Bling vs Bland in French Elections

Background...

The election of the next French President is just two weeks away, and it's hotting up. Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande are head to head in the battle of Bling vs Bland.

They've both staked their claim on a bit of Brand territory.

Mr Bling

For Sarkozy, well he's:
• Mr Action Man - full of drive & thrust,
• The man standing up for France.
• His campaign launched with the slogan La France Forte - A Strong France.
• He'll stand-up to the EU and control France's borders
• He dresses nattily, socialises and is seen in all the right places with his and
• Glamorous spouse.

Mr Bland

Hollande on the other hand is:
• Mr Nice guy - reasonable and thoughtful
• Standing up for the ordinary French man and woman
• Promising to hire 60,000 more teachers
• Steady and boring
• Going to tax the rich at 75%, and
• Intending to reverse the recent increase in pension age.

And Little Weed?

But this is all pretty unreal because whoever gets in will have to make deep spending cuts to find Euro billions in savings.

So in the battle of the presidential Brands, keep watching.

Will it be Mr Bling or Mr Bland, or even (if you're as old as I am to remember the TV puppet show Bill & Ben the Flowerpot Men) the far right candidate Marine Le Pen, as little Miss Weed?