Advertising agencies reap benefits from political ads

Advertising agencies reap benefits from political ads

JAKARTA (JP): In a country where for 32 years its people were
not allowed to express their political views on the streets, much
less in the media, people can now enjoy lively political
advertisements on television.

Several political parties have spent several hundred million
rupiah on 30-second TV ads. Staff members at major advertising
agencies are working 16 to 18-hour shifts to come up with ideas,
storyboards and layouts for the ads.

In prime time, a 30-second ad costs between Rp 7 million to
over Rp 10 million.

Media representatives from advertising agencies said that more
than advertisements, agencies were being paid to produce
"catchwords and catchsymbols" that would influence TV viewers to
vote for the advertised political party.

The director of Euro-RSCG Adwork, a European firm which opened
an office here 10 years ago, Andoko Darta, assigned four teams of
two people each to work on the symbol for the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan); a black, white-
nosed, bull in a circle with a red background.

"After two months of exhaustive effort, the bull drawing was
christened as the official PDI Perjuangan logo," Andoko said.

Andoko said the party, which hired the agency at the end of
last year, wanted TV ads that would win the sympathy of the
people.

"That's why (we came up with) the ad where you have a female
voice telling people that PDI Perjuangan will fight poverty and
defend the common people. It focuses on social problems," Andoko
said. "It was simple ... only one aim. Focus on social problems."

Andoko said this advertisement was the most successful of the
four TV ads the agency produced for PDI Perjuangan. Another
successful ad, he said, was the one that forces TV viewers to
focus on the "bull's nose".

"That white nose calls out to people to pierce it. You also
have Ibu Mega's (PDI Perjuangan chairwoman Megawati
Soekarnoputri) voice telling viewers to choose 'No. 11', the
party's number on the ballot sheet."

Disorganized

A member of the board of commissioners at Visi Pro advertising
agency, Muchfisin Dachlan, said Golkar Party was "disorganized"
in its approach to advertising.

"It is not modern in its way of communicating with the ad-
world ... can you imagine making one ad with one agency and
another ad with another agency," Muchfisin said. "No party with
any advertising sense works like that."

Visi Pro produced Golkar's first advertisement for the June 7
elections, at a cost of Rp 2.6 billion.

The advertisement was produced at Monalisa Film production
house and directed by New Yorker Bob Chapel, who has done a
number of TV advertisements here. The ad features Golkar chairman
Akbar Tandjung and at least 100 people in traditional Indonesian
costumes. The ad promotes the party's "unity in diversity"
slogan.

"Golkar wanted something colossal but only wanted to pay Rp
2.6 billion. We offered to do something beautiful for around Rp
18 billion, but Golkar did not have that much," Muchfisin said.

He added that Golkar, which has suffered harsh criticism for
its past connection with Soeharto, wanted an ad that would not
only draw people's sympathy, but would also be entertaining.

"That's why we have a song in the ad. Golkar baru bersatu
untuk maju (The new Golkar unifies and makes advancements) are
the keywords meant to attract people," he said.

Perwanal advertising agency produced the National Mandate
Party's (PAN) first TV advertisement.

The advertisement, which features PAN leader Amien Rais, was
shot by a local director at Pyramid, a local production house.

A Perwanal media officer, Vera, said PAN was "there from the
start".

"They contributed ideas for the storyboard, layouts and the
finishings before the actual shooting of the ad," Vera said.

She said there were continuous discussions on which production
house would be selected to produce the ad.

"Once the layout is done, we choose the production house.
There's the first-class, second-class and third-class production
houses. We charge the client accordingly. Shooting outdoors or
indoors also affects the price," she said. "We also have
different rates for an ad featuring a prominent figure."

Director Garin Nugroho, who has worked on at least 12
television advertisements on the political campaign for the Visi
Anak Bangsa group, said the cost depended on the amount of
research done on an ad.

"I do not charge between Rp 400 million and Rp 1.5 billion for
a 30-second to one-minute ad for nothing," Garin said.

He said that during the course of making an ad, he conducted
research in at least eight large cities.

"Research will be done three times for one TV ad. (There are)
two types of research. One, for feedback on people's political
views. Two, to develop ideas," Garin said.

"We go as far as forming groups of 20 housewives, for
instance, or 20 unemployed people to learn their political
views," he said.

A media officer at Matari advertising agency, Vera, said that
to say the agency was simply in charge of making ads for the
National Awakening Party (PKB) was incorrect.

Vera said the agency was hired for the following: To design
the PKB logo, to produce TV, radio and print ads, to guide the
party and outline its campaign activities in several villages and
cities, to produce the videos screened at Ratu Plaza and Blok M
Plaza in South Jakarta and, finally, outline the party's
activities.

"The party provided us with its philosophy, Matari provided it
with the image," Vera said.

"I cannot give figures. What I can say is that political
parties give advertisements new meaning." (ylt)