The financial gloom across the world and home notwithstanding, leading advertising agencies and political parties are gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections in 2009. While the Congress has already roped in creative hot shop Crayons Advertising to handle its Rs 150-crore communications plan, the Bharatiya Janata Party is still scouting for an advertising agency to handle its media blitz for the forthcoming general elections. Currently, the party is in talks with many advertising agencies in Mumbai and Delhi.
According to industry analysts, Indian political parties are expected to spend Rs 500 crore on advertising before the general elections. ?Ironically, many Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) and government organisations are also stepping up their advertising plans as part of their image-building exercises before the polls,? said a leading advertising professional in Mumbai. Political advertising, it seems, has truly come of age in India.
?As for the Congress? poll campaigns, Crayon has already shot two ad films for its new client,? informs an industry sources.? The agency has roped in renowned filmmakers to design ad films for the Congress. The agency is planning to extend the theme of Aam Aadmi for the general elections.?
Interestingly, the BJP had signed on Crayons for the 2004 general elections.
In step with time and technology, major political parties are now using Internet advertising, radio and mobile ads to woo voters. Prathap Suthan, the mastermind behind the India Shining campaign opined that the Government has to spend more money during the economic downturn to gain the voters? confidence. ?The government has to tell people what?s going to be its action plan during such times. Political parties need to spend more money to harp on the word ?stability? now. Call it the cost of stability,? he explained.
In the midst of such hectic activities, many multinational ad agencies and Mudra Communications are staying away from political advertising this year. Arvind Sharma, managing director, Leo Burnett India said, ?After doing a political campaign for the Congress on aam admi during the last general elections, we found out it was not allowed under the Publicis Group?s global policy.? Echoing similar sentiments, R Balakrishnan, chairman of Lowe India, said, ?Inter Public Group (IPG) does not allow us to design political advertising.?