 "Why Bharat Nirman's Land Bill ad is a hustle")
This is a clever hustle. The government is creating - and releasing - advertising that tells viewers of the benefits of various proposals, such as the yet-to-be-passed Land Acquisition Bill.
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Representational image. AFP[/caption]
The TVC clearly spells out the benefits, even as the bill is still to be discussed and passed by the Rajya Sabha. The TVC makes it clear that the Union Cabinet has cleared the draft on 5 September 2011 and now is in the hands of parliament.
Specifics such as the price at which the land will be acquired (4 times the market value) and the reliance on popular decision to sell (70 to 80 percent of land owners will have to agree) find mention in the TVC - and that’s very, very clever.
If the bill is not passed, the UPA and the Congress could say that they wanted it for the good of the people, but it was stopped by the opposition. If the bill is passed, the Congress corners the glory.
For the BJP, it’s damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
Take a look at the TVC ‘selling’ the Land Acquistion Bill here:
Anant Rangaswami was, until recently, the editor of Campaign India magazine, of which Anant was also the founding editor. Campaign India is now arguably India's most respected publication in the advertising and media space. Anant has over 20 years experience in media and advertising. He began in Madras, for STAR TV, moving on as Regional Manager, South for Sony’s SET and finally as Chief Manager at BCCL’s Times Television and Times FM. He then moved to advertising, rising to the post of Associate Vice President at TBWA India. Anant then made the leap into journalism, taking over as editor of what is now Campaign India's competitive publication, Impact. Anant teaches regularly and is a prolific blogger and author of Watching from the sidelines.