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Setting the tone

Posted on December 22, 2013 by

Our more downmarket readers may have noticed this piece in today’s Scottish Sun:

doctoredno

But we were tickled to learn this morning, from a very well-placed inside source, that the advertising agency involved had also (genuinely) presented as part of their report a graphic demonstrating the current public perception of the No campaign.

You can see it below.

mightbehardposter5

It’s nice to make a difference.

58 to “Setting the tone”

  1. rabb says:

    “DEFENSE”??
     
    What, are we American now or something? How can we trust these folk with our future if they can’t even f***ing spell defence correctly?

    “KNOW IT? WE CAN’T EVEN SPELL IT!”
     
    Jeez!!

    Reply
  2. DaveyM says:

    I’m glad someone got in there first about the American spelling of ‘defence’.  

    Reply
  3. Bertie K says:

    Well, what do you Know
    No means yes? Nah No means Know, ho ho ho…
    Indefencible ;-D

    Reply
  4. velofello says:

    No now know !!

    Reply
  5. Albert Herring says:

    There’s no knowing what No will no dae next.

    Reply
  6. Ken500 says:

    Everyone will think their the ‘Yes campaign’. Even copying the ‘Yes’ leaflets. They do have form for copying leaflets.

    Thanks guys

    Reply
  7. Richard says:

    I would love to print that and deliver it instead of YES leaflets! However…

    Reply
  8. Iain says:

    Aw naw, no No using Know an aw, noo.*
     
    *© Celtic Park

    Reply
  9. Jim says:

    On Americanisms:
    I recall a local Labour Party leaflet which quickly had to be shredded after it finally dawned on them that they had spelt the name of their party “Labor” ho ho ho.

    Reply
  10. Albert Herring says:

    Heard at Celtic Park, late nineties, after unpopular substitution:
     
    “Aw naw, no Annoni oan an’ aw noo”

    Reply
  11. HandandShrimp says:

    Oh the dangers of not checking which version of English your spell checker has defaulted to.
     
    I can see what the Bitter ones decide not to run with this though. The more I read and see of the No argument and the Union Jack draped stuck in the Empire Loyalism that it attracts like a magnet the more certain I am of the necessity to vote Yes. It is time for a fresh start.

    Reply
  12. David McCann says:

    Gonnae no dae that. Just gonnae know!

    Reply
  13. joe kane says:

    Ken We’re Better Together know!

    Reply
  14. Douglas Young says:

    American language, American weapons. Oh dear.

    Bit late in the campaign for a U-turn and is Alistair Darling still alive?

    Reply
  15. HandandShrimp says:

    Douglas
     
    His eyebrows are being used as Christmas decorations in the family home so he has to rest up over the holidays.

    Reply
  16. Jingly Jangly says:

    Jim
    Not forgetting their Manifesto  for the 2011 SG election, which promised to “Abolish failed Scottish Labour”  After Gray and Co escaped from Greggs, they appeared in Sauchiehall Street, Gray and Stairheid were two that I recognised, in tow were a TV Crew, so everytime they stopped to film Gray engaging with a punter, I shouted “Abolish Scottish Labour”. They didn’t hang around for long.

    Don’t know how to use the archive thingy, heres link to the Sun Story about Labour promising to abolish failed Scottish Labour.

    link to thesun.co.uk

    Reply
  17. joe kane says:

    The urban dictionary lists an alternative definition for the Scottish word for “know” as “barbie’s plastic bitch” –
    link to urbandictionary.com

    Reply
  18. caz-m says:

    I think Johann Lamont and the rest of the NO team should move into the seats vacated at Celtic Park by the “Green Brigade”.

    They could call themselves the “No Brigade” and unfurl a massive Union Jack with “Vote No and Save The Union, God Save The Queen”.

    This would show true commitment.

    Reply
  19. Bertie K says:

    @joe kane
     
    Ironic the link you point to re; Berbie bitch also mentions the end of a relationship
     
    Priceless! Thanks 😀

    Reply
  20. bannock hussler says:

    Darling? That would be Alistair Hydrant.
    link to firehydrant.org

    Reply
  21. handclapping says:

    Sheesh, everything in London is better my foot. Did they not realise that the last thing any No campaign here needs is people knowing the truth? The facts are all against No, the best they can do now Sir Featherstone-Urquhart-DamnedifIcanrememberhislastname isnt working is love bomb us. England doesnt want you to go – weve had 300 happy years together – you shall have more devo, honest. Starting about March after AD and BM are defenestrated.

    Reply
  22. Brian Powell says:

    On another front, extraordinary story from the Sunday Herald, complete with headline critical of No donors!
    “No vote donors caught in wind farm payments row

    Scottish Political Editor

    Sunday 22 December 2013

    A COMPANY involving two major donors to the pro-Union Better Together campaign has been accused of trying to shortchange a Highlands community out of millions of pounds.”

    Apologies I haven’t used the archive facility so no simple access to the original article from me.

    Reply
  23. gillie says:

    No means know…….nat no’.

    Reply
  24. seoc says:

    “Better thegither”?
    Knaw yer Know.

