As local elections fever grips the nation, council candidates are jostling for your vote the best way they know how: by chucking up great big bloody signs on the side of the road. Here are The Spinoff\u2019s top picks from around the motu.<\/p>\n
Oh oh oh, Ohakune<\/p>\n
(David \u201cRabbit\u201d Nottage, Ruapehu District Council)<\/p>\n
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Here\u2019s a man who knows his colour wheel, with the plummy purples of his tie and shiny (!) leopard print (!) shirt popping beautifully against the egg yolk yellow of whatever the hell that is behind him (choco eclair tank?). The hair styling would make Guy Fieri weep, the sunglasses are the stuff of legends, and I genuinely think I saw some gen Z avant-gardista wearing this entire get-up during fashion week. As for each and every word: all perfect. I can find no evidence of any kind of \u201cNew Zealand\u2019s Sharpest Town\u201d rankings anywhere in the world, nor can I figure out if the \u201cyeah right\u201d is suggesting Ohakune should be higher or should be lower. What is precisely where it should be is \u201cChocolate Eclairs\u201d \u2013 right between Mountain Biking and Snow Fire & Ice. Find me a better trifecta of policies anywhere. \/ Alex Casey<\/p>\n
Wise Guy<\/p>\n
(Lisa Guy, Queenstown Lakes District Council)<\/p>\n
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Is Queenstown councillor Lisa Guy making a not-so-subtle comment about the lack of women standing in local elections with this sign? Perhaps. What really grabs me is the \u201cStill\u201d: I like how the font is a little askew. \/ Shanti Mathias<\/p>\n
In an election in which all six of the mayoral candidates and 20 of the 27 councillor candidates are blokes (one of whom has the last name Cocks, just saying), in my humble opinion this is nothing short of 10\/10-no-notes-give-her-the-key-to-the-city stuff. \/ Alice Neville<\/p>\n
It\u2019s always sunny in Dunedin<\/p>\n
(Lachlan Akers, Dunedin City Council)<\/p>\n
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There\u2019s nothing more heartwarming than a hand-painted election sign, and I can only applaud the brave visionary who had the arduous task of cutting out the tricky flame shapes on sign number two. Plus, does voting for Lachlan mean that Dunedin will actually get a summer<\/a> this year? Now that\u2019s a campaign winner. \/ Tara Ward\u00a0<\/p>\n Send in the clowns<\/p>\n (Pennywize the Re-wilding Clown, mayoralty, Wellington City Council)<\/p>\n It was a very rainy Wellington day when I came across this poster and nearly fell to my knees on Kent Terrace. There\u2019s something about how rugged and avant garde it looks that made me feel like Cameron in that one scene from Ferris Bueller\u2019s Day Off. The partial tear, the fact it\u2019s covering a poster for someone\u2019s missing pet bird (which has been gone for months, I hope they\u2019re OK) even though there was definitely enough room to put it somewhere else \u2013 there\u2019s a lot for the average voter to think about. Who among us doesn\u2019t have a beautiful bird hidden in their soul, wanting to re-wild Wellington? From a distance, I was terrified of the clown-like thing waving at me in the rain. Up close, I see the clown-like thing is a clown candidate and, in many ways, perhaps a kindred spirit: doing the best on a small budget with big dreams in a treacherous city. \/ Lyric Waiwiri-Smith<\/p>\n Good stuff, Karen<\/p>\n (Karen Coltman, South Wairarapa District Council)<\/p>\n Massive shoutout to my hometown of Featherston for always holding it down, keeping it real, and running it straight. Where do I even start with this beautiful hoarding, which is less of a hoarding and more of a laminated flyer attached to a shop window. Firstly, we have to talk about the mise en sc\u00e8ne. Karen has chosen a powerful positioning on this noticeboard that sends a strong message before we\u2019ve even read the words. This appears to be a woman who aligns herself with both humans AND nature, represented by the ghillie-suit-wearing person to her left. That said, the spot also suggests a reverence for creativity in her local community, bowing below a David Bowie tribute act out of respect for the arts. As for the slogan itself, it flirts with haiku in the beginning and end, but ultimately delivers something far beyond poetry. Karen gets stuff done \/ and she \/ doesn\u2019t stuff around. Country road, take me home. \/ AC<\/p>\n Travelator pitch<\/p>\n (Ryan Pausina, Auckland Council mayoralty)<\/p>\n Each morning as I sit in traffic on Esmonde Road, waiting to get on the Harbour Bridge and make my way to Spinoff Towers, I ponder this striking couplet. What is Technology Plus +? Why does the URL have spaces between each word? Why does it say 2nd Bridge Crossing instead of 2nd Harbour Crossing? Why are the people on the travelator terrifying doppelgangers of each other? None of these nagging questions detract from the immense appeal of an underwater travelator: there\u2019s a reason David Slack\u2019s version nabbed a top spot in Hayden Donnell\u2019s definitive harbour crossing ranking<\/a>. \/ AN<\/p>\n Check him out<\/p>\n (Russell Lund, Dunedin City Council)<\/p>\n Who doesn\u2019t love a hoarding with an exclamation mark?! I don\u2019t know what Lund\u2019s first name is but it\u2019s clear he\u2019s really! Excited!! About!!! Rates & debt reduction!!!! This candidate has another hoarding by the motorway that simply says \u201cVote Lund. Get Stuff Done\u201d and I can only applaud his no-frills, extremely practical message. Stuff? He\u2019ll get it done!!!!! \/ TW\u00a0<\/p>\n There is too much going on here: too many words, too many numbers, too many checks on this bloke\u2019s jacket, too much background building. She may have been talking about outfits rather than hoardings and also she may have been a Nazi, but Coco Chanel had the right idea: \u201cBefore you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.\u201d \/ AN<\/p>\n Payne-full punning<\/p>\n Calvin Payne (Selwyn District Council)<\/p>\n While your mind may want to dwell on the exquisite \u201cKnow Payne \u2013 Know Gain\u201d pun happening here, I\u2019d also love to acknowledge @ LARGE COUNCILLOR? for its services to weirdness. Is he saying @ him on the internet? Or is he saying he\u2019s not a small councillor? Or is he a councillor-at-large and, if so, what the hell is that? Is he somehow on the run? Is that why there\u2019s the question mark at the end? The riddler of our times? \/ AC<\/p>\n I am a huge fan of wordplay on election hoardings and agree with Alex in her acknowledgement of the exquisiteness of this pun. I also like the non-presumptiveness of the question mark \u2013 it\u2019s giving \u201cHey, maybe you\u2019d like to vote for me? All good if not though!\u201d Points also for the photos proving he can go from boardroom to bush. Know Payne, know gain indeed. \/ AN<\/p>\n Specs appeal<\/p>\n (Andrew Little, mayoralty, Wellington City Council)<\/p>\n Wellington\u2019s future is so bright that Andrew Little needs sunglasses to see it. Although those shades do remind me of that time Mr Little posted a thirst trap on his Twitter\/X page. Get you a mayor who can do it all, I guess. \/ LWS\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n We shouldn\u2019t have been left to come up with our own wordplay here: a shades-wearing campaign photo demands a shades-focused punny slogan plastered across it. Do better, Mr Little. I do, however, approve of the subtle background blur: Karl Tiefanbacher could learn a thing or two. \/ AN<\/p>\n Flying the flag<\/p>\n (Green Party candidates, Dunedin City Council and Otago Regional Council)<\/p>\n Dunedin is clearly the art centre of Aotearoa, given the large number of hand-painted election hoardings adorning the city. These two signs are endearingly child-like in their simplicity, but also, kind of weird. Does this mean that frogs are people too? How does the snail even hold the pen to make its STV rankings? Who cares, I really like the frog\u2019s hat. \/ TW\u00a0<\/p>\n You have to get pretty damn close to these hoardings to see that they\u2019re promoting Greens candidates, so assessed on vote-winning potential, they are failures. As heartwarming pieces of public art, however, they get my vote. \/ AN<\/p>\n Simply the vest<\/p>\n (Josephine Bartley, Maungakiekie-T\u0101maki Ward, Auckland City Council)<\/p>\n I am choosing to believe, thanks to the charming rustic typography of \u201c& Milo\u201d, that this dapper pooch added his own name at the last minute. And why wouldn\u2019t he? Boasting an eye-catching hibiscus harness offset by a beautiful baby pink vest, this is a dog who is going to show up for his constituents in a hugely fabulous way. \/ AC<\/p>\n Is it a bird? Is it a plane?