BJP chooses McCann Worldgroup & Scarecrow M&C Saatchi for election ad campaign: Report

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has selected advertising agencies McCann Worldgroup and Scarecrow M&C Saatchi to spearhead its creative advertising campaigns for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, executives familiar with the matter informed The Economic Times.

"The creative mandate is expected to be managed by McCann Worldgroup-TAG, a new-age ad agency owned by McCann, and Scarecrow M&C Saatchi," stated one of the executives, who preferred not to disclose their identity.

As mentioned in the ET report, it remains unclear whether other agencies that vied for the creative account, such as Ogilvy and Efficacy, will also receive portions of the mandate, given the extensive outreach efforts planned by the BJP to attract voters.

The BJP is currently in the process of selecting three to four independent agencies specialised in data-led technology and digital advertising, as well as for regional, outdoor, influencer-led campaigns, and social media, according to the executives. On of them added, "In addition, a significant portion of the party's communication is already being handled by its internal teams."

According to data from the Google Ads Transparency Centre, between January 1, 2024, and March 15, 2024, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allocated nearly Rs 31 crore for Google ad campaigns ahead of the upcoming general elections.

The upcoming election will take place in seven phases spanning over six weeks, with voting scheduled to conclude on June 1. Vote counting is set to occur on June 4.