Lage raho Kejriwal is AAP’s election slogan

The political crescendo has picked up pace with the Aam Aadmi Party’s message to voters ahead of next year’s Assembly election. With Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia launching the 2020 poll slogan on December 20, branding and advertising chieftains say in politics, as in business, it is the person who’s become the brand of choice.

Aided by a new catchy slogan, ‘Acche beete paanch saal - Lage raho Kejriwal’, AAP is clearly looking to brand its ideology and its work, note the experts. Ashish Mishra, Managing Director at Interbrand India, a global brand consultancy, says the slogan is an encapsulation of the campaign strategy.

A spin on ‘achche din’

“The result orientation and delivery of promises in the previous term is being conveyed in a competitive way by a spin on ‘acche din’ seemingly undelivered by the Opposition. And the need to sustain efforts through another term. It also highlights the AAP leadership face,” he adds. A lot rides on a campaign slogan. While the message must connect to voter concerns and issues, political campaign slogans should essentially summarise the essence of a candidate in a short, witty take.

As a slogan it does an intelligent job, maintains Mishra. “Slogans are telegraphic and memorable tools to popularise the primary messages from a brand. The down-to-earth result orientedness with a common man focus is the way the AAP brand is being projected. Sustained, visible, real and perceived results can provide stickiness,” he adds.

Ad veteran and RK Swamy Hansa Group Chairman Srinivasan Swamy says, “All elections are won based on either promise of a better tomorrow or by highlighting the good performance of the past. AAP believes that they have done well over the past five years and their confidence is reflected in the new slogan they have adopted.”

Swamy feels AAP’s approach will strike the right chord with the Delhi electorate. Concurring with his view, N Chandramouli, CEO Of TRA Research, says the new slogan “reflects the grassroots feeling of Delhi citizens towards AAP. Most citizens, even from the Opposition accept the good work and excellent governance by AAP’s Delhi government and if the political rhetoric was removed, would like to see the good work continue.”

Commenting on the slogan, Chandramouli said: “Lage Raho also brings in the connotation of a do-gooder everyone wants to support.”