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The Election Commission expressed serious concerns about Deepfake AI and warned of strict action against those spreading fake narratives. On Tuesday, the Election Commission (EC) announced the schedule for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections, as well as by-elections for 47 Assembly seats and the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar warned of strict measures against those using Artificial Intelligence and deepfakes to spread misinformation about elections. He mentioned that the commission successfully addressed this issue during the Lok Sabha elections through continuous monitoring from control rooms.

"Deepfake is a serious issue. It is disrupting elections worldwide. We managed to control such incidents—like the misuse of someone’s photo or voice—through control rooms and social media teams established in all districts," he explained in response to a question.

"In police headquarters, continuous monitoring is conducted to identify fake content and take immediate corrective action. This has led to the removal of posts in some cases and criminal action where warranted. There are still people spreading fake narratives in various ways. We are being cautious, but the moment it crosses the red line, we will take action," Kumar added.

Additionally, the Maharashtra government reportedly spent ₹900 crore on advertising and public relations. Elections in Maharashtra are scheduled for November 20, with the counting on November 23. The advertising and PR expenditures were allocated to promote various state welfare schemes.

EC focuses on curbing Deepfake content during Maharashtra polls


With the model code of conduct in place for the ongoing general elections, parties must seek approval from the Delhi Chief Electoral Office to display any political advertisement in the city.


The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has submitted the highest number of advertisements for approval at the Delhi Chief Electoral Office. According to PTI reports, between March 13 and May 8, the BJP has sough approval for approximately 2084 political advertisements. There were close to 517 applications submitted for the same.
 

Second in line was the Indian National Congress that submitted 118 applications for 349 political advertisements. Last but not the least was Aam Aadmi Party submitted six applications for an equal number of advertisements.


Overall, the Chief Electoral Office has approved a total of 2423 advertisements against 638 applications from all parties. 


However, three applications for 16 advertisements from the BJP are still pending approval. 


PTI quoted officials who said political parties submit applications for running short films and creative advertisements during election time, with each application potentially containing requests for multiple advertisements and short films. 


With the model code of conduct in place for the ongoing general elections, parties must seek approval from the Delhi Chief Electoral Office to display any political advertisement in the city.

Elections 2024: BJP leads ad approval requests with Delhi Chief Electoral Office

Indian political campaigning has transformed, with politicians embracing digital platforms and influencer marketing for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Social media influencers and content creators play crucial roles in engaging the young audience. Let's delve into how Indian politicians are leveraging influencer marketing and content creators.

<strong>The rise of influencer marketing in Indian politics:</strong>

Influencer marketing is now vital for political parties, particularly among youth, utilizing platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. It humanizes political figures, enhancing relatability. Partnering with resonant influencers allows politicians to create authentic content, bypassing traditional media and connecting directly with voters, shaping public opinion effectively.

<strong>The role of content creators in political discourse:</strong>

In addition to influencers, content creators play a pivotal role in shaping political discourse and driving voter engagement on digital platforms. Content creators, including comedians, satirists, news commentators, and meme-makers, use humor, satire, and creativity to dissect political issues, hold leaders accountable, and galvanize public opinion.

<strong>This Lok Sabha Election, creators are making a lot of effort to become king makers:</strong>

Before the Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged with creators like BeerBiceps, Curly Tales, Abhi & Niyu, among others, at the Creator's Award 2024 in Delhi. Recently, several content creators experienced a surge in views for political content, surpassing their usual viewership. Ranveer Allahbadia (BeerBiceps) conversed with senior BJP leaders like S Jaishankar, Nitin Gadkari, and Subramanian Swamy, as well as opposition figures like Atishi Marlena, Raghav Chadha of the AAP, and Supriya Sule from the NCP(SP), flooding YouTube with political discourse. 

Similarly, lifestyle and travel creators showcased a non-political side of politicians like Rahul Gandhi, Smriti Irani, Eknath Shinde, and Piyush Goyal, engaging with fans and voters. However, many politicians or their management ensure content approval or editing before publication, and questions may be shared with creators beforehand. YouTubers known for political satire and commentary, including Kunal Kamra, Akash Banerjee (The Deshbhakt), Nitish Rajput, and Dhruv Rathee, potentially influence the election narrative with informative videos critiquing the government's policies, scams, and decisions. Their content could shape public opinion and drive voter engagement, particularly among Gen Z voters.