    Reply
  25. turnip_ghost says:

    Interesting that they are now saying openly that they’re negative…is this another small way of drawing people’s attention to their campaigning strategy and then make them wary of everything they say….Giving the Yes a small and subtle help….Since they can’t (or won’t) come out and openly support a Yes vote..

    Reply
  26. John H. says:

    Sorry to be off topic, but I’d like to thank Alex Taylor for sending me those business cards. They have proved to be very useful Alex.

    Just this morning the wee girl serving me in a supermarket asked me about my Yes badge. I explained that it meant Yes for independence, and gently engaged her in conversation about the subject.

    She said that she was only 17 and knew nothing about the independence referendum. So I was able to pass on to her one of the cards I was carrying in my wallet.

    Well done Alex.

    Reply
  27. john king says:

    HandandShrimp says
    “His eyebrows are being used as Christmas decorations in the family home so he has to rest up over the holidays.”
     
    They’d make better draft excluders than Christmas decorations,
     stick em along the foot of the door,
    toastie 🙂
      

    Reply
  28. John H. says:

    Sorry, I tried to correct my spacing on my comment, but the system wouldn’t let me.

    Reply
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

      “Sorry, I tried to correct my spacing on my comment, but the system wouldn’t let me.”

      Have fixed it. It’s easy to remember, folks: two returns or none, never ever one.

      Reply
  29. msean says:

    Every month there seems to be a new ‘buzz word’ slipped into speeches,statements,interviews and the like.Is the word ‘know’ the new one for January?We had ‘deeply’ for instance earlier this month.Do they think folk don’t notice lol?

    Reply
  30. msean says:

    The idea of putting a missile on a poster seems to be a bit counter productive.Looks like jingoism.

    Reply
  31. Papadocx says:

    We don’t want to know anything about politics, WE ALWAYS VOTE LABOUR! 
     
    Enough said! 

    Reply
  32. Rod Mac says:

    Do they think folk don’t notice lol?
    ===================================================
    Well you did  

    Reply
  33. Andy-B says:

    Heard them mention this story on the Ken MacDonald show this morning, all parties on the show including Gerry Hassan, a guest had a wee chuckle at the BT camp swapping out, no with know, to seem less negative.
     
    A bit late in the day me thinks.

    Reply
  34. msean says:

    lol

    Reply
  35. @Brian Powell
     
    link to archive.is

    Reply
  36. Charles P. Kearney says:

    Not that I’m tight, but I think the Yes Campaign should certainly ease up a bit on spending.  ‘Bitter Together’ are self destructing, and to use an old Glasgow expression, ‘they couldn’t run a Menage!’

    There appears to be no beginning to their Talents and Foot in Mouth Disease is decimating the Flock!  Nicking the Opposition’s Posters and Ideas is a strategy guaranteed to lose you the War, and when their Millionaire Tory backers see their Money wasted, it will soon dry up!

    Reply
  37. BuckieBraes says:

    If Better Together carries on serving up comedy gold like this, the ‘red tops’ won’t be able to resist covering it – despite their own No-leaning sympathies – because there is so much potential for groan-inducing headlines and much, much more.
     
    I did like the statement that ‘one page warns the public might think that “Saying No = saying No to Scotland”.’ Well, yes: that’s it in a nutshell, really.
     
    Yes is positive; No is negative. Voters will confront those two words, and their meaning, on a piece of paper next September. Better Together is stuck with advocating No and therefore negativity by association, and there is nothing they can do about it.

    Reply
  38. Thepnr says:

    BT have a major problem now, their whole strategy was to frighten the electorate by showing all the negatives. Unfortunately for them there really are very few real negatives so they resorted instead to bullshit and lies.
     
    Like the boy who cried wolf, just skip if not interested but worth reading again if you’ve forgotten the story.
     
    There once was a shepherd boy who was bored as he sat on the hillside watching the village sheep. To amuse himself he took a great breath and sang out, “Wolf! Wolf! The Wolf is chasing the sheep!”

    The villagers came running up the hill to help the boy drive the wolf away. But when they arrived at the top of the hill, they found no wolf. The boy laughed at the sight of their angry faces.

    “Don’t cry ‘wolf’, shepherd boy,” said the villagers, “when there’s no wolf!” They went grumbling back down the hill.

    Later, the boy sang out again, “Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!” To his naughty delight, he watched the villagers run up the hill to help him drive the wolf away.

    When the villagers saw no wolf they sternly said, “Save your frightened song for when there is really something wrong! Don’t cry ‘wolf’ when there is NO wolf!”

    But the boy just grinned and watched them go grumbling down the hill once more.

    Later, he saw a REAL wolf prowling about his flock. Alarmed, he leaped to his feet and sang out as loudly as he could, “Wolf! Wolf!”
    But the villagers thought he was trying to fool them again, and so they didn’t come.

    At sunset, everyone wondered why the shepherd boy hadn’t returned to the village with their sheep. They went up the hill to find the boy. They found him weeping.

    “There really was a wolf here! The flock has scattered! I cried out, “Wolf!” Why didn’t you come?”

