Election was a vote against Harper

Bob Mackin is a Vancouver multimedia journalist who covers news, politics, business and sports for a variety of outlets. He is the author of Red Mittens & Red Ink: The Vancouver Olympics, an e-book about the 2010 Winter Games.

Tom Mulcair and the NDP offered voters Change. Justin Trudeau and the Liberals offered Real Change.

Stephen Harper and the Conservatives ended up all about the economy, but that wasn’t enough to rescue the party’s bruised brand.

READ MORE: Trudeau triumphs because Tories turfed

Was the election decided by slogans and slick advertising? No, says a Simon Fraser University marketing professor.

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“In the end much of the marketing became irrelevant,” Lindsay Meredith told Global BC. “The NDP did some of the best marketing. Definitely with their use of social networks. The Conservatives ran a fear advertising campaign that failed beautifully.”

Despite Trudeau’s youthful image and positive message, Meredith said the Liberals “need a remedial class in Marketing 101.”

Federal Election 2015: Where the leaders went in B.C.

“This was not a vote for the Liberals, it was a vote against Stephen Harper,” Meredith said. “The NDP became collateral damage as the voters feared a split centre-left vote that would let the Conservatives win.”

By 1 a.m. Tuesday, the Liberals were elected or leading in 184 ridings for a majority in the new 338-seat Parliament. The Conservatives will be opposition with 99 seats, while the NDP fell to 44. In B.C., the Liberals were leading or elected in 17 ridings, NDP 14 and Conservatives 10.

READ MORE: What a long, strange trip: #Elxn42

Nationally, the Liberals had 39.5 per cent of the popular vote, Conservatives 29.3 per cent and NDP 19.7 per cent.

Before dissolution of the 308-seat Parliament, the Conservatives had 159 seats,  NDP 95 and Liberals 36. In B.C., the Conservatives held 20 seats, NDP 12 and Liberals just two.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May was re-elected. The party failed to elect another member.

Turnout in B.C. was 70 per cent with nearly all polls reporting, slightly more than the 68 per cent nationwide turnout.