One of the most controversial and sensitive activities in our industry, campaigns in this sphere range from hard-hitting to extremely subtle.
One kind of political advertising is familiar to anyone who’s followed an election. The idea, of course, is to pledge to make the country a better place, while criticizing your rivals with varying degrees of virulence. Depending on where you live, electioneering is either tightly controlled – as in France, where each candidate is allotted an equal budget and media time, by law – or a free-for-all.
Lobbying, on the other hand, is a far more discreet discipline. It involves influencing government policy from behind the scenes, for a variety of stakeholders, from charities to business interests. Lobbyists research policy issues, build relationships with lawmakers, and hone persuasive arguments to support their clients’ goals. You’ll find them in places like Washington D.C., Brussels, or Westminster. While the media occasionally portray them as dubious, their activity could be seen as a key part of the democratic process, as they ensure that diverse voices and interests are represented in public policy.
Issue-based activism is also included in this category: public demonstrations, online campaigns, community outreach and education around specific issues, such as climate action or human rights, with the goal of influencing opinion and putting pressure on policymakers.
So what kind of campaigns might please the Epica Awards jury of journalists? Creativity can be a rare ingredient here. But leave it to IKEA in Canada to speak out against government policy with an edge of humour. The agency is Edelman, the PR and consulting giant.
This campaign from Demner, Merlicek & Bergmann was created when a climate action charity found that traditional activism was failing to get through, or being suppressed. It’s a perfect example of hacking technology to make a point.
Frontline 19 is a counselling and mental health support group for medical workers in the UK. The harrowing campaign from Adam&EveDDB shows traumatised National Health Service workers and the daily stresses they face. It aimed to drive donations and provoke debate on the welfare of medical staff in the run-up to an election.
One clever way to dodge political apathy: TBWA and Wired Italia wanted to draw attention to the European Elections, but people tend to avoid reading articles on a subject they consider dull. So the campaign popped up in a place where they love to read: product reviews on shopping sites.
Simple messages can be the most effective. Here’s a short but powerful election spot from Mortierbrigade in Belgium.
Voter turnout in the European Elections can be low. So the agency &Co asked older people, who had experienced war and uprising, to impress upon the younger generation the importance of using their vote.
Political work lives or dies on trust, clarity and timing. These examples show how daring ideas, rigorous research and emotional intelligence can reframe the debate. Campaigns with that mix are exactly what our Political Advertising & Lobbying category is looking to spotlight this year.