<\/p>\n (Alex King, Otago Regional Council)<\/p>\n Another heartwarming hand-drawn Dunedin election hoarding. I like that after the elections are over, this poster is so charming that you could frame it and hang it up in your living room next to a couple of potted plants and some soft lighting that gently illuminates the wings of the kerer\u016b on a cold winter\u2019s night. \/ TW<\/p>\n In the frame<\/p>\n (Patrick Reynolds, Waitemat\u0101 and Gulf Ward, Auckland Council)<\/p>\n When I saw a single Vote Reynolds poster I wasn\u2019t sold \u2013 the colour wash was weird, the lack of a first name was disconcerting, the hat was too\u2026 I dunno, hatty. But this Warhol-esque quadtriptych changes the game. Powerful. Arty. A statement. \/ AN<\/p>\n I\u2019m torn on these ones. On the one hand I appreciate seeing actual effort in posters. On the other, it\u2019s very Obama 2008 except in 2008 everyone knew Obama\u2019s first name. This guy better hope he\u2019s the only Reynolds on the ballot. \/ Madeleine Chapman<\/p>\n Two sides of the same Jules<\/p>\n (Jules Radich, Dunedin City Council mayoralty)<\/p>\n Jules Radich wants your #1 ranking on the ballot, and his election hoarding near the South Dunedin motorway underpass tells two different versions of one man\u2019s journey to the mayoral robes.\u00a0 On one side, Radich wears a suit and tie (Formal Jules), while on the other, he cuts a more relaxed vibe in a blue open-necked shirt (Casual Jules). Whatever your vibe, Jules Radich has you covered. Who says politics is boring? \/ TW<\/p>\n Hey diddle diddle, the dog and the Kiddle<\/p>\n (Nik Kiddle, mayoralty, Queenstown Lakes District Council)<\/p>\n It\u2019s always positive to see a candidate embrace rhymes. Nik Kiddle also embraces his dog Neo \u2013 when in doubt, appeal to the pet lovers. The overall effect is warm and fresh, an excellent harmony of his sign design and slogan. \/ SM<\/p>\n Not even a spot of sticker-based vandalism can detract from the winning formula of denim plus dachshund. \/ AN<\/p>\n Glow up<\/p>\n (Alan Wang, Environment Canterbury)<\/p>\n Wang\u2019s elegant serif typography is offset with a gentle yellow highlight around the letters. The photo of him is similarly glowing gently. He also clearly has a positive relationship with Capital Letters. \/ SM<\/p>\n Ride or die?<\/p>\n (Kathryn Davie and Paul Davie, Whau Local Board, Auckland Council)<\/p>\n Didn\u2019t realise they rebooted the Bound 2 music video<\/a> and frankly do not want to see much more of it, cheers. \/ AC<\/p>\n Unfortunately the photo quality doesn\u2019t do this hoarding justice, but it appears the inset headshots are simply the faces of these two cropped from the motorbike pic. I will not be getting onboard and I certainly shall not be enjoying the ride until you get some more photos of yourselves, cheers. \/ AN<\/p>\n Smart and\/or casual<\/p>\n (Alex Baker, mayoralty, Wellington City Council)<\/p>\n Here, Alex Baker is pictured appealing to the two types of Wellingtonians: the bureaucrats\/public servants, and everyone else (not pictured in the white tee poster: a pair of Dr Martens on the feet). In another frame, he lets the streets of Wellington do the talking. A man of the people indeed. \/ LWS<\/p>\n Not everyone opts for a mayoral slogan because if you\u2019re going to have a tagline, it better be good. \u201cKeep moving forward\u201d is only three words and one of those words is most associated with \u201cLet\u2019s Get Wellington Moving\u201d in locals\u2019 minds. When you Google Let\u2019s Get Wellington Moving, one of the top results is the headline: \u201cLet\u2019s Get Wellington Moving was a giant waste of time\u201d. An unfortunate word association for Mr Baker. I like the non-denominational colour choice though. \/ MC<\/p>\n Tag team<\/p>\n (Daniel Shand, mayoralty, Queenstown Lakes District Council)<\/p>\n Daniel Shand, from H\u0101wea, has previously run in central government elections with the slogan \u201cI don\u2019t know anything about politics but I\u2019ll give it a go\u201d. He does actually know about politics, though, or at least alternatives to the current political system; this time round, his budget signs are part of how he is promoting direct democracy, where citizens can make decisions about the future collectively, rather than relying on representatives. He says it\u2019s the least amount of money he\u2019s