Poster Wars: BJP, AAP outdoor ad spends cross Rs 150 crore ahead of Delhi elections
Delhi elections are scheduled for February, and key parties- BJP, AAP and Congress are pulling out all the stops to win over voters. While collective outdoor ad spend is likely to touch Rs 150 crore, digital would also see Rs 100 crore of allocation, as per industry sources.
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In the run-up to the Delhi Assembly Elections, two key parties Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have unleashed a poster war in the national capital, vying for the voters' attention.
Leveraging the medium’s mass visibility, the national capital's streets, publics spaces, buses, flyovers and polls are awash with campaign posters and hoardings.
Experts tell Storyboard18 that combined spending could cross Rs 150-200 crore, with AAP leading due to its incumbent position and strong local focus, while BJP focusing on large-scale hoardings and transit advertising to amplify its national presence. Meanwhile, Congress is prioritising targeted neighborhood campaigns to revive its voter base. The OOH (out-of-home) ad strategy includes metro panels, street furniture, and digital billboards, aiming to capture Delhi's diverse electorate amid the high-stakes electoral battle. Further to build narratives, parties are launching innovative posters based on popular movies and social media trends.
The AAP has strategically secured both sides of the DND Flyway, while the BJP has acquired over 130 bus shelters across the city.
In terms of expenditure, each party is estimated to have allocated at least Rs 10 crore for their OOH campaigns during the two-month election period, underscoring the significance placed on outdoor media in their outreach strategies, shares Rohit Chopra, COO, Times OOH.
The BJP is collaborating with agencies like McCann World group and Scarecrow M&C Saatchi to craft their campaign strategies. The Congress has enlisted DDB Mudra for its publicity efforts. While AAP is partnering with the IPAC to enhance its campaign strategies and outreach.
According to Yasin Hamidani, director, Media Care Brand Solutions, OOH spending is expected to collectively reach Rs 100–150 crore. Digital advertising is also projected to see a significant chunk of the budget, with parties allocating Rs 70–100 crore for platforms like Meta and Google (including YouTube), he adds.
The creative might
This election season has brought back intense competition in the OOH space, with both parties securing back-to-back sites, resulting in a fierce battle for share of voice.
This rivalry extends to the creative arena as well, with campaign messaging directly targeting each other's promises and achievements.
Take for instance the Pushpa2 movie slugfest between the two parties.
Recently AAP released one of its posters titled ‘Kejriwal Jhukega Nahi’ (a dialogue inspired by Pushpa 2 movie), where the party chief was seen posing as the protagonist of the film, carrying AAP's election symbol 'jhaadu' on his shoulder.
In response, BJP released the campaign poster with its state president Virendra Sachdeva posing as Pushpa on a throne with the poster saying ‘Bhrashtachariyon Ko Khatam Karenge’ (will finish the corrupt ones) written on it.
Below, the poster read ‘Rappa-Rappa’ referring to one of the other dialogues from the movie.
Yogesh Lakhani, CMD, Bright Outdoor Media notes that outdoor media offers a larger-than-life appeal, high visibility, and repeated exposure, ensuring maximum impact.
It offers unmatched advantages over TV and print advertising, including 24/7 visibility and a larger-than-life appeal that effortlessly captures attention.
It provides exceptional cost-effectiveness, delivering better ROI for sustained campaigns compared to the high costs of TV slots or repeated print ads, Lakhani adds.
