As part of a monthly review of Indian advertising and marketing which I do for a far-east publication, I have been watching Indian political advertising very closely for some time now. I specifically mentioned the review, because if it wasn’t for it, I would have simply missed/ignored the ads… which is what I think most people have done.
The Goop, The Bad, and the Ughly!
Most of the political advertising being released all around today is dramatically inane, and looks like it is targetted specifically on the blind spot of intelligent minds.
One slice-of-life, fits all
Most of the political have the same AV feel that comes from splicing disparate images shot at different times, to ‘lifted’ filmy tunes. The rest, particularly the ones by the opposition parties, blatantly challenge common sense and suffer from an acute lack of identity.
I am particularly apalled by the ads with talking heads sharing their pains and complaints about the economy, and how they’re going to vote for a party that has promised to change the economic situation!
Add to this are the one line ads by one party which actually promises to reduce prices and increase unemployment. Without taking us back to a closed economy of 20 years back, or worse enforcing communist doctrine, how are they going to realise such promises?!
Which brings me to the point of this post…
Who are these agency genius’ thinking up these ads?! They either have no clue of economics, don’t live in this world, or believe the people of India don’t have a clue of economics and have parked their brains on another planet!
In case it still hasn’t sunk in, it’s the economy, stupid! The economy is a sea of constant movement, with waves of progress, inflation, depression, and other economy elements incoming and outgoing from time to time.
Even though India is a relatively secure island in this unpredictable sea of global economics… it is not exempt from the international gales and storms that surround and cross its shores time and again.
To blame a political party for recession or rising interest and prices and other issues like terrorism that are rife all over the world is plain stupid. And you don’t need an economics degree to understand that!
Anti-incumbancy? Or anti-reality?
People who think they can cast away rising prices, inflation, and the recession by casting a vote against any government are stupid. And political parties that feed this belief are simply misleading the public, and should be led to the exit door.
Of course, parties in power (at the centre and state level) are doing their best to highlight their achievements – which again are partly thanks to the economy, partly due to the liberalisation started by the congress, and yes, partly due to the parties in power themselves.
The recession, prices and such economic issues are best addressed by good corporate governance, banking systems, pricing strategies… the problems we face today may be due to weak government regulation worldwide, but mainly due to corrupt and incompetent corporate management!
The real issues for electing a government in my mind are just two:
1. Corruption all around: especially in the municipal organisations, the RTOs, the police, the list is endless… and of course corruption in politics.
2. The Communal and Caste Divide: we cannot choose a government based on religion or caste. the thought itself makes me shudder at the irresponsibility of such an action.
I just hope when people are out there voting, they’re listening to the voice of common sense in their heads, not the idiotic ads in the media.
