Conservative Ad Scores Worst Possible Score in System1 Testing

'Start Saving', the Conservative Part’s print electoral advert, has scored a flat one Star – the lowest possible score – across every sample group including the Tory’s own voters, testing by creative effectiveness platform System1 has revealed.

The ad (full report here) scored one Star across nat rep, Labour voters, Conservative voters, other voters, and the ‘undecideds’ – the very group that the Tories need to appeal to the most to have any chance of winning on 4th July. The testing indicates the Tories are failing to emotionally engage with any of the electorate, and face a considerable task to even remotely inspire even their own supporters.

Labour’s 'It’s Time for Change' (full report here) scored two Stars across the nation, but crucially scored a 5.1 (categorised as 'Exceptional') amongst Labour voters. With an approximate 20-point lead in the polls, the testing suggests Labour – unlike the Tories - are maintaining the support of its voters, which is all it needs to do to win the election.

System1 also tested how voters feel about each party’s leading politicians, with Rishi Sunak making voters feel the least happy out of all leading politicians. The results also indicate that the Tories would have stood a better chance of winning the election with Boris Johnson at the helm.

System1 analysed the emotional responses of UK voters when asked about leading politicians from the Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems, Reform and Green party. Unlike polls which indicate voting intentions, the emotional response indicates how voters actually feel. The results found that:

• Sunak is sunk: Amongst the total population. Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are equally well known – but the PM generates the least amount of happiness amongst leading UK politicians (16%) and highest amount of negativity (50%). This is compared to 23% happiness and 28% negative emotion for Keir. In behavioural science, positive feeling is the defining emotion in decision making – the happier you feel about a brand, the more likely you are to invest in that brand, or in this case, vote for a politician. Unless Sunak can resolve the negative emotions felt towards him and improve on voters’ sentiment ahead of July, the Conservatives have no hope. 
• Brand Boris lives on: Voters felt more or the same happiness for Boris Johnson (23%) as every other candidate: Rishi Sunak (16%), Nigel Farage (19%); and Keir Starmer (23%). Johnson was also seen as more charismatic, relatable, distinctive, likeable, and down to earth than Sunak (although equally smarmy), and generated 59% of happiness amongst Tory voters compared to Sunak’s 49%.
• Undecideds are decided: Undecideds may not yet know how they’ll vote, but they know how they feel: Only 2% of undecided voters feel happy about the PM, compared to 5% for Starmer, 10% for Farage and 13% for Boris.
• Rich Rishi: Negative feelings towards Sunak are driven by perception of only caring for the rich, being out of touch, smarmy, and a poor leader - while voters see Starmer as more down to earth, likeable and trustworthy.
• Boring, boring Labour: Angela Raynor (54%) and Keir Starmer (44%) have the highest scores for neutrality amongst all the politicians, reinforcing the narrative that they represent a bland alternative Tories.

Nick Williamson, Marketing Director, System1 said, “Our testing shows the Tories are in serious trouble across the board. Not only are they failing to inspire the must-win cohort of floating voters, but their 'Start Saving' creative fell completely flat even amongst their own supporters.

“The controversial ‘winner’ of our testing is Boris. Is yet another Boris comeback on the cards? Surely not. But it’s clear his brand still burns brightly, as he generates more happiness among decided and undecided voters than both the unpopular PM and bland PM-in-waiting. Across almost every metric, our Test Your Brand research indicates the Tories would most likely be performing considerably better with their maverick former leader at the helm.”