The nanny state we're in
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 
Unless you're Alastair Campbell or the Foreign Secretary, fringe events don't sell themselves. Today is D-Day for the Forest/Free Society reception at the Labour party conference so as well as handing out flyers to delegates, we have recruited three local thespians to dress up as nannies (nanny state - geddit?) and strut their stuff outside the conference centre. Like The Sun's double-decker bus (see below), the gag seems work. It attracts attention and makes people smile.
Adding to the surreal nature of the day, my colleague Sarah and I spend much of the day wrestling with a large bunch of balloons (featuring our 'nanny state' logo, obviously) which we drag from one location to another. Every so often a balloon snags on something - and bursts, making a noise that sounds alarmingly like a shotgun.
With armed policemen on every corner, this is not perhaps the cleverest PR stunt we've ever pulled. But it works. A combination of flyers, men dressed as Mary Poppins, and helium-filled balloons seems to have done the trick. After two days there seem to be very few delegates - including government ministers - who are not aware that Forest is in town. We've got to be happy with that.
Reader Comments (2)
It wouldn't surprise me if ASH or somebody else started a campaign against drinking and fast food called NANNY. No Alcohol No Naughty Yummies.
Dont worry chas thats comming they see it as a victory that they have bannished smokers outside if this was victorian times we would be probably hung and quartered in the streets if ash had there way. What utterly miserable people they are.