<strong>Monetary reward and other challenges:</strong>

Several popular YouTubers have received offers of substantial sums by many politicians, often in the millions of rupees, to conduct interviews, particularly in the months leading up to the election. However, some creators don’t receive as lucrative offers as they do get from brand collaborations. Some creators have received direct cash offers from third-party organizations assisting lesser-known political figures with podcasts. Nevertheless, for most creators, the primary motivation is gaining notoriety and access within the political system, with money being incidental.

Finance-focused creators are being compensated Rs 10-12 lakh to endorse the policies of different political parties, often through multiple videos uploaded over several days or weeks. Additionally, leading influencers in tech and travel are being paid to subtly promote specific parties' digital and cultural offerings, without disclosing that the content is sponsored.

A trend observed is that opposition leaders are interviewed less frequently than BJP leaders by some of India's biggest influencers. Pro-BJP content has been prevalent recently, while the number of accounts publishing criticism of the current government has decreased, indicating a growing hesitancy to openly criticize the government. This trend raises concerns about democracy's health, as there seems to be more confidence in posting polarizing content or content that aligns with the government's ideologies.

Influencers have a greater capacity to push boundaries compared to traditional media. For instance, Dhruv Rathee's widely viewed video titled "Is India Turning into a Dictatorship?" featured direct criticism of the government, garnering over 24 million views on YouTube. Since its release, there has been an increased usage of the term 'dictatorship' in many creators’ conversations, signalling the impact of influencer content on public discourse.
Some creators refuse political promotions to evade criticism but prioritize constant promotional posts, regardless of relevance. Those exploring critical political themes struggle to monetize. Brands, historically avoiding political or religious content, now buy online ad inventory linked to politics, assessed on the PINI scale. Few critical content creators secure sponsors, often tempered by brands.

Due to limited ad space demand, political content faces fewer and cheaper advertisements. Advertisers can opt out of displaying ads on sensitive Google content categories, excluding news and politics. Additionally, content creators critical of political parties often face demonetization issues on YouTube, limiting their income. Some creators, particularly those discussing topics like electronic voting machines, receive notifications of demonetization.

In conclusion, the fusion of influencer marketing and content creators in political campaigns is now a hallmark of Indian politics in the digital era. Leveraging the reach, credibility, and creativity of these figures, politicians engage voters innovatively, fostering dialogue, mobilizing support, and shaping electoral outcomes. As India gears up for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the influence of influencers and content creators in political communication is expected to expand further, cementing their status as crucial allies for politicians seeking the backing of the young and digitally savvy electorate.

<strong>The column is written by Yasin Hamidani, Director, Media Care Brand Solutions. Views expressed are personal.</strong>


How Indian politicians are leveraging influencer marketing for Lok Sabha Elections

Elections and IPL (Indian Premier League) has been the winning combo for advertisers in the first half of the year. Shooting ad spends have not only added to the Ad Ex of the year but have also delivered a significant year on year growth. In a chat with Storyboard18, Kumar Awanish, chief growth officer, Cheil India said ad spends in April is expected to have brought in an 18-25 percent jump compared to last year. The winner however is Connected TV, with every advertiser wanting to find a space on it.


Awanish talks about CTV growth, ad spends, big ticket events of the year and more.

Edited excerpts


<strong>What is the kind of increase in ad spends that you are noticing this April/May period due to the combined impact of IPL and elections?</strong>


All mediums put together along with 40 percent plus incremental advertisers, from the period of April to June, we can easily see an exponential growth of 18 percent to 25 percent in the advertising spends compared to same time last year. 



<strong>CTV has been the talk of the town, do you see any surge in interest for CTV? Which brands are going for CTV? What has been the approximate spend on CTV ads this election+IPL season?</strong>


CTV is the poster boy of advertising at the moment, which is letting the brands bet big. Approximately, 60 percent plus brands from the participating categories are grabbing some share of CTV inventories. The limited inventory of CTV will restrict the overall digital budget share in the range of 12 percent to 18 percent. It is in the higher consideration set of automotive, foods and beverages, BFSI, perfume, e-commerce, gaming and smartphone brands.

 

<strong>What are the top ad spending categories experiencing the biggest surge in AdeX due to the combined effect of IPL and the upcoming elections?</strong>

Ecommerce, gaming, automotive, beverages and FMCG categories and associated brands are definitely topping the charts.



 
<strong>Can you tell us which genres of programming are performing best in terms of ad viewership during the IPL and election season?</strong>


Well, this is no brainer. News and sports genres are the ‘Men of the Match’ considering the IPL and election events, followed by entertainment, which has its own loyal fan pool.




