Fine Gael to launch pre-election billboard campaign

Fine Gael will launch a €150,000 billboard campaign in the coming weeks in what is the first major spending by a political party…

Fine Gael will launch a €150,000 billboard campaign in the coming weeks in what is the first major spending by a political party in advance of next year's general election.

The campaign will focus on what Fine Gael sees as the two key issues in the next election - health and crime.

The series of posters has been designed to depict various voters with specific concerns, including an elderly woman worried about the health service and a young mother with a baby worried about being safe in her own home.

The launch will coincide with the Fine Gael Ardfheis, which is taking place in Dublin on the first weekend in May.

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It has been designed by Atomic, the advertising agency that has worked with the party on a number of campaigns, including its "Rip-off Ireland" series and its anti-social behaviour campaign.

The billboard campaign will be one of a number the party is planning between now and the end of the year, and they are expected to cost more than €500,000.

Billboard campaigns can be very costly, with the price of renting a site for two weeks ranging from €400 to €2,000.

A number of direct leaflet campaigns into homes and businesses around the country are also being planned by the party as part of its pre-election campaign. The campaign will cost €2 million.

All of the main parties are expected to increase their spending dramatically over the coming 12 months in a bid to build up their profiles in advance of the general election, which has to be held by June of next year.

The strict spending limits on election campaigns will apply only when the election is officially called. In the 12 months ahead the parties are expected to spend as much on campaigning and research as they will during the intensive four-week election campaign itself.

Fianna Fáil is expected to launch a number of billboard campaigns after the summer.

The two main parties will also be spending six-figure sums on focus groups and other research.

During the three-week general election campaign in 2002, candidates and parties spent €9.4 million.

The national parties spent a total of €3.52 million, with individual candidates accounting for the remainder. Fianna Fáil spent €1.65 million, Fine Gael €1 million and Labour €525,000.