Blair the brand

We look at the spinning of Tony Blair - the rock star politician who could seemingly sell anything - except Iraq.

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So the ugly rumour is finally political history. As certainly as the hair will thin and retreat - he'll write his memoirs - and will be well paid for them. But did politics change under Tony Blair? How much did he shape his times?

The advertising industry persuades us to buy this and that. Together with some of their finest, we've been taking an acute look at how Tony Blair sold himself to the British electorate not once - but thrice.

As Tony Blair and his faithful bulldog ride off into the sunset all our admen seized on one early defining moment in his career - his speech referring to the 'people's princess' over the death of Princess Diana

All our admen and women recognised some of their own skills in the Blair government machine - impressively, ruthlessly organised - and much more professional than any British government before it. If the leader was presented as nice and trustworthy, his advisors seemed - well - Machiavellian.

The smooth road tested spin machine got its severest test - six years into the Blair Government and arguably, the wheels began to fall off - Iraq. As the guy visibly aged, there was a sense - as with any brand - that it was getting tired and needed refreshing.

In terms of Blair's legacy, our admen were broadly agreed on two things.

We - the electorate all feel wearily manipulated and that's meant a deeper cynicism about politicians and secondly that Tony Blair may well prove to be the prototype for a new breed of politician.

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