<strong>How significant is the ad rate growth compared to usual periods, (or this time last year) considering both IPL and election?</strong>

If we consider IPL last year to IPL this year, there has been an insignificant growth of ad rates, but for news genre it is like a leap year with an extra day due to elections. On an average, the ad rate surge in news genre will be in the range of 35 percent to 45 percent. Some of the broadcasters have escalated the rates  to as high as 70 percent.




<strong>Besides IPL and elections, are there any other upcoming events or trends that you anticipate will impact media buying strategies?</strong>


There are no significant events, except T20 World Cup that match the scale of IPL and elections in the near term, but there would certainly be some delta in the upcoming events. The second half of the year is power packed. T20 World Cup, Asia cup, Bilateral Series being the prominent ones in sports and KKK, KBC, BigBoss, IIFA and Filmfare in entertainment.

CTV is the poster boy of advertising at the moment: Cheil India’s Kumar Awanish

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are witnessing a technological leap with AI(artificial intelligence) integration. Political parties and candidates are working with Indian tech agencies from across the country that are enabling them to use AI to offer personalised voter engagement and optimised media tactics. Estimates suggest a significant investment of close to Rs100 crore in AI for this election cycle.



<strong>How is AI being used by parties?</strong>


The application of AI is multifaceted when it comes to political campaigns. Some of its applications are readily observable while others operate more discreetly. There are three main avenues through which politicians and political parties are leveraging AI today in their campaigns.


Venugopal Ganganna, CEO, Langoor (LS Digital Group Company) explained how AI works for political parties and their candidates. 


“Firstly, AI serves as a powerful Research tool for comprehending the behaviour, concerns, and sentiments of the electorate. What once began as simple social listening exercises during the 2019 elections has evolved into sophisticated data-driven analyses of people's attitudes and inclinations,” Ganganna said.


For instance, AI now enables parties to discern the nuanced opinions of individuals in various regions, such as understanding how residents in Hubli perceive a particular political party or how those in Wayanad views a specific political candidate. 


“This deeper understanding of voter behaviour, facilitated by AI-powered data science, has become instrumental in shaping campaign strategies and messaging. Despite operating largely behind the scenes, this aspect of AI usage represents a significant investment by political entities, often involving large-scale data analysis across hundreds of locations,” he added.

 

There of course there is Generative AI that facilitates the personalisation of political communication and messaging. Through advanced algorithms, parties can tailor their outreach efforts to individual voters, addressing them by name, communicating in their preferred language, and delivering customized content, including videos and messages. 


“With insights gathered through research, the political parties are optimising GenAI using various AI tools to create hyper personalised campaigns and hyper personalised narratives in focus areas in each region. Further usage of AR, VR, Immersive XR is enabling these hyper personalised communications,” said Ganganna.

 

Lastly, AI is playing a crucial role in optimising media strategies for the overall campaign; media strategy planning and optimisation is becoming more efficient and effective. 


“More importantly, predictable AI is helping to predict engagement and reach.As per our estimates close to anywhere between Rs. 80 crore- Rs. 100 crore has been spent on AI this elections,” he added.


According to numbers collected from agencies, digital avatar generation costs anywhere between Rs1- Rs2 lakh, voice cloning costs close to a lakh and a compact deal that includes content creation to dissemination to an audience size of about 4 lakh people costs anywhere between Rs 32lakh and Rs 47 lakh. 

 

<strong>The agencies behind the AI work</strong>


A host of Indian tech start ups with AI offerings are working with political parties across the board. While some are helping in the Generative AI piece some offer the entire package of services starting from research to content creation to dissemination. Some of the agencies that have been actively working with political parties and candidates are Avantari Technologies,Polymath Solution- The Indian Deepfaker, Mogi IO, Muonium and others. Most of these agencies have long been using AI to aid political communications across board



Hyderabad based AI content agency Avantari Technologies for instance has been doing this for years.


“We work for parties on a campaign level. We come in at the campaign planning stage and work with the party with a usually innovative idea,” said CEO Bhairav Shankar.


In the past Avanatari has worked with the BJP for the Gujarat 2012 elections where they introduced the hologram, the BMC elections in 2016, where they introduced life-size augmented reality, then in the 2017 where they used poster based augmented reality for Karnataka elections where they worked with the Congress party. In 2019  Avantari Technologies worked with the BJD in Orissa with a door to door AR campaign and the most recent one was the Punjab elections where they worked with the AAP.





