Labor has spent big to get the face of its leader Chris Minns in front of voters as both major parties ramp up their social media advertising three weeks out from the NSW election.
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And it may be working, with one poll out this week showing Mr Minns and the coalition's Dominic Perrottet neck and neck in who would be the better premier.
The key issues canvassed in their daily press conferences match those of the estimated $1 million spent on political ads, as reported by Meta and Google, from January 30 to February 28 - the economy, privatisation, wages and rents.
Labor has been especially prominent on YouTube with short, sharp videos of Mr Minns discussing tolls and even Liberal attack ads onto six million devices in target seats.
One video, featuring Mr Minns on a couch beside his wife, was purely aimed at adult women aged under 55 in winnable Sydney electorates and Tweed Heads.
Andrew Hughes, a marketing lecturer at Australian National University, said the party had likely recognised the need to raise the leader's profile with unengaged voters without being too tacky or obvious.
Labor was also "corruption sensitive" and was touching on the "New Labour" branding that Tony Blair successfully led in the UK, Dr Hughes said.
"Perrottet has used other ministers to help carry the messaging through the campaign, to sort of blunt the negativity around the government brand," he said.
"Labor is going in the other direction because they need to build up faith in the Labor brand and product."
Their digital focus was aimed at getting the same impact the coalition could get from street walks or visits from the premier or ministers.
"But at the same time it means you can't effectively target those markets unless you're doing a more localised campaign like Labor are," Dr Hughes said.
"Labor have probably realised it's coming down to a handful of votes in some seats."
While Labor makes up about 45 per cent of social media spending, another 20 per cent comes from third parties including hundreds of attack ads authorised by Unions NSW's Mark Morey.
Meanwhile, the Greens' more modest spend at about six per cent was highly targeted on retaining Balmain and Newtown, avoiding Labor-held seats in Sydney and getting anti-fossil fuel and pro-rental reform ads in view of voters in Lismore and Tweed.
"More targeted messaging in the Northern Rivers is a smart move by them because it means that they can, unlike the major parties, really micro-target," he said.
Liberal advertising has been far more modest at about 15 per cent - completely stopping on YouTube for more than two days as community anger simmered over dumped MP Peter Poulos's photo scandal.
But the party has begun rolling out candidate videos for Liberal-held marginal electorates including Stuart Ayres' Penrith, Leslie Williams' Port Macquarie, Ryde, South Coast and Riverstone.
Attack ads including one using the Albanese superannuation changes to claim taxes are higher under Labor have been particularly focused on middle-aged people in Liberal electorates.
The start of one even features in a Labor video targeted mainly at women, where Mr Minns dismisses it.
A Liberal source, however, complained to AAP that the unions' advertising meant "we have a cap, the Greens have a cap but Labor have a cap-plus".
Labor declined to comment on the figures while the Liberal Party said it was communicating "through a range of channels ... about the importance of keeping NSW moving".
It came as the switch to caretaker mode on Friday signified the official start of the election race, and freed Perrottet ministers to campaign more heavily in their electorates.
Four polls out this week including Newspoll all pointed to a Labor win, but the margin has narrowed to indicate a minority government is likely.
One from Roy Morgan out on Friday suggested 54 per cent of voters think Mr Minns is the "better premier" but 53 per cent approve of the job Mr Perrottet is doing.
It also suggested one-in-three voters were looking beyond the major parties.
Labor needs to capture nine seats, or score a uniform swing of about 6.5 per cent, for majority government. But with independents and minor parties likely playing a part in about 20 seats, each side has multiple paths to government.
Mr Perrottet spent much of the week taking aim at Labor's decision to halt planning work on two Sydney metro lines over concerns of cost blowouts.
The two lines, and two more that each party is committed to, connect western Sydney seats likely to decide the March 25 vote.
"This (Labor policy) is the short-term thinking that doesn't set up our state for future success," the premier told a leaders' debate on Thursday.
Labor - keen to portray itself as trustworthy economic managers - insist they're wanting to keep the budget balanced by not overcommitting, also ditching a mostly unfunded tunnel connecting towns in the Blue Mountains.
"Even if you put a really conservative estimate on it of $10 billion ... they've committed only $1.2 billion," Mr Minns told reporters.
"I believe in tight fiscal circumstances, that the money is better utilised in western Sydney roads and roads in regional NSW."
Money better utilised for the good of the state, and Labor's chances of success.
Australian Associated Press