    An old man tried to comfort the boy as they walked back to the village.

    “We’ll help you look for the lost sheep in the morning,” he said, putting his arm around the youth, “Nobody believes a liar…even when he is telling the truth!”

    Reply
  39. Les Wilson says:

    My problem is wondering where they are going to find a good message. OH, just probably make one up, it is not as if they aren’t capable, or anything ! Oh, but there again, maybe they still would have a problem !

    Reply
  40. Dal Riata says:

    “… the London ad agency”
     
    That’ll be Blue Star Digital, then.
     
    From The Drum:
     
    “Blue State Digital’s experience of working on such high profile campaigns as Obama 08 and the Hollande French presidential election will give us access to the very best political and strategic minds.
    “Over the course of the next two years, we will be looking to the creative industries here in scotland and across the uk to join our campaign and help stop the break up of Britain.”

    Reply
  41. Patrician says:

    I am glad to see my campaign to call them “No Scotland” is now making it into the papers 😀

    Reply
  42. Bertie K says:

    Knees = Nees
    Knob = Nob
    Knuckles = Nuckles
    Bertie sais “I’ve lost my K!”  ;-(
     
     

    Reply
  43. JLT says:

    I hear ‘red alert’ klaxons going off in BT HQ …panic alert! …panic alert! …all is not well! …all is not well!

    Reply
  44. Andrew says:

    Just say Know kids

    Reply
  45. Dave McEwan Hill says:

    I find the absence of Darling in recent days very encouraging. The rumour that he wanted out may have something to it.

    Reply
  46. handclapping says:

    @DMH
    Darling is leading by example. MPs will only work 183 days in 2014.

    Reply
  47. handclapping says:

    Sorry, I lied; its 145 days. We normals do 240 odd. And they’re in line for an 11% pay rise.
    Time to get out of this place.

    Reply
  48. ronnie anderson says:

    Is that the De fence acroos Doonin St. Wi a side gate fur awe us Plebs. Is Sachi n Sachi the ad agengy, ha ha, always the mob of dont knows, bring it on

    Reply
  49. Clydebuilt says:

    There’s nothing “Down Market” about the Sun’s political Journalism. IMHO Andrew Nicoll is one of Scotland’s top Political journo’s.
    Dec. 9th “Will Old Age Be better As Part Of The UK? Don’t Bet Your Pension On It”

    pointed out that in the UK you’ll have to work till your 69 by the late 2040’s and that in Glasgow average life expectancy is 71. SO HALF  OF THE MEN IN THE CITY WON’T LIVE TO GET A PENSION. Whilst John Swinney thinks a retirement age of 65 will be possible in an independent Scotland. He goes on to say that the Barnett formula will be scrapped and that Scotland will see a cut of £4bn. 

    Dec 16th  “OBR Fortune Tellers Talking Crystal Balls”. Points out that OBR oil estimates are out by Billions.
    Is there another Chief Political correspondent in Scotland who has the balls to tell the truth as this man has?

    Reply
  50. ScotFree1320 says:

    The ever-compliant Huffington Post is assisting the Noes’ “positive” campaign for the union, by regurgitating in full – including the link to join the Noes – a scare story blog by Mr Darling on their web site.

    It’s all about the uncertainty of whether the rUK would allow an independent Scotland to join a Sterling Zone and/or use the pound: link to huff.to

    There’s nothing said here that hasn’t been debunked before, so it implies that they really have run out of ideas and are starting to sound very, very silly and hysterical.

    Reply
  51. Barontorc says:

    Waiting for John  Swinney to really ramp up the  pressure by forecasting real personal benefits and cash in your pocket gains with a YES vote. It will come and it will be backed up and credible.

    Reply
  52. Xander says:

    O/T – Trouble in Santaland.
    link to theguardian.com

    Reply
  53. Douglas Macdonald says:

    It is interesting to note that you have acquired a well-placed informant from inside a newspaper.  However, it should not be forgotten that most journalists are articulate, thoughtful and intelligent human-beings.   It is encouraging to learn that some of them are now beginning to think for themselves and not on behalf of their editorial masters. Are cracks beginning to appear, I wonder, in the tabloid newspapers reportage?  I doubt it, but the more whistleblowers brought on board the YES campaign’s juggernaut, the wider these cracks will become until the whole NO campaign’s shell of an edifice collapses about its ears. 
    However, there is a note of caution.  The YES campaign has been successful so far as a result of good online connections to disseminate truthful, good quality information, but what if those practised in the dark arts were to disrupt those communications, do all the YES websites have a plan B (or C, etc.) to circumvent such an event?

    Reply
  54. Linda's Back says:

    The Sun refers to “the pro split” campaign.  The Media in general refers to the “Pro UK” campaign.   I have yet to see any mention of the “pro Scotland” YES campaign.
     

    Reply
  55. Hey, hey now…. I am American. Careful. 😉

    Reply
  56. Alba4Eva says:

    That’s cool Michael… people from everywhere make up the ‘color’ of Scotland 😉

    Reply
  57. ScotsCanuck says:

    ………… don’t forget us Canucks !!!!!!!

    Reply


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