Tomorrow, August 30, 2011, is the fortieth anniversary of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Association’s first election victory. In that election the Alberta PCs, led by Peter Lougheed, defeated the 36-year governing Social Credit League led by Premier Harry Strom, and has been re-elected in each election since. Here is a look back at some of the campaign advertisements published in Alberta newspapers during that monumental election:
![Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Campaign Ad Think About It Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Campaign Ad Think About It](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Social-Credit-1971-Think-About-It.jpg)
![Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Campaign Ad "Independent" Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Campaign Ad "Independent"](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Social-Credit-Independent-1971.jpg)
![Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Campaign Ad "A New Kind of Leader" Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Campaign Ad "A New Kind of Leader"](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Social-Credit-A-new-Kind-of-leader-1971-1.jpg)
![Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Campaign Ad "We've Changed" Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Campaign Ad "We've Changed"](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Social-Credit-Weve-Changed-1971-2.jpg)
![Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Campaign Ad "Lower Taxes" Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Campaign Ad "Lower Taxes"](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Social-Credit-Lower-Taxes-1971-3.jpg)
![Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Campaign Ad "August 30" Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Campaign Ad "August 30"](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Social-Credit-August-30-1971-4.jpg)
![Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Ad "Recreation Centres" Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Ad "Recreation Centres"](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Social-Credit-Recreation-Centres-1971.jpg)
![Alberta Progressive Conservative Rally Ad 1971 Election Alberta Progressive Conservative Rally Ad 1971 Election](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Now-Lougheed-Rally-Night-1971.jpg)
![Alberta NDP 1971 Election Ad "You owe it to yourself" Alberta NDP 1971 Election Ad "You owe it to yourself"](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/NDP-You-Owe-it-to-yourself-vote-NDP-1971.jpg)
![Alberta Social Credit Calgary Candidates 1971 Election Ad Alberta Social Credit Calgary Candidates 1971 Election Ad](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Social-Credit-Calgary-Candidates-Ad-1971.jpg)
![Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Ad "Taking Things for Granted" Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Ad "Taking Things for Granted"](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Social-Credit-Taking-Things-for-Granted-1971.jpg)
![Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Ad "It's a Big Decision" Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Ad "It's a Big Decision"](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Social-Credit-Its-a-Big-Decision-1971.jpg)
![Alberta Social Credit Rally Ad 1971 Election Alberta Social Credit Rally Ad 1971 Election](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Social-Credit-Rally-Ad-1971.jpg)
![Alberta Liberal Party Calgary candidates 1971 Election Ad Alberta Liberal Party Calgary candidates 1971 Election Ad](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Liberal-Party-Calgary-candidates-1971.jpg)
![Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Ad "Compare" Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Ad "Compare"](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Social-Credit-Compare-1971.jpg)
![Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Ad "Experienced. Respected. A New Kind of Leader. Harry Strom" Alberta Social Credit 1971 Election Ad "Experienced. Respected. A New Kind of Leader. Harry Strom"](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Social-Credit-Experience-Leader-1971.jpg)
![Alberta Progressive Conservative Calgary Candidates 1971 Election Ad "Now is the time for a breakthrough" Alberta Progressive Conservative Calgary Candidates 1971 Election Ad "Now is the time for a breakthrough"](https://daveberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/PC-Now-is-the-time-for-a-breakthrogh-1971.jpg)
10 replies on “vintage campaign advertisements from the 1971 alberta election.”
Great stuff Dave! I like the “Independent” one that says “A Reform government”.
I wish I could read the one with all those campaign promises a little better. I love how the NDP platform cost is “impossible to estimate.”
Some things never change!
Wow. The NDP haven’t changed their talking points in 40 years. Didn’t work in 1971. Not working in 2011. Same old NDP.
“Senior Citizens and housewives need a place to meet and enjoy handcrafts and other activities.”
It’s like reading Ted Morton’s campaign brochure! I guess now we know where he got the ideas.
Great find, Dave. Sad to think that 1971 is already vintage! (I feel old……)
The Social Credit posters are eerily similar to today’s Wild Rose. And equally ineffective and made for the same time – 1971.
Great post, Dave. I loved the way the Alberta New Democrats are still flogging the same dead horse after 40 years without success. Time to pay attention to their federal party’s campaigns, methinks!
Nice work digging all this up Dave, vintage indeed. How long did it take you to assemble all of this?
Also FYI, today we’ve got Doug Horner in the hot seat on Alberta Live, and I’d like to encourage you and your readers to add a question on our facebook fanpage. I’m hoping to create a show built on some of Albertan’s questions…here’s a post about it. http://www.fusedlogic.com/albertalive-invites-alberta-pc-leadership-candidates-5107/
Cheers,
Walter
Interesting… I guess people didn’t mind reading so much back then.
[…] Happy Birthday, Alberta Progressive Conservative government. I didn’t get you a cake, but Dave found some 1971 election ads you might like to get nostalgic over. […]