Geeks join Scots independence fight

The tech-savvy geeks who transformed Barack Obama's presidential bid in 2008 by using social media are now hoping to weave the same digital magic for Scotland's anti-independence campaign.

Joe Rospars and Jascha Franklin-Hodge have been hired to run the unionist's "Better together" campaign in a bid to persuade Scotland to stay part of the UK.

Hiring Blue State Digital is a savvy move given that Scotland's younger generations are more likely to be in favour of independence.

Alistair Darling, the former Labour Chancellor who is leading the unionist campaign, has told Blue State Digital that he wants them to help his campaign match the youthful appeal of Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond's independence message.

The unionists have trailed the Scottish National Party in the use of social media and online marketing for the last two elections and the Nationalists have already established a substantial lead in this area in the run-up to the October 2014 independence referendum.

The "Better Together" campaign has taken out advertisements in Scotland's newspapers this morning to highlight the launch of its campaign.

The advertisements carry the slogan "We Want the Best of Both Worlds", gently pushing the core campaign idea that Scots get a pretty good deal through devolution, with a considerable autonomy but also with the security that the United Kingdom brings.