As Australia’s leading independent political media voice, Crikey typically hold politicians to account through honest, unbiased journalism. With election promises spoken as easily as they are forgotten, Crikey wanted to ensure the promises made during the Victorian State Election were harder to break.

The idea: Set political promises in stone

During the week of the election, eight key promises from both major parties were set in stone and exhibited on the steps of the Victorian State Library. This prominent and prestigious location allowed voters to get up close to these monuments to democracy. Voters could turn to Crikey.com.au to follow the campaign, and with each Crikey branded stone displaying the hashtag #setinstone, they were empowered to have their say on which issues mattered most.

On election day itself, the promises were move to the polls. When frontrunner (and now Premier) Daniel Andrews went to cast his vote, his promises were there to greet him, sparking even more publicity for the campaign.

The promises now stand as an enduring reminder of the importance of independent media and the power we have as citizens to keep our politicians honest. With Daniel Andrews going on to win the election, their existence will ensure that the promises his party made will be less likely to be broken.

The campaign began online, with Crikey’s site and social media channels announcing the idea.

After assessing voter commentary on which issues were most important, eight key promises were chosen from both major parties to be etched into stone (limestone for the Liberal Party, granite for Labor).

During election week, the promises were unveiled on the steps of the Victorian State Library by Crikey’s founder Stephen Mayne. Featuring the hashtag #setinstone, the remained on display until election day fuelling opinion and online debate.

On election day itself, the media team generated more publicity for the campaign by moving the promises to the polls, confronting election frontrunner (and now Premier) Daniel Andrews.

Receiving major metro news coverage and generating Crikey’s most engaging Twitter content to date, ‘Set in Stone’ ensured Crikey’s presence was felt during the cluttered media landscape of the election.

The promises now stand as an enduring reminder of the importance of independent media and the power we have as citizens to hold our politicians to account. With Daniel Andrews going on to win the election, their existence will ensure that the promises his party made will be less likely to be broken.