Ad gurus fail to impress PMO mandarins

Leading lights of the advertising world and top functionaries from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had a close-door brainstorming session in Mumbai last week.

They tried unsuccessfully to design a common campaign highlighting the achievements of various government departments and public sector undertakings during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee's regime. But the urgency was not lost on those who attended the meeting.

Ministries and public sector units brought out large advertisements on the Republic Day, greeting people on the occasion. The PMO initiative was to get these ads talk about the five years of the Vajpayee government and its achievements in various fields.

It's election time. And the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is leaving no stone unturned, especially after the success of its India Shining campaign. People familiar with the NDA poll strategy say the coming election will see a well-orchestrated campaign, with increased spending on the electronic media.

A final strategy is likely to be in place once the alliances are finalised. Still, some pointers to the campaign are very clear.

There will certainly be more ads by the government showcasing the achievements of various departments. After returning from Mumbai, the PMO functionaries got engaged in bring uniformity in these ads.

"The initial proposal was to get one person or agency to do the job. But now it looks as if more than one agency will be involved," ad industry sources said.

A final decision is expected by the first week of February.

The campaign will compare the NDA government's five years with nearly 50 years of Congress rule. With an estimated budget of Rs 30 crore, several agencies are in the queue.

Meanwhile, the Congress too is finalising its poll strategy. The party is scouting for an ad agency to handle its election campaign. According to party sources, at least two big agencies have made detailed presentations to the party high-command. The advertising industry expects Congress' ad spend to match the NDA's figure.

"During the last leg of the recent state assembly elections, the Congress cut short its campaigns in Rajasthan and Delhi, where it was confident of winning. This costed them dearly. They have realised it and there are indications that the party won't pull back the punches this time," says an ad man specialising in political campaigns.