Govt to increase ad spend

Spurred by the success of the 'India Shining' campaign, the NDA government has decided to increase its adspend on regional TV channels, publications and private FM radio stations.

According to advertising industry sources, the government is also planning to keep its propaganda machine working overtime even after the announcement of the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, expected sometime next month.

The 'India Shining' campaign has cost the government an estimated Rs 50 crore. And since the government has released the ads through its publicity wing, the Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP), the media spend for this high-decibel campaign was much less than what private players would have to shell out for an ad blitz of this size.

The government might face some opposition in carrying on with the campaign as the Election Commission had directed it to discontinue the ads in the run up to the Assembly elections in five states in December last year. "Why should the campaign be discontinued? It is not about pushing a party, but about a nation's progress," said Pradeep Suthan, national creative director, Grey Worldwide, the agency that made the ads.

The agency will also begin work on a fresh set of TV, print and radio ads to drive home the government's line of a 'prospering India'. After the ripples created by the 'India Shining' campaign, Grey Worldwide is also likely to bag the BJP account during the general elections.

"The government's brief was to urge people to invest more and enjoy the benefits of the prevailing economic situation," said Suthan. 'India Shining' was also advertised in the global edition of the Financial Times.

"It is not a coincidence that the stock markets boomed and everyone started talking about the feel good factor when the ads were aired. We neither over-claimed, nor understated the government's achievement," added Suthan.