Pretend Tauranga council election billboard goes viral as Kiwis praise 'honest campaign'

A joke billboard featuring a pretend council election candidate has gone viral thanks to the catchphrase "I'll do my best but I can't promise anything" - and a photo of a bloke asleep on a couch.

Mark Sheaff has gate-crashed the Tauranga local elections, earning praise for a humorous take on candidate billboards.

His billboard in Totara St features a man asleep on a couch along with the slogan "I'll do my best but I can't promise anything".

The man behind the billboard, who runs family business Sheaff Vehicles, was reluctant to speak to the Herald about his faux election campaign but agreed the billboard had proved a hit.

"It has obviously hit a chord with a whole bunch of different characters," he said.

Sheaff is not listed as a candidate standing for Tauranga City Council.

Regardless the "honest" campaign has still won the votes of Kiwis as photos of the billboard has been shared on local Facebook groups and Reddit.

"Since honesty is in short supply nowadays I respect that billboard," one person wrote.

Another agreed: "Most truthful thing I've ever heard a politician say to be honest."

"Shame he is not running, I bet he would get quite a few votes," another person wrote.

Another said: "Setting low expectations means you will always exceed them. Smart man."

One person went as far as to suggest that he would "most likely be better than all the others put together".

Others were not too happy about the "political campaign".

"The fact that people will actually vote for this muppet is exactly what's wrong with politics," one person wrote.

"We need to start trying to convince dumb people to stay home on Election day."

Another agreed: "I am fed up with these people. Oh I have an idea. I'll vote for some random dude who doesn't care all that much."