ever spent on a campaign. \/ SM<\/p>\n In the wrong hands, a spray-painted hoarding could come across as unhinged. This, however, is cute. Look at that smile! A vote winner for sure. Also, a surefire way to stop your hoarding being vandalised is to make it look like it\u2019s already been vandalised. I have just one question: if this man\u2019s name is Daniel Shand, who is Manaia N, who appears on no QLDC candidate list I can find? \/ AN<\/p>\n Fortune favours the Baldock<\/p>\n (Gael Baldock, Waitemat\u0101 Local Board, Auckland Council)<\/p>\n Fangs for voting<\/p>\n (The Radical Action Faction\u2019s Ruthven Allimrac and Jen Olsen, Dunedin City Council)<\/p>\n It\u2019s a vampire<\/a>. In a local body election. Does your city have its own vampire mayor? No? Sucks to be you. \/ TW<\/p>\n Kudos to whoever\u2019s doing the Radical Action Faction\u2019s design because these are exquisite. I\u2019m particularly taken with the juxtaposition of the five exclamation marks with the decidedly nonchalant expression of this noble hound, who at first glance gives zero fucks. Look deep into his eyes, however, and he is pleading for you to VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! Would follow this dog anywhere, tbh. \/ AN<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a huge election for greyhounds on hoardings, as Tom Roud in \u014ctautahi<\/a> can attest. \/ SM<\/p>\n Holden out for a hero<\/p>\n (Jamie Falloon, Masterton District Council)<\/p>\n Simple and effective, and the handwritten addendum is a classy touch. Did Falloon add it himself? Did a supporter? Did a rival who knows Falloon actually loves Fords and is trolling him? Is that ute on the left a Holden V8 or is it in fact a Ford? Maybe it\u2019s a Hilux? Maybe ChatGPT is right and it\u2019s a goddam Isuzu? Do the people of Masterton know? Please get in touch.<\/p>\n Hat\u2019ll do<\/p>\n (Flynn Nisvett, Dunedin City Council mayoralty)<\/p>\n [T.I. voice] \u201cJester hat \/ arms folded nice \/ we can wear sunnies all night \/ and baby you vote whenever you liiiiike.\u201d Also love how he is walking the walk of \u201cwhatever you want\u201d by just chucking this on a berm. Who needs sturdy old poles when you have silly old hats? \/ AC<\/p>\n Wong side of the fence<\/p>\n (Stuart Wong, Lambton\/Pukeh\u012bnau Ward, Wellington City Council)<\/p>\n The golden rule of local election campaigning is that if you have a name that can be turned into a memorable pun, you must do it, like the \u201cKnow Payne\u201d guy. And with that wide smile and the lovely yellow colouring of the hoarding shining like a lighthouse in the night, you might just think to yourself that if this is Wong, maybe you don\u2019t want to be right. \/ LWS<\/p>\n Triple threat<\/p>\n (Ted Johnston, mayoralty, Auckland Council)<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t have the slasher-movie appeal of Ted\u2019s 2019 hoardings<\/a>, but the gesture provides a similar, slightly threatening aura, and the postnominals are a nice touch \u2013 three degrees, I\u2019d like to see his pool room<\/a>. \/ AN (BA Hons, Grad Dip Journ)<\/p>\n First past the post?<\/p>\n (Tony Bennett, Dunedin City Council)<\/p>\n My daughter sent me this murky image of an election poster stuck up in the Meridian Mall, and at first I thought the photo was of actor Geoffrey Rush. Then I discovered this candidate\u2019s name was Tony Bennett, which made me wonder if Geoffrey Rush was playing the late American jazz singer Tony Bennett in a gripping but dystopian thriller about the dramatic journey of standing for Dunedin City Council. Wanted: the truth. \/ TW<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As local elections fever grips the nation, council candidates are jostling for your vote the best way they…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44034,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[492,39048,156,14329,111,139,69,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-44033","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-comments-enabled","9":"tag-election-hoardings","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-local-elections-2025","12":"tag-new-zealand","13":"tag-newzealand","14":"tag-nz","15":"tag-politics"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44033\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n
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