Tamil Nadu goes to the polls on April 23, and campaigns are looking for a new soundtrack – catchy, hyper-local