Muninggar Sri Saraswati – British celebrity footballer David Beckham and US President Barack Obama have taken unexpected lead roles in the run-up to Indonesia's legislative elections in April.

"Even Beckham chooses No. 23" reads one election banner, with a photo of the superstar footballer. Beckham's jersey number is 23, which also happens to be the official ballot number for Golkar Party in the elections.

But he's not the only foreign personality to be dragged into the Indonesian political fray. One campaign banner for a Democratic Party candidate has him posing like Obama opposite a picture of the new US president.

Other candidates are leaning on the notoriety of celebrity children in campaign ads.

A Golkar candidate for the Jakarta legislative council, Prya Ramadhani, is trying to cash in on the fame of his celebrity teenage daughter, Nia Ramadhani, using her image on campaign banners. "Please give us your blessing so my father will be your representative on the Jakarta Council," the banner reads.

Gorontalo Council candidate Rafflyn Lamusu let his celebrity connection speak for itself. "Father of Cynthia Lamusu," a banner declares, referring to Rafflyn's daughter, who is a singer.

Deddy Mulyana, head of Padjajaran University's Department of Communications, said that while such ads might momentarily attract voters' attention, they not only lacked substance – they were passe. "I am sorry to say it, but such an ad technique is primitive," he said. "It's so yesterday."

Deddy said the poor quality of the campaign ads was due to the fact that parties picked candidates based on their financial resources, not political skills. He said that candidates should stop trying to attract voters by boasting, and instead court them by discussing the issues.

This strategy, however, was not the one chosen by the candidate who inexplicably posed next to a picture of a tiger in his campaign poster.