The three-month campaign period, during which political candidates spend heavily to woo voters, is notorious for advertising clutter. Fernando, also VP of marketing for Alaska Milk Corporation, said brand advertisers should be “more selective in their media planning and buying”.
For example, glossy magazines should be chosen over broadsheets, which tend to be crammed with political ads, and billboards selected which are out of reach of flypostings.
A ban on political advertising was lifted in 2001; however, the Fair Elections Act was introduced to cap overspending. During the campaign period, candidates are allowed a maximum of 120 minutes of TV advertising per station, 180 minutes of radio per station, a quarter-page per broadsheet and a half-page per tabloid or magazine three times a week. Political advertising accounts for up to five per cent of media spend between January and May in an election year.