Whatever you think about the DUP's politics, Election 2001 would be a far duller affair without it. On its website, arguably the most user-friendly and entertaining of all the parties' websites in the North, there are no less than 14 images poking fun at its main opponents in the UUP.
One of these compares Mr David Trimble to a contestant on the ITV amateur talent show, Stars in their Eyes. It depicts Mr Trimble, microphone in hand, wearing an Orange sash with the slogan: "Tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be . . . a Unionist!"
And the paste had barely dried on the UUP's huge "Ulster Unionism Delivering" billboard when the DUP launched its rather more unflattering version. In place of Mr Trimble's smiling face, it inserted a figure in a balaclava, changing the slogan to "Ulster Unionism Delivering terrorists in government". The UUP was not amused.
This election is being fought as much on the lampposts, the billboards and the mobile poster sites as it is in the television studios and newspapers as the main parties battle to engage the electorate.
The striking DUP cartoon-style campaign was conceived by DUP members, although spokesman Mr St Clair McAlister refused to confirm which ones Mr Peter Robinson and the Rev Ian Paisley were involved in. "They have proven very popular, and are basically touring the province on a mobile eyecatcher. People beep their horns and give them the thumbs up. Ulster people are known for their wit and the public appreciates a more colourful approach," he said.
At the UUP headquarters in Glen gall Street, a spokesman said he could not see the funny side of posters that show his leader with a Pinocchio nose and shamrock-covered tie. "It has emanated from the DUP dirty tricks department," he complained. "They have dragged the election down to a new all-time low. The electorate don't have the stomach for it . . . they are personally and viciously insulting people's characters and lives."
He was happier to talk about the UUP's own poster campaign. "The bigger the better" was its theory regarding the party's presence on lampposts. "Our posters are a larger size. We feel it is important the public gets to know a candidate," he said. The UUP also has several large billboard posters. The first one, Ulster Unionism Delivering, was unveiled in early April and featured Mr Trimble smiling cheesily with Stormont looming in the background.
Another, with the slogan, "To Raise Up a New Northern Ireland", is currently on boards around Belfast city centre. It shows a man on a beach, two young girls laughing, a crane and a crowd of shoppers. "We are trying to demonstrate to the electorate how much things have changed - the fact that people can go about their daily lives without the distraction of things that were happening years ago. It is a very positive message," he said.
A Sinn Fein spokesman said its election literature and posters emerged from an internal party "think tank", but added that fewer resources than people might imagine were used for such purposes. Sinn Fein has been the least visible of the main parties in terms of largerscale promotional material. "We tend not to use billboards, but we have strategically placed our candidates' posters, and our posters of the leadership team. There can't be many people who don't know we are contesting all 18 constituencies," he said.
But none of the parties is showing enough flair or imagination, according to one expert. Mr Peter Stark, managing director of Belfast firm Genesis Advertising, is the creative mind behind a campaign being run by the Northern Ireland Office to make people aware that, for the first time, the local and general elections are being held on the same day. The slogan is, "simple but important".
"There seems to be a lack of imagination in the political campaigns," he said. "The only two that stand out are the SDLP's `Let's continue to build' theme and the big Unionist billboards where the treatment seems overcomplicated . . . the SDLP proposition is right but the execution and dramatisation isn't as strong as it should be."
"A lot of the work is done inhouse and the parties don't seem very clear that what is needed is one single-minded proposition articulated in an original way."
Sparks of originality could be found in the spoof manifestos both main unionist parties released during the campaign. The UUP's (NOT) The DUP Manifesto was released on the same day the DUP launched its real election pledges. It contained "Ten things the DUP will Not be saying today". The first was "How much they enjoy their trips abroad with Sinn Fein". The party did a similar spoiler on Sinn Fein. The DUP also got in on the anti-manifesto act.
The SDLP's Mr Tim Attwood said his party wanted to play more with imagery than words in this campaign. Its billboards are based on promoting the benefits of agreement. One is based on the theme of building and flags up the employment created by devolution. Another features a pizza, showing that with the agreement everyone gets a fairer slice.
"People recognise that John (Hume) and Seamus (Mallon) are architects of the agreement and that it is positive for the whole community," he said.
So far, none of the parties has followed the example of New Labour and used celebrities to win votes. However, Mr Attwood said that following his party's 1998 concert, starring Bono, Mr Hume and Mr Trimble, celebrity endorsement shouldn't be ruled out.
"Back then we organised a cocktail of pop stars, politicians and young people and it resulted in a 5 to 6 per cent swing in favour of the agreement," he said. "Someone has suggested that Britney Spears being seen with John Hume might go down well." With just six days to go, SDLP candidates could yet be heard pleading: "Vote for me baby one more time."