KOCHI: In this digital age, it is not prudent to carry an election campaign forward by ignoring social media.And, with the internet ensuring that every information is just a tap or click away, parties are using social media platforms to make voters familiar with the candidates contesting from their wards.
Digital posters, containing links to the Facebook, Instagram and Twitter profiles and YouTube channels of the candidates as well as their email IDs, are being shared through the social media platforms, especially WhatsApp. So, with just a tap on the posters, voters can access the ‘biodata’ of the candidates. The designers of the posters say there is a high demand for the same in the local body elections.
“Digital posters are specially designed for WhatsApp soon after a candidate’s photo session. Most candidates are demanding posters that contain links to their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter profiles. We put an interactive logo of each social media platform on the poster which takes voters to the profile page of the candidate in the corresponding app or website,” said cartoonist Anoop Radhakrishnan, who is also one of the leading poster designers in Kochi.Photographers said there was a specific criterion for selecting the images for the posters.
“The photo shoots of the candidates are planned in phases. During the initial days of campaigning, we concentrate on close-up shots. Such posters aim at stamping the candidates’ image in the minds of the voters,” said freelance photographer Arun Chandra Bose. In the second phase, the photographers plan outdoor sessions, where they take photos of candidates in action for use in the next set of posters, he said.
The colours are also selected by the candidates. “While LDF candidates will ask us to highlight the red colour, UDF and BJP candidates will go for the Tricolour’s hues and saffron, respectively. Some are also extremely particular about the font that should be used in posters,” said Anoop.
For a filmy feel
Anoop said many candidates are asking for posters based on films. “Young candidates are asking for posters designed like those of popular flicks. Some have even given Hollywood movies as a reference,” he said.