No 'Lets get shot of it' campaign

Pro-European/anti euro group, 'No' has teamed up with pub chain J D Wetherspoon to launch a campaign warning the public of the dangers of voting to join the euro in a forthcoming referendum.

Devised by independent agency The Creative Element, the campaign is thought to be the first to specifically target pub-goers as part of a mainstream political campaign.

J D Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin unveiled the 'Let's Get Shot Of It' campaign today while announcing the pub group's latest set of corporate results to the City. Mr Martin is a long-term supporter of the cross-party No campaign, which advocates Britain's continuing membership of the European Union but opposes joining the euro for the foreseeable future.

The campaign is based around a pop-art image of shot glasses – including one carrying the euro symbol – above the message 'Let's Get Shot Of It'. Another image features an over-turned shot glass with a yellow euro symbol sitting in a puddle of blue liquid, with the same copy line.

The campaign involves hundreds of thousands of posters, leaflets, beer mats and postcards to be distributed via all 550 J D Wetherspoon pubs, including postcards which have been pre-printed with Tony Blair's name and address. These will help people opposed to joining the euro to make their position clear to the Prime Minister. Campaign materials will also be distributed to 50,000 No supporters as part of an extensive direct mail campaign.

'Let's Get Shot Of It' follows hard on the heels of an M & C Saatchi-devised press ad, featuring Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown in handcuffs with the copy line 'If We Joined The Euro He'd Lose Control Of Our Economy'. The double page spread in The Times on Monday 3rd September included the names of over 700 business leaders who oppose Britain's entry into the euro – more than double the number who endorsed a similar advertisement last year.

A further campaign, concentrating on the issue of improving public services, will run during the autumn Party Conference season.

The 'Let's Get Shot Of It' creative team included creative director Rory Seaford, copy writer Nick de Cent and senior designer James Palmer. The concept was devised by The Creative Element to an extremely tight deadline after an earlier campaign idea was considered to be too radical by lawyers.