Politics on the airwaves

A few months back, an advertisement campaign in praise of the steps taken by the outgoing government appeared on various television channels. The series of commercials featured prominent business leaders, politicians and even television artists and singers - each regurgitating the achievements of the government, ranging from the launch of social safety nets to the facilitation of business and industry.
Now that the 2013 General Elections are just days away, a whole barrage of political parties advertisements are bombarding through the airwaves. With over a month still left before people head to the polls, this onslaught will only pick up pace.
So far, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) appears to have taken the lead in terms of the most advertisements. Their marketing communication has been evenly split between attracting funds for the partys election fund and highlighting its new, predominantly young nominees.
Arguably, PTI is also the party that most needs an extensive media campaign, given that it is not as deep-rooted or established as the Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz or other, older political parties.
But make no mistake; the other parties are not leaving all the airtime out for PTI. The electronic and print media are likely to cash-in on the campaign trail, as are other out-of-home advertisers. Anyone who is unconvinced may simply think back to 1996 General Elections when a slide would run on Pakistan Television Network reading, "Party Ad" and would be followed by thirty seconds of sloganeering, party anthems and election-centric promises.
In other countries, political ad campaigns often deviate from blowing ones own horn to attacks and outright slander of political opponents. In the last US Presidential Elections, the level of political point scoring stooped to such a level that it drew widespread criticism from a wide array of observers and members of the public.
As the fight for the parliament heats up in coming days, the Election Commission of Pakistan may also have to keep a watchful eye on political advertisements to make sure that political rivalries do not go beyond the realm of decency.