The automotive and salary packaging industry has enlisted advertising and lobbying heavyweights, including the advisory group chaired by former Howard Government Treasurer Peter Costello, to formulate a hard-hitting emotional campaign attacking the government's proposed changes to the fringe benefits tax.
Leigh Penberthy, chief executive of the Australian Salary Packing Industry Association, the industry body spearheading the campaign, told AdNews they had learnt from the 2010 anti-mining tax campaign which helped bring down Kevin Rudd's prime ministership.
"The mining tax messages were a bit scattergun – it wasn't clear enough to the average person on the street what it meant," he said. "Ours is going to be an emotive campaign that pulls at the heartstrings. That's the key for us, to get the simple message out to people so they understand the potential ramifications."
Giving a taste of the campaign, he added: "This is going to hurt real people – charity workers, nurses, emergency service workers – people called out late at night to do the jobs no one wants to do. It's going to hit the people next door, not the high-flying Pitt Street banker."
In 2010, the mining industry spent around $22 million campaigning against the Resources Super Profits Tax, mainly through the Minerals Council of Australia, whose $17 million 'Keep Mining Strong' campaign by Lawrence Creative Strategy was widely credited with hitting Labor in the polls and paving the way for Julia Gillard to oust Rudd.
ASPIA is spending a little under that, with a war chest of around $10 million. "We don't have the deep pockets of the mining guys – this is everyday people putting their hands in their pockets. Another five or 10 million would be very handy," Penberthy said. "But we've got well in excess of what we need to execute."
The four to five-week campaign was initially slated to launch this weekend, but Penberthy said they had decided to hold off while they refined the campaign plan. He now hopes to go to market early next week, with spend concentrated on TV and supported by print, radio, online and social media.
Working on the campaign are STW-owned government relations firm Hawker Britton and Peter Costello's ECG Advisory Solutions, which lobbies on behalf of some of the biggest corporates in the country including Wesfarmers, Westpac, NAB, the ASX, Orica Australia and Fortescue Metals Group.
Penberthy could not disclose the media agency planning the spend, but said it was a "major agency with significant connections in the media buying area". Likewise, the creative agency was a "well known and well respected agency" that has "won countless awards". He said the more politically focused agencies were "already taken up".
UPDATED: AdNews now understands Clemenger Group's CHE Proximity is handling creative while OMD is responsible for media planning and buying.
The first phase will be “broad brush to create awareness”, followed by more social media and grassroots action, with “people out on the street”. And despite the fact that Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey have pledged to ditch the changes, Penberthy stressed it would be a bipartisan campaign.
“We want the government to overturn the decision. [Hockey and Abbott's pledge] is fine, but I'm one of the cynics. I'm an eternal optimist but also a cynic. We have to maintain pressure on both sides in case they start wavering on it. These are everyday people staring down the barrel of their business.”
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.
Have something to say? Send us your comments using the form below or contact the writer at frankchung@yaffa.com.au
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.