The non-partisan campaign Just Vote has launched a new campaign ‘Voting is Hot AF’ to encourage young people to get out and vote in the 4th July general election,

The campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, is powered by green entrepreneur and founder of Ecotricity Dale Vince, with insight from PR and communications agency Borkowski. 

The strategy is built on the insight that voting officially makes you hotter. According to research from YouGov 40% of 18 to 24 year olds find regular voters more attractive. 

Dale Vince, Founder of Just Vote and CEO of Ecotricity, explained:“Saatchi & Saatchi has had a powerful influence on the course of British political history and in partnering with us on Just Vote ahead of this general election they are underlining the urgency of ensuring that young people and first-time voters are given a voice on 4 July."

Giving AF is Hot AF

The socially-led campaign is built on the idea that ‘hotness’ is both subjective and abstract, just as decisions made at the polls can be. 

Every interpretation of ‘hotness’ is celebrated in the creative, just as every vote - and every person who gives AF - should be.

Reimagining the voting trope of the ‘X’ as a visual shorthand to symbolise attraction, the work draws on modern dating culture to explore what attraction means to different people, while also nodding to the X-ratedness of sex appeal. Echoing the language and social tropes of this culture, headlines include ‘Get polled’, ‘Giving AF is hot AF’, ‘Talk turnout to me’ and ‘18+ for a reason’.  

The research also revealed that over half of those surveyed (52%) felt that regular voters were more intelligent, while 35% said voters were more trustworthy.

When asked about the dating behaviours of voters as compared to non-voters, a fifth (20%) felt that non-voters were more likely to be rude to a waiter, while 21% felt that non-voters would spend a first date talking about themselves.

Crucially, 18% felt that non-voters would be more likely to commit the ultimate dating faux-pas and ghost you. By comparison, those who voted were considered more likely (17%) to take care of the bill on a date.

Youth turnout has historically been lower than within other demographics. According to the British Election Study of 2019 a third of the UK population up to the age of 34 abstain from voting. The Just Vote campaign aims to engage young people ahead of next month’s polling date and remind 18-24 year olds to register, remember their ID, and turn out on July 4^th.

Franki Goodwin, Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi says, “Finding the right message, at the right moment to influence real behaviour change is when advertising is at its most powerful. It’s been extremely interesting mining dating and internet culture to find a real world upside to young people engaging in politics – a place that can often feel like the least attractive, least youthful place on earth and that’s not good for anyone.”

Richard Huntington, Chair and Chief Strategy Officer atSaatchi & Saatchi, added: “Hot AF is the democratic equivalent of “if in emergency, smash glass”,  because only half of 18-24 year olds now vote and that’s an emergency.”

Behavioural change is never easy. Yet a functioning democracy depends on ensuring not just that everyone has a voice, but they have the tools and understanding to use it.