Attack ads released hours after Justin Trudeau was named leader of the Liberal party, framing the 41-year-old as being 鈥渨ay over his head,鈥� may backfire on the governing Conservatives, says one public relations expert.
Patrick Gossage, chair of public relations firm Media Profile, says the ads that were released Monday show Trudeau in stark contrast to Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, which could actually work in the Liberals鈥� favour.
Footage featured in one of the ads was taken during a fundraising event for the Canadian Liver Foundation that showed, in slow motion, Trudeau participating in a mock strip tease to raise money for the charity.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 really resonate with the worries people have about Justin,鈥� Gossage told CTV鈥檚 Canada AM on Tuesday. 鈥淧eople certainly aren鈥檛 worried about Justin鈥檚 ability to do fun things, to be lively, to be accessible, to do a bit of crazy things like his father did. They鈥檙e worried about his lack of experience and I鈥檓 amazed that (the Conservatives) didn鈥檛 focus in on that.鈥�
Shortly after the ad began circulating online, the Canadian Liver Foundation released a statement, applauding Trudeau for his support.
鈥淢r. Trudeau was willing to not only attend our event but also generously donate a lunch to be auctioned off to raise funds for liver disease research and education,鈥� reads the statement, adding that the auction item raised $1,900.
Gossage, who served as press secretary to former prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, said the tagline the Tories have used in their attack ads 鈥� 鈥渏ust in over his head鈥� 鈥� is not as memorable as those used to portray passed Liberal leaders.
Previous ads released by the Tories pegged former Liberal leader Stephane Dion as 鈥渘ot a leader鈥� and Michael Ignatieff as 鈥渏ust visiting.鈥�
鈥淭his is not the ad that鈥檚 going to squelch what鈥檚 really a big grassroots movement that鈥檚 just started,鈥� Gossage said.
A second attack ad highlights the Papineau MP鈥檚 background as a drama teacher and snowboard instructor and asks if Trudeau has the 鈥渏udgment鈥� to be prime minister.
With two years until the next federal election, Gossage said Trudeau has enough time to 鈥渆mbed himself in the consciousness of Canadians.鈥�
Trudeau brushed off the attack ads Monday, saying that Canadians are tired of negative advertising that have become typical of the Tories.
鈥淚f Mr. Harper and the Conservatives want to change the channel like that and want to talk about anything other than their record, it鈥檚 no surprise,鈥� Trudeau told reporters.
He said the Liberals will respond with their own 鈥減ositive鈥� advertising campaign.
