Green Party parodies ‘80s and ‘90s board game TV adverts in its UK general election broadcast

In the run up to the UK’s next general election on June 8th, at least one political party has found inspiration in the classic family board games of decades past for its campaign.

The Green Party has released a general election broadcast that parodies the overly optimistic and upbeat TV adverts of the 1980s and ‘90s for board games, showing a family playing through ‘The Race to Number 10: Snap Election Edition’.

There’s a level of era-appropriate commitment to the bit, with most of the video filmed in 4:3 and with VHS-quality grain – not to mention the family’s clothing, including a tie-dye shirt.

As the family play, there’s countless references to Conservative and Labour policies, including non-too-subtle mentions of the NHS crisis, expenses scandal, Jeremy Corbyn’s cabinet reshuffle, the cutting of public services and Theresa May’s use of the phrase “strong and stable” during a ‘slogan round’.

Of course, there’s also plenty of hits made at Brexit, with the father of the family earning a bonus round for “plastering his bus with a lie” – a reference to the now infamous ‘Brexit bus’ that claimed £350 million would be given back to the NHS after Brexit, which was later said to be misleading.

As the ‘80s and ‘90s dressing suggests, it seems like the advert is aiming to get younger voters on side, with the advert opening with a voiceover proclaiming “It’s fun for all the family” only to be shot down by the mother retorting “But not if you’re under 18”.

“That’s alright, I didn’t want to save my future anyway,” replies the daughter, before evaporating into the air.

The ad ends with the son of the family pausing the advert and saying: “If you feel cheated by the current system, it’s time to change the game.” The Green Party has introduced the hashtag #ChangeTheGame as part of its campaign drive.

It’s an interesting approach, especially given the results of a recent survey that suggested that Green Party voters were actually the most likely to cheat at games, ahead of UKIP, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Labour.

In the study, 80% of Green Party supporters owned up to cheating on a “test, game or person” in the past, compared to around two-thirds of UKIP and Lib Dem voters and just over 60% of Conservative and Labour fans.