awareness by suggesting his favourite band is The Clash.
@BigAudioDyn Anyway, I can't be up all night fighting with you all. Need some sleep. In brief: The Clash = passion… https://t.co/VeXRzgxOHN— Simon Price﮷ (@Simon Price﮷) 1573600283
So Boris Johnson says that his favourite band is The Clash. “Something about England” was released by The Clash in… https://t.co/TRfOpNBdJD— James Melville (@James Melville) 1573603238
It's like when David Cameron said ‘Eton Rifles’ was one of his favourite songs and The Jam’s Paul Weller had to remind him that the lyrics are actually criticising Eton.
Despite Johnson talking for almost five minutes, he didn’t tell us anything we wanted to know…
How many children do you have? https://t.co/NI7REA4tk6— Marina Hyde (@Marina Hyde) 1573584110
Will you answer questions about the endemic Islamophobia in your Party which you are ignoring? History will not lo… https://t.co/HHAoD3PtQf— Miqdaad Versi (@Miqdaad Versi) 1573591855
And for the third election in a row, the Tories are unbelievably still talking about a “coalition of chaos”.
Literally says the words “if you vote for any of the other parties you will end up with coalition of chaos,” as if… https://t.co/udIqFUSp4l— Tom Peck (@Tom Peck) 1573584421
2 PMs, 3 extensions, 2 failed deals, Supreme Court defeat, £1bn for DUP, DUP betrayed, £8bn on No Deal, several mea… https://t.co/bhWNwGE2zk— David Schneider (@David Schneider) 1573600369
https://t.co/yHKhUF51Xw— James Felton (@James Felton) 1573592127
It's also been suggested that these videos are designed to be hate-shared to spread the Conservatives’ message online.
In 12 hours, the Boris Johnson-Vogue video has: - 100,000 views on Facebook - 25,000 views on Instagram - Two mil… https://t.co/rjtcDUy8j4— Mark Di Stefano (@Mark Di Stefano) 1573633075
But let’s be honest, can you imagine anyone wanting to vote for the Tories after watching this video?
David Brent for Prime Minister is not what the country needs right now.
Oh my god oh my god this is the most David Brent thing ever. Also, firstly he's put milk in with the teabag still… https://t.co/OW2GtGDwY1— Elliøtt (@Elliøtt) 1573593945
Dear @Conservatives I am still awaiting payment for this sketch. https://t.co/3EgVfmpafV— Matt Lucas (@Matt Lucas) 1573594204