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UPA plans ad blitz for ‘untold story’
The UPA government is set to launch a new run of the ‘Bharat Nirman’ advertisements, the last one before the 2014 polls, aimed at presenting the “untold story” of UPA’s accomplishments.
The UPA government is set to launch a new run of the ‘Bharat Nirman’ advertisements, the last one before the 2014 polls, aimed at presenting the “untold story” of UPA’s accomplishments.
The campaign, beginning January 15, will look back at nearly 10 years of UPA rule, pulling together some of its “major achievements” and stories, aiming to boost the government’s image by presenting an “alternative narrative”.
The stories will be told through a blend of television, print and social media ads in several languages.
Buffeted by a sharp Opposition campaign, the government feels its side of the story wasn’t reaching the public.
The campaign will focus on key milestones, from economy to education, right to food, information, a telecom revolution, infrastructure and inroads against poverty.
Information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari has steered the project, calling for figures, text and data for effective communication with the public.
The ad films have been made by film-maker Pradip Sarkar, who directed the Bollywood hit Parineeta. Although the government hasn’t revealed expenses, the total expenditure could be over `300 crore, a former official who handled similar projects, said.
In 2004, the BJP-led government’s `150 crore-plus ‘India Shining’ campaign had become a catchphrase for an emerging economy but a disconnect ensured the alliance lost power that year.
An analysis of an earlier phase of the ‘Bharat Nirman’ campaign showed it was well received by people from lower-income categories, while affluent audiences were indifferent.
A 2009 assessment by the Centre for Media Studies had found that, of the eight flagship programmes of the UPA, only three were known across the country by a majority of 12,796 respondents in 30 states.
The government had decided to run the campaign periodically, rather than continually as part of its communication strategy and to save costs.
