We analysed the Tories’ latest ad to work out why everyone’s having a go at it
We took a close look at the graphic so you don't have to.
It must be a fun day in Tory HQ when they’re asked to make a new graphic for social media.
Even better when the remit is simply, ‘find a bunch of images that represent what makes Britain truly great’.
‘Quick,’ you can heard them shout. ‘Fetch me that picture of shipping containers being loaded at Felixstowe port!’
That’s how we ended up with the image posted by the official Conservatives account on X last night, off the back of the UK being placed second in a ‘soft power index’ published by a brand evaluation consultancy named Brand Finance.
Their index is based on a large-scale survey with more than 170,000 respondents from more than 100 countries, the company said – although the small print at the bottom of its press release adds it ‘does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation’.
Now, X is a cruel place, and users wasted no time engaging in a bit of Freudian analysis to investigate what the people who run our country think are the best things about our country.
So here they are, taken step by step.
Rishi Sunak
Taking pride of place in the centre of the graphic is what we can safely assume is Rishi Sunak’s favourite picture of himself: determined expression, furrowed brow, highlighted cheekbones.
It was taken on October 26 2022, when the newly minted leader of the government was leaving Number 10 for his first Prime Minister’s Questions.
He’s the first of 14 – count ’em – men in the graphic, contrasted with a total of no women.
The England men’s football team
‘The real fun in this is imagining the conversation about whether to have the men’s team or the women’s team in the image,’ wrote TV presenter and author Richard Osman on X.
‘”But the women did actually win something,” “yes, but will it look too woke?” Tough gig.’
It appears the majority of the teases on The Social Media Platform Formerly Known As Twitter are focused on the decision to use the men’s team instead of the Lionesses.
This particular picture was taken last week ahead of their friendly match against Brazil at Wembley. Which they lost.
Sir Christopher Nolan
There’s no denying Christopher Nolan is right in the heart of the zeitgeist, coming fresh off his first Best Director win at the Oscars and the awarding of a knighthood.
Not only that, he’s also a man – which makes him rich fodder for this ‘best of Britain’ collage.
The English filmmaker made a permanent move to Los Angeles after completing his first full-length movie Following, telling the Evening Standard he ‘never had any luck trying to get funding for films in London’.
However, he was also among the British Hollywood top brass who praised Jeremy Hunt’s announcement of tax relief for low-budget UK independent films in this year’s Budget.
Aston Martin Vantage AMR
Yes, that’s the model of Aston Martin included in the graphic – and I think we can all agree, fast cars that go zoom are very cool.
It’s tricky to track down the exact car that’s depicted though. Perhaps they asked an MP to get a picture of the one in their garage.
The sports cars are indeed still made in the UK, as they have been for the past 104 years: specifically, they’re built at a facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire.
Gosh, there has been quite a lot of English stuff so far. Any chance of someone or something from a different part of the United Kingdom?
Felixstowe port
The Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk, England, is the eighth-busiest container port in Europe. Doesn’t that fact make your heart swell with national pride?
Above all, it represents trade, and that’s an important point since the Conservatives’ post on X was explicitly linked to a supposed Brexit boost.
In December 2022, the Times reported that Brexit bureaucracy was one of several factors to blame for a decline in business at coastal ports like Felixstowe.
King Charles
Adding to the Tories’ round-up of top British blokes is King Charles, waving to the crowds in his coronation regalia last May.
So here’s someone who can reasonably represent the entire country – he may be based in England most of the time, but he’s King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland!
He goes on holiday to Scotland every year! He’s visited Northern Ireland twice since acceding to the throne! He used to be the Prince of Wales!
Military jets
Second only to men and shipping containers, there are seven – count ’em – military jets in the Tories’ graphic.
And again, I think we can all agree, fast jets that go zoom are very cool.
Flying out of Rishi’s ears are an F-35B Lightning II and a Eurofighter Typhoon, which are joined by the good old Red Arrows, spraying their red, white and blue smoke across the word ‘WORLD’.
What better examples could there be of the British spirit that led to us proudly wearing the silver medal as the runner-up in an unofficial survey of the most powerful countries in the world? Pass the roast beef.
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