THE ADVERTISING OF POLITICS

Political advertising is getting smarter as national parties go to professional agencies for the parliamentary elections. But for the forthcoming state elections innovative, promotional activity will woo the voter.

"Labour isn't working. Britain 's better off with the Tories". This was the advertising campaign that not only made Margaret Thatcher's fortunes in 1978 but also of Saatchi & Saatchi, the ad agency that created it. The campaign's success also marked the entry of professional agencies into the world of British politics.

In India we saw the emergence of similar professional work in the general elections of `04. But now as four states- Tamil Nadu, West Bengal , Kerala and Assam- go in for Assembly elections- the slant is clearly towards below the line promotion instead of mass media based brand development.

The `04 elections clearly proved that the party with less mass media –Congress spent a fraction of the BJP -actually won the elections. This election saw a never-before ad spend. NDTV hiked its 10-second rates from Rs 10,000 to Rs 40,000. Star News signed up advertising worth Rs 18.7 crore. The India Shining campaign that the ruling NDA government commissioned had official sanction of Rs 100 crore. A figure, five times that floated in the parliament when BJP was accused of using public money for self-promotion.

The Congress' victory however seemed to prove that elections are events and promotions have to be based on relevant, local issues. Says N.S. Rajan of Sampark that did the PR work for the Congress in `04 in Maharashtra , " Issues are very local and change from district to district, city to city. Hoardings, cutouts and other promotional activity rule.”

The parties this time round are then clearly turning to localized promotions. These promotions are as always fascinating in their innovation, low costs and local relevance. So with the EC strictly enforcing its clean walls regime in West Bengal, CPM candidate Kanti Ganguly's team has reached out to the skies, quite literally. Three thousand kites took off on the campaign trail last week with his message emblazoned. The strings were later cut off so that they could land all over the constituency. Kites are a favourite in this region. Complementing the aerial effort, sixty boats took off Denkal Ghat with sloganeering party workers. Hats, umbrellas, T-shirts and vests are the latest political merchandise.

In Tamil Nadu the public can't wait to see the end of the election so that they can return to watching their favourite TV programs. No, they aren't exactly bewitched by their leaders. But the contestants have invaded even prime time TV with their messages. On Tamil New year Sun TV ran a two-hour poet's meet anchored by DMK president M. Karunanidhi. He spewed verse and venom on rival Jayalalithaa. Rival Jaya TV ran and re-ran an hour-long interview with Jayalalithaa who spoke of her trials and tribulations.

In the meanwhile the anti-Hindi party, DMK's candidate from Erode, N.K.K.P. Raja started distributing pamphlets in Hindi with its "rising sun" symbol and pictures of the party stalwarts to win over the growing North Indian population. Chief rival, AIADMK capitalized on it immediately. Its Hindi support group, Sangam, copied the pamphlets. AIADMK also got film stars led by Simran out to campaign.

In Kerala folk theatre is the means of the opposition to hit out at Neelalohithadasan Nadar. Accused of sexual harassment and denied a ticket by the LDF, the play shows Draupadi's modesty being molested by Dushasan who has a face resembling none else but Nadar. Cheeky graffiti and caustic poster of his infamous exploits cover public spaces in Kovalam.

In a country where 80 per cent of rural households have yet to afford a black and white TV set and 70 per cent even a transistor, broadcast media doesn't seem the answer. BJP used TV extensively for its India Shining campaign and later, direct party advertising while Congress barely tapped TV. But Congress used the print medium extensively, accounting for half the print advertising volumes with BJP a distant second according to TAM data.

BJP leader, Nitin Gadkari said categorically that the BJP doesn’t have money to advertise this time. Given the disparity, a centralized branding probably has little meaning. The local candidate’s moves will work the best.

BOX
The India Shining campaign flagged off big time political advertising in 2004 though the then NDA government insisted it was only a statement of how India had fared and not tom-tomming BJP’s achievements.
The agency, Grey Worldwide did the campaign after an earlier one by Rediffusion. This was however the more successful one that has gone down in public memory.
Laloo Prasad Yadav also similarly was accused of using public money by advertising the achievements of the railways in pre-poll time.
For the first time in Maharashtra , Congress used a professional PR agency. Insiders say they spent Rs five crore for the exercise.
In 2004 advertising started with 90 per cent directed towards belittling the opposition. It ended with most ads of self praise by all parties.

(This article appeared in April `06 in Billboard, the weekly advertising page in the Hindustan Times)