<strong>Drawing the line between ethical and unethical use of AI</strong>


“We believe that artificial intelligence, the line is where we manipulate facts. We believe that the technology is useful for dissemination of information and allowing the information to be more personalised and have a better impact on the vote. However, we do not condone it when the same information is misused by the technology. To us, success is about innovative usage of technology, rather than the unethical shortcut which spoils the field for everyone,” Shankar said.



For Divyendra Singh Jadoun, founder Polymath Solution- The Indian Deepfaker, the line between ethical and unethical use of AI is often blurred. 


According to Jadoun, transparency is  key.


“All AI-generated content, whether in videos, images, is  watermarked. Additionally in the conversational AI agent where people get calls from candidates, the agent clearly state twice that it is AI-powered,”


However sometimes it is not enough. 


“Even with all the disclaimers, we recognise that not everyone is familiar with AI. Disclaimers alone might not be enough. Not everyone knows what to make of a ‘AI generated’ tag in a video,” Jadoun said. 


Jadoun’s agency doesn’t just partner with political parties to connect with voters, but also to facilitate internal communication with party workers through personalised messages.

The agency is bound by NDA and couldn’t disclose details on specific candidates who've used the agency's services. However, his clientele includes not only those actively campaigning, but also those like Congress' Shakti Pratap Singh Rathore from Ajmer. In this case, the agency is assisting Rathore, a senior party member, to spread awareness messages and encourage voter turnout.


 


 



LS Elections 2024: Rs 100 crore invested in AI integration in political campaigns

BluSmart has launched its #SmartCitizen campaign to encourage Indian citizens to exercise their democratic right to vote on election day. This initiative aims to generate awareness, empower and mobilise the voters in Delhi, Gurgaon and Bengaluru to participate actively and responsibly in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

"Every vote counts, and every citizen can make a smart choice  to contribute to the democratic process. As a partner in driving India’s growth, our #SmartCitizen campaign is a call to action for all citizens to exercise their right to vote and be active participants in shaping a smarter future for our nation. The campaign reflects BluSmart’s values as forward-thinkers, fostering a sense of responsibility among citizens and empowering them with seamless access to the polling stations." said Anirudh Arun, Co-founder & CEO, BluSmart Fleet.

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A month-long election awareness campaign will be executed through online and offline channels such as communication inside BluSmart EVs, in-app notifications, emailers and social media. The  #SmartCitizen campaign will further educate users on the significance of voting and how one vote can make a difference. Moreover, the incorporation of a voting badge by BluSmart for riders  who participate in elections will incentivise civic engagement and foster a sense of accomplishment.

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On polling dates in Bengaluru - 26th April and in Delhi NCR - 25th May, BluSmart will offer discounted rides to its customers, enabling eligible citizens to cast their vote including the youth of India and the first-time voters to exercise their fundamental right to vote conveniently and on time.




BluSmart launches #SmartCitizen campaign for 2024 elections

As India gears up for the 2024 general election, Spotify is collaborating with the Election Commission of India through a non-partisan campaign, ‘Play Your Part’. The initiative encourages eligible voters, especially the youth, to play their part by going out to vote.

“Partnership and collaboration are essential pillars of our voter awareness program at the Election Commission of India. I strongly believe that fostering informed and ethical electoral participation is a shared responsibility among all stakeholders in our democracy. It's really good to see Spotify, which holds significant influence among the youth, utilizing innovative music programming to create engaging voter awareness campaigns for the broader electorate”, said Santosh Ajmera, IIS Director, SVEEP Election Commission of India.

‘Play Your Part’ emphasizes that the power of the collective is realized when everyone comes together and plays their part by voting. This message has been communicated through a visual of the voters' marked finger, a unique feature of Indian elections, integrated with Spotify's scan code. Through in-app messaging, and by leveraging artist fandom that is unique to music and Spotify, the campaign intends to reach millions of listeners on the platform.

Through a specially curated on-platform hub featuring playlists to soundtrack the voting process, Spotify hopes to inspire eligible youth in India to cast their vote in the upcoming general elections.

●	Our Voter’s Hub: The ‘Play Your Part’ hub gives listeners a number of destinations to choose from.
○	Soundtrack Your Vote: As citizens head to the polls, two playlists will accompany them. The first, called Play Your Part India, features the best of motivational songs across languages to encourage the youth to go and vote; the second, called Thank You For Voting, includes a mix of patriotic and fun dance tracks to celebrate with them after they play their part. 
○	Playlists Providing Inspiration: In the hub, listeners will also find playlists to celebrate the election season.
●	On-Platform Voter Messaging: Listeners will be encouraged to exercise their right and cast their votes through on-platform communication, leading them to the Election Commission of India website to find polling locations applicable to them, and more.

Spotify will also tap into other off-platform mediums, including out of home and print media, to reach a wider audience for this initiative.



Spotify encourages eligible Indian citizens to vote in 2024 general election via 'Play Your Part'

IPL is one of the biggest reach accumulators in Asia with 5X entry cost over any other top reality show in the country and on the back of IPL, AdEx is expected to witness a rise of 6 percent to 8 percent over corresponding year’s same month/quarter. General election will add another 3 percent to 4 percent increment to the same. 

In conversation with Storyboard18, Uday Mohan, Managing Director, Havas Media India talks about the genres of programming that are performing best in terms of ad viewership during the IPL and election season, the specific goals that brands are looking to achieve with their advertising campaigns during this period of heightened viewership and more.

Edited excerpts:


<strong>What is the kind of increase in ad spend that you are noticing this April due to the combined impact of IPL and elections?  </strong>



April being the first month of the new FY, fresh budgets allow the brands to plan new launches and new ad films in the market. To couple with IPL is one of the biggest reach accumulators in Asia with 5x entry cost over any other top reality show in the country. On the back of IPL, AdEx is expected to witness a rise of 6 percent to 8 percent over corresponding year’s same month/quarter. General election will add another 3 percent to 4 percent increment to the same.


<strong>What are the top ad spending categories experiencing the biggest surge in AdeX due to the combined effect of IPL and the upcoming elections? </strong>

Some of the top ad spending categories include fantasy gaming, auto, beverages, FMCG, and banking and construction.



<strong>What are the specific goals that brands are looking to achieve with their advertising campaigns during this period of heightened viewership? </strong>



Quarter 1 being a fresh start for setting new goals and April being the first month, brands push and set the tempo for the balance of the year. Also, firms want to achieve their sales results to keep the financial results positive in Q1 to have an optimistic outlook in Return on Yield (RoY).

Secondly, with the sports reach of around 800 million in India, no other event or genre offers such high reach in the country and that too in the quarter 1 of financial year. This aids the advertisers to plan new launches & fresh announcements to reach out to maximum consumers and communicate effectively and instantly.



<strong>Can you tell us which genres of programming are performing best in terms of ad viewership during the IPL and election season? </strong>

As we know, election is on the cards. News genre will have exponential growth in viewership. There is a healthy mix of viewership in the country with Hindi language at 31 percent & regional language at 36 percent in terms of news viewership. This is other than 450 million reach through digital news platforms. Election will be a big driver in Q1, and other genres will also have a positive impact in their AdEx. There is a main budget session also expected after general elections which will have significant news importance. 

<strong>How significant is the ad rate growth compared to usual periods considering both IPL and election? </strong>

Election rates are purely demand and supply driven, and in this case the rates are close to 30 percent higher compared to the last Lok Sabha Election. This has happened on the back of newer programming and technology adoption to deliver the brand messaging very effectively. 

As for IPL, the league's consistent viewership has boosted cost and reach delivery proportionately.

<strong>Besides IPL and elections, are there any other upcoming events or trends that you anticipate will impact media buying strategies?</strong>

June to December will be an action packed year in television within sports and entertainment shows. To specify, immediately after IPL, 125 + days of India playing International cricket which includes T20 World Cup, Asia Cup, 6+ bilateral series and other sporting events like Euro Cup and Grand Slam.  As far as entertainment tentpole shows on TV, properties like KBC, Katron Ke Khiladi, IIFA awards, Filmfare, Jhalak Dikhla Ja, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, India’s Got Talent, Bigg Boss, Rishtey Award and World TV will keep up the momentum.

EXCLUSIVE: Elections will drive exponential growth in news viewership: Havas Media's Uday Mohan


With a little over a week remaining until the Lok Sabha polls kick off, political parties are intensifying their digital advertising efforts to gain a last-mile advantage. Last-minute spends on digital platforms are soaring into crores as parties gear up for the seven-phase elections starting on April 19.



In the last week alone, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress together spent close to Rs 8 crore on Google and Meta ads.




<strong>Political ad spends on Google</strong>



As per Google’s Ad Transparency Center, the BJP and the Indian National Congress lead in spending, with Rs8.36 crore and Rs7.6 crore respectively, over the past month on political ads.



