Advertising big guns out for French poll

PARIS, Mar 13 (Reuters) For Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royal every little gesture, photo opportunity and halt on the presidential campaign trail has to count.

With the expected departure of veteran Jacques Chirac from the Elysee Palace, a new generation of politicians is set to lead France after the election in May, and both leading contenders are gifted promoters of their own image.

However, there is no scope for the blizzard of advertising that marks elections in other countries because of tight limits on campaign spending and a ban on political advertising on commercial hoardings in the three months preceding an election.

To make the most of every opportunity, Sarkozy and Royal have both employed seasoned advertising executives.

Interior Minister Sarkozy is surrounded by a team dubbed ''The Firm'' in tribute to the ruthless operators in the John Grisham thriller. Socialist Royal has a director of Ogilvy&Mather, France's fifth ad agency, on her side.

Royal, a regional leader, could be the first woman with a serious chance of winning the French presidency and she has deliberately taken an almost amateur approach, based on meetings with ordinary voters.

''The guru era is behind us,'' said Jacques Seguela, France's most celebrated advertising man who helped Francois Mitterrand win the presidency in 1981.

''Segolene has revolutionised political communication and challenged the idea of the guru who was the boss of the campaign.'' Even so, she has meetings once or twice a week with Natalie Rastoin, general director of Ogilvy&Mather, who provides polling advice and help with Royal's website ''Desirs d'Avenir'' (Wishes for the Future).

''RUPTURE TRANQUILLE'' Sarkozy's ''Firm'' includes Jean-Michel Goudard, a founder of French advertising group Euro RSCG, Francois de la Brosse of ad agency ZNZ who oversees the campaign's website Sarkozy.fr, and Frank Tapiro, founder of ad agency Hemisphere Droit.

His team faced the problem of how to present the tough-talking Sarkozy as a force for renewal without scaring voters and openly criticising his own centre-right government.

They came up with the slogan ''la rupture tranquille'' (A calm break).

Seguela, author of the ''Force tranquille'' (Calm strength) slogan credited with speeding Mitterrand to victory, is predictably scornful of Sarkozy's ''tacky'' campaign.

''Sarkozy's camp is doing the advertising campaign of the 1980s,'' he said. ''Take their 'rupture tranquille' idea, it's totally copied on the 'force tranquille,''' he said.

''Mitterrand must be laughing in his grave.'' Sarkozy's camp is equally dismissive of the Royal team's bid to present their candidate as an authentic, plain-spoken mother uninterested in the ad-man's trickery.

''Segolene is as communication-savvy as Nicolas,'' Tapiro said. ''She manages her image better than anybody, but it's the image without the sound,'' he said.

For the advertisers the long hours of often unpaid work on the campaign bring rewards of their own.

''My relationship with Nicolas has made me more visible,'' said Tapiro, whose clients include disposable razor and pens group Bic and perfumes group Marionnaud.

''It doesn't make you lose or win an account but it does help get you known.'' REUTERS RL KP0854