In general, Kuomintang (KMT)’s ad campaigns have highlighted the party's achievements over the past four years in government. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)’s campaign has instead sought to fire up melancholy sentiments and project a plead for change.
But outside those general campaign themes, there have been significant differences in the ways both camps have used media during the 2012 election, as advertising and media industry leaders in the market have told Campaign.
Ann Yang, chief executive officer Aegis Media Taiwan noted that media spending so far was far less than that in 2008 for both parties. KMT had so far outspent the DPP when it came to media, she said.
Both parties are using digital media heavily, including social media and apps. The DPP has put greater weight on local events than the KMT.
On television, the DPP has used a number of short-length TVCs to challenge the poor performance of the KMT government over the past four years, Yang said. In contrast, the KMT has preferred to use longer-length TVCs to elaborate its good achievements.
Richard Yu, executive creative director of Bates Taipei reckoned that DPP’s ads have been more inspirational and creative than the incumbent party's. He indicated that this was partly because of the negative nature of the campaigns, which offer more options for unique direction and effects.
Moreover, Yu says the DDP has used international award-winning Taiwanese film directors Ging-zim Lo and Wu Nien-Jen, who are masters in producing sentimental and emotionally-touching films. The commercials were reported on news channels as well as on paid-for airtime, giving the campaign a PR boost.
However an undisclosed 4A agency head criticised DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen's campaign, saying the constant negativity could cause a voter backlash against the party.
"Tsai puts so much efforts to remind us about our pains, concerns, and worries to life," he said. “It's very much like group therapy: let the pain out but I don't know how to cure you."
He added that Tsai's ads appeared to deliberately avoid the tricky topic of Taiwan's relationship with mainland China. "This is critically important to Taiwan and she will not win trust if she chooses to shy away from this."
Still, he says some of the KMT's ads have also ventured in to the negative. "He (president Ma Ying-jeou) did a lot for us but I haven't see any new beef yet. Feed me, don't threaten me," he said.
Shape Advertising is the creative agency behind the KMT ad campaigns, which were first rolled out in June last year. Norman Lin, the agency's senior creative director, said the team had focused on creating longer and more compelling TVCs that could also be run on social media and Facebook, in additional to the normal version TVC on traditional TV channels.