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The Power of Political Jingles

Do you still remember the campaign jingles from the previous barangay elections, held just last month?

The songs might sound overly cheesy, but admittedly, these jingles can be quite catchy and appealing. Those who produce these songs for would-be barangay officials oftentimes tune campaign jingles after popular singles, both new and old. Songs used by previous candidates may also be recycled.

Just how do these political advertisements help a candidate to win the elections? Let us unravel the reasons, one by one.

THE RELATABILITY OF WORDS

The effectiveness of a political jingle is heavily reliant on its relatability to its listeners. Most of the time, jingle writers use words that seem to be weak and ordinary, but we cannot deny their effectiveness once they are added to campaign jingles themselves.

Simply put, songwriters use words that can quickly convey a message and be easily understood. Political jingles often try to promote oneness, brotherhood, and caring for the poor. This way, they can easily lure target voters.

THE MESSAGE

In addition to relating to the needs and wants of the voters, messages that suggest oneness in the daily struggles of life, and alleviating the poor standards of society are the most noticeable thrusts for more recent political ads and campaign jingles.

These messages are heavily ingrained in campaign materials and are inscibred in the consciousness of the unconscious voter. Candidates for re-election also emphasize previous projects that became "successful" under their time of administration, thereby appealing to people to stay with them, instead of jumping over to the opposition's side. The laundry list of "successful projects" is also used to lure new voters, especially those who have just acquired their voter's ID.

CHOICE OF TUNE

The tune of the jingle also helps lure voters. We might think that the tunes used in campaign jingles are "corny" or kitsch, but admit it: you still remember almost all of them, am I right?

The reason for this is that sounds, once combined with the right words, can make a song recognizable and memorable.

Nowadays, younger would-be politicians even opt for Korean pop tunes and other popular and easily recognizable songs that younger voters might like or be able to relate to.

One example would be a candidate from the second district of Makati.

This candidate used "Gwiyomi" as the tune for her campaign jingle. Although her jingle was definitely barren as this candidate was simply the daughter of a person who happened to sit as a councilperson before, she still managed to win.

Her political jingle actually helped her lure young voters. To be honest, even I almost voted for her because of that jingle!

EMOTIONAL APPEAL

It also helps if the jingle promotes positivity. This improves the recall of the voters of a candidate. Positivity seems to promote both peace and equality, something our country desperately needs.

Appealing to the emotions of the voters is easy here in the Philippines. Filipino voters often just jive with any positive vibes they get from candidates.

First-term candidates tend to use this strategy often, and combine it with powerful and catchy campaign jingles to exude it - this strange and catchy "positivity."

Political jingles are but one of the tools used by candidates to win the elections. It is indeed a must in every election, despite the cheesy tunes and weak lyrics. We cannot deny that jingles can attract people's attention easily. This is its magic and power.

SOURCES:

Fonbuena, C. (2013, May 1). And the most memorable and effective political ads are... Rappler. Retrieved June 26, 2018, from www.rappler.com

Jesena, S. (2016, March 17). 10 Most Memorable Campaign Jingles. Spot.PH. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from www.spot.ph

ImageWorks Intern. (2014, January 22). What Makes an Effective Advertising Jingle? [Web log post]. Retrieved June 25, 2018, from http://blog.imageworksllc.com

Morning Edition. (2008, September 12). Messages Of Some Political Ads Repeat Themselves. National Public Radio. Retrieved June 26, 2018, from www.npr.org

|| This column is for the segment "FLUMA" by Basil Bácor, Jr. - a columnist of the Katipunan ng Alternatibong Dibuho, Liriko, at Titik.