BJP picks McCann Worldgroup & Scarecrow M&C Saatchi for election campaign

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reportedly finalised advertising agencies McCann Worldgroup and Scarecrow M&C Saatchi to spearhead its creative advertising strategy for the impending Lok Sabha election. Sources reveal that McCann Worldgroup-TAG, a contemporary ad agency under McCann's ownership, along with Scarecrow M&C Saatchi, will be entrusted with managing the creative mandate for the BJP's election campaign.

While other agencies like Ogilvy and Efficacy also contended for the coveted creative account, it remains uncertain if they will be involved in specific aspects of the mandate, considering the BJP's extensive outreach efforts aimed at winning over voters.,With the Election Commission of India announcing the commencement of the general election on April 19, the process of finalizing and allocating key mandates to advertising agencies has gained momentum.

Additionally, the BJP is reportedly in the process of selecting three to four independent agencies to oversee data-led tech and digital advertising, regional campaigns, outdoor advertising, influencer-led initiatives, and social media campaigns. In the preceding 2019 General Elections, the BJP had engaged the services of Dentsu India, Madison World, Ogilvy India, and Soho Square to manage its campaigns.

Last weekend, thousands of citizens received individual WhatsApp messages from an account named Viksit Bharat Sampark, accompanied by a letter purportedly signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the government's schemes and policies and seeking feedback from voters.

A report by the Centre for Media Studies suggests that the BJP's expenditure in the run-up to the 2019 general election amounted to approximately Rs 27,000 crore. Advertising budgets for the upcoming election could witness a surge of 30-40% compared to 2019, according to industry executives.

The Election Commission data reveals a staggering 945 million eligible voters, marking a significant increase from the 912 million voters in the previous Lok Sabha polls. The forthcoming election will be conducted in seven phases over six weeks, with voting concluding on June 1 and the counting of votes scheduled for June 4.