A string of advertising agencies might have fought for the job of publicising Gordon Brown, with Saatchi & Saatchi winning the brief, but David Cameron does not appear to be generating the same level of excitement among Soho creatives.

With an election possibly in the offing, it is questionable whether Mr Cameron can rely on his celebrity contacts and albeit well-received speeches about the importance of the family unit to get him through. The power of a strong campaign in the weeks before an election cannot be underestimated.

Chris Davis, managing director of brand strategy at GfK NOP, said: “Agencies notoriously choose winners and will always latch on to successful companies or ones that can be turned around. Many of them would look at the Tories as an uphill battle and a risk.”

According to Mr Davis, Brand Cameron is not as well defined as Brand Brown. “Strong brands need a reason to believe and the Tory Party lacks that,” Mr Davis said. “The Tory brand also lacks differentiation, which is OK if you are the party in power.”

Then there are the M&C Saatchi executives advising the Tories on their campaign. Although the agency said it is not officially working for the Conservatives, refusing to give an explanation why, it is understood that the executives will be advising the party’s in-house team. Karmarama, the advertising agency that works for the Tories on a project basis, is also unlikely to have any involvement in a campaign.

There is also a suggestion that advertising remains a staunchly Labour-supporting industry, which leads to a reluctance to work for the Tories.

This certainly applies to the woman chosen to lead Labour’s campaign. Kate Stanners, the Saatchi & Saatchi creative director responsible for the “Not flash, just Gordon” slogan, is the first to admit the importance politics has played in her life. Ms Stanners, 44, who used to get driven to school by her Labour councillor mother in a Datsun emblazoned with “Vote Stanners, Vote Labour”, cites the first time she voted as the most important day in her mother’s life.

She described the Labour account as being one of the most desirable and sought after in adland this year, saying Gordon Brown’s lack of interest in personality-led politics made him an interesting subject for advertisers.

“Gordon is more PM than PR. There are going to be no pictures of him in a baseball cap,” said Ms Stanners. Ms Stanners, who has only met Mr Brown to shake his hand, highlights that the shift from personality politics to a more toned-down approach will be at the centre of the campaign. “Gordon Brown wants to be about policies, nothing else. The aim is to create something tangibly open and honest and avoid criticism of the opposition,” she said.

Mr Davis believes that Labour has a well-defined vision and image and believes that this is key for advertising agencies working at conveying a brand. “People have become fed up of excessive spin. Brown provides a level-headed approach and has more substance. These are key underpinnings for a successful brand,” he said.

Political campaigns used to be a favourite for advertising agencies, but some are now shunning approaches from political parties, said Robin Wight, chairman of advertising businesses Engine and WCRS.

“I would not be surprised if Labour and the Conservatives got turned down by some advertising groups no longer interested in working on political campaigns,” he said. Political campaigns can make or break an agency.

While Saatchi & Saatchi’s work for the Tories in the 1970s transformed the agency into a household name, these campaigns can be risky territory for agencies.

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