MUMBAI: J Walter Thompson has conceptualised and created a nationwide campaign ‘Lost Votes’, which calls for policy and electoral reforms to bring in the vote of Indian migrants, for Times of India (TOI).
Elaborating the idea behind the campaign, JWT mentioned in a statement that considering today’s India’s countless population is on the move for work or education, or marriage, the right to vote should also move along just like the mobile phone numbers, PAN and Aadhar details, and bank accounts. The basic concept is to turn these lost votes into votes that count because they can shape the destiny of our nation.
Commenting on the campaign, TOI brand director Sanjeev Bhargava said, “We are the largest democracy in the world. But are we the most robust? To strengthen our democracy, it is important that the right to vote and the facility to vote both be made available to the entire voting population.”
J Walter Thompson chief creative officer Senthil Kumar said, “The idea of the film is to evoke the voice of the lost vote. A voice that amplifies the angst and echoes the emotion of over 20 crore Indians losing their vote. To play the voice of the lost votes on loud speakers and yet feel the voice being drowned by the distance, lost in the middle class multitudes out there. Losing your right to vote is like that fading homing signal. It’s like missing the last train home and losing the hope of making a difference in your hometown from your distant work station. Mera haq kahin pe kho gaya.”
J Walter Thompson national creative director Sambit Mohanty added, “When we started working on the ‘Lost Votes’ campaign, I knew the film had to be poignant and soul-stirring. It needed to capture that ineffable feeling of being a stranger in a strange land. One who has to deal with the pain of not just losing touch with his roots but also not mattering in the larger scheme of things, because he/she is unable to vote (despite having the right to.) Whether you’re a face in the crowd or the crowd itself, nobody is immune from this pain. The ‘Lost’ poster-frame is meant to be symbolic of this feeling of becoming insignificant.”