The top three spenders on Google Ads also include. Popular Empowerment Network Private Limited, a sociopolitical research organisation, spent Rs Rs7.66 crore. Ads from this organisation, particularly those related to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's campaign, accounted for over Rs30 lakh between April 2 and April 9.



Overall, in the last 30 days (March 11 to April 9), Google Ads Transparency data shows a total spending of Rs41.46 crore on 74,765 political ads. Back in 2019, the spends on political ads on Google around the same time amounted to Rs 8.47 crore.






<strong>Spends on Meta</strong>



Turning to Meta, while the BJP has historically dominated ad spends across platforms, other parties are now stepping up their efforts. In the past month, between March 8 and April 6, 2024, the Indian National Congress spent Rs1.47 crore on 276 ads related to social issues, elections, or politics on Meta ads. Conversely, the BJP allocated Rs8.45 lakh for 6,681 ads on the Meta platform during the same period. Despite the Indian National Congress leading in spending on Meta ads, the BJP ranked fourth.


Interestingly, certain affiliate pages on Meta have outspent the BJP.




<strong>Affiliate pages spending on Meta</strong>


One prominent example is MyGovIndia, a citizen engagement platform launched by the government in 2014. MyGovIndia spent Rs1.42 crore on 67 Meta ads, focusing heavily on national creator award videos and clips. Similarly, MemeXpress emerged as the third highest spender on Meta, allocating Rs1.10 crore for 291 ads in the last 30 days. These pages often run paid promotions with messages like "BJP will rise in Tamil Nadu and DMK will decline" or slogans such as "Entire AAP is corrupted in this time, electricity won’t be free.”



<strong>Why digital matters</strong>


Political parties and candidates are heavily using social media to attract the GenZ voters. From memes to influencers, parties are leaving no stone unturned. 



As Unny Radhakrishnan, CEO, Digitas India pointed out previously, political parties are using all potential opportunities within the digital and content ecosystem.



“Influencers and video content will be key during the 2024 general elections. Multiple content snippets and narratives will be created and distributed through various social channels,”he had said.



“In many parts of the country, there are YouTube channels focused on select geographies or audiences, which will also play an important role,” he added.



“Despite information overload and digital natives spend hours online, engaging with creators and influencers who can influence culture and politics.These influencers offer a direct and personalised connection, bypassing traditional media gatekeepers. These trends push parties to spend on social platforms through not just ads but also collaborations and partnerships,”said a political strategist who did not wish to be named.



Election countdown: BJP and Congress splurge crores on Google and Meta ads ahead of Lok Sabha polls

It is raining ad campaigns and Bharatiya Janata Party has added a new one to its poll arsenal. The  ‘Sapne Nahi Hakikat Bunte Hai Tabhi Sab Modi Ko Chunte Hai’ campaign, however, is a departure from the edgy, meme-friendly content the ruling party has been releasing on social media in the last few weeks.



The sole focus of the new campaign is to present a holistic portrayal of development-focused initiatives under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 



Lasting 3.18 minutes, this multilingual campaign sharply spotlights Prime Minister’s Bharat focus. 



The campaign emphasizes the achievements of the BJP government which includes initiatives that have had a real and tangible impact on daily lives, making the campaign more relatable. From digital payments, subsidised LPG cylinders, narratives surrounding women empowerment to the much debated topic of ‘North East’, the new campaign covers it all.  

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6SY1i1ZBjE0?si=6TAXu_n2TaKURaYW" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Unlike the past few campaigns where the focus was on opposition and their failures, the new ad ensures that the spotlight remains on Modi. 




<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/agency-news/exclusive-i-n-d-i-a-alliance-bashing-dulha-kaun-hai-bjp-viral-ad-created-by-varahe-analytics-who-are-they-27591.htm">Also read: EXCLUSIVE: Varahe Analytics, the agency behind BJP’s ‘Dulha Kaun Hai' viral film</a>


Moving on to the campaign's visual narrative, it features diverse segments of society – students, women, scientists, and more, with treatment that allows it to resonate with viewers on a personal level. The inclusion of glimpses of cultural performances such as Kathak and Odissi dance adds a touch of vibrancy the creative narrative.



The backdrop of iconic landmarks like the Statue of Unity, the Ayodhya Temple, Atal Setu and others further reinforces the campaign's message, emphasizing the widespread impact of development initiatives across the nation.



In just about 2 hours after the video went live, it garnered over 1 lakh views on Instagram Reels. While thousands of comments are pouring in, the common theme in them seems to be exactly what the party wants to hear: ‘Ab Ki Baar 400 par’. 


ELECTIONS2024