‘Modi Sarkar’ campaign worked because of PM’s persona, says the man behind BJP’s successful ad campaign in 2014
Pune: In an hour long chat with Sakal Media Group, Executive Chairman and Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather - South Asia, Piyush Pandey, emphasised on connecting with our roots, keeping aside ‘google’ for some time, wandering on the streets, listening to people, walking in their shoes and scratching beneath the surface... all this helped him devise the election winning line of our times - ‘Ab ki baar, Modi Sarkar’.
However, keeping in with the humility associated with small town India, Pandey credits the success to the ‘product’ - Modi.
“If your product is good, the campaign succeeds. No advertising line can put a new government in charge. The persona of Modi was such that he connected instantly with people and he knew the pulse of the nation,” says the advertising veteran.
Pandey, who was in the city to launch Pandeypuran, the Marathi edition of his 2015 best seller, Pandeymonium, was earlier known for his path-breaking TV commercials like Fevicol - Zor lagake haisha, Cadbury - Kuch khas hain.
In the recent past, however, it is his success with the BJP’s election campaign, that was discussed widely. Speaking about it, Pandey says, “I can’t take the credit for this success. No election can be won without the ‘karyakartas’. The party men, activists, workers on the ground, deserve it. Our role was to reach out to more people, to engage with them, to communicate with them. And, since Modi knows his people, it was fairly easy.”
His association with Modi began when his agency was asked to work out a campaign for Gujarat tourism. “Before I left for the meeting, the officers told me, ‘the CM has given you 20 minutes’. I wondered how would we manage to have a fruitful discussion in this short time. We were in for a surprise. Modi knew his state well; he knew the history, the geography, the culture...he had a clear vision of what he wanted,” reveals Pandey.
He added, “Modi has a fantastic sense of humour. Now you know, why he keeps saying, ‘Parliament se hasi, mazak kahan chala gaya.”
When asked if in these three years of governance, Modi has delivered what he promised, Pandey replied in affirmative. “Modi has had to take a few bitter, tough decisions (referring to demonetisation), but it’s all for the good of the country. I agree with GST decision too. I am satisfied with his governance.”
