Yes side outspent in gay marriage postal vote campaign, advertising analysis shows

THE ‘No’ campaign has spent twice as much as the ‘Yes’ campaign, as reports also emerged of swastikas and rocks being thrown at homes with rainbow flags.

Gay marriage opponents have spent twice as much as the Yes campaign on television advertising despite claiming they would be fighting a “David versus Goliath battle”. Picture: AAP

GAY marriage opponents have spent twice as much as the ‘Yes’ campaign on television advertising despite claiming they would be fighting a “David versus Goliath battle”.

The estimates come as reports emerged of ‘Vote No’ graffiti and swastikas being scrawled across public transport in New South Wales, and rocks being thrown at houses flying rainbow flags.

Leading ‘No’ campaigners the Coalition for Marriage are believed to have spent almost $1 million on television advertising to date.

The Equality Campaign meanwhile has spent $494,000 on television ads.

The analysis comes from marketing analytics firm, Ebiquity, as the campaign enters its eight week from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s announcement of the government’s intention to hold a postal survey.

The analysis doesn’t include a cost analysis of tactics such as the ‘Yes’ campaign’s mass text message at the weekend but the firm’s monitoring of press, television and radio advertising indicates gay marriage advocates are being outspent.

An earlier version of this story reported that the No campaign had spent almost $4 million. Ebiquity has since clarified it provided News Corp Australia with the wrong data set. The estimates reported are now correct.

Protesters hold up banners at an anti-same-sex marriage rally in Sydney on September 23. Picture: AFP

Cella White appeared in a Coalition for Marriage ad speaking about her concerns over what impact legalising same sex marriage might have on her kids. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

The two leading ‘Yes’ groups, The Equality Campaign and Australian Marriage Equality, have collectively spent about $849,000 on two print ads, six television ads and three radio ads.

The Coalition for Marriage has put out just four television ads but, based on Ebiquity’s estimates current advertising market costs, the cost would be about $994,000.

That includes the controversial “you can say no” ad featuring Sydney GP Pansy Lai, mother-of-four Cella White and pastor Heidi McIvor.

Dr Pansy Lai also appeared in the anti same sex marriage ad. Picture: Supplied

Coalition for Marriage spokesman Lyle Shelton has previously claimed the debate would be a David versus Goliath battle for gay marriage opponents given the amount of big businesses that have publicly backed changing the law.

But, while Qantas chief Alan Joyce has personally donated about $1 million to the ‘Yes’ campaign, News Corp understands many of the other businesses that have announced their support have not provided financial backing.

Both the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns have been contacted for comment.