The Conservative party is spreading political awareness on the Carleton campus through a cheeky new advertisement, with the tagline, “Freak out your prof. Join the Conservatives.”
“While not all university professors are politically left-of-centre, this humourous and provocative piece of promotional material resonates because people are generally aware of the widespread stereotype which characterizes academics as such,” said Nicolas Pappalardo, director of political operations for the Ministry of Natural Resources Canada. “Effective advertising often relies and thrives on such widely-accepted premises, even if they aren’t always true.”
“It’s nice to see balanced opinions,” said second-year political science student Patrick Osland. He said the ad draws on “playing up the hard-core left-wing profs,” and that it is “playing off the idea of a university as a liberal place.”
Though Osland is not a member of the Carleton Campus Conservatives, he said there is a rising popularity among students for the Tories.
Another Conservative advertisement says, “The best way to freak out your Profs is to tell them you believe in bucking the establishment, thinking with your own mind, and yes – ‘questioning authority.’ In other words: tell them you’re a Conservative.”
Emile Scheffel, vice-president (communications) for the Carleton University Young Liberals (CUYL), said that the Conservatives are presenting themselves “as some kind of a protest movement.”
“Unlike the Liberals, the Conservatives don’t have an independent, grassroots youth wing – just a building full of paid political hacks coming up with what they think are edgy ads,” Scheffel said.
“I don’t think it’s a strong argument,” said first-year journalism student Julia Brucculi. “I don’t think that freaking out your profs is a good reason to join the Conservatives.”
Brucculi said the ad doesn’t influence her to become more politically active.
“I’m impartial and it doesn’t make me feel anything,” Brucculi said. “It’s just neutral feelings towards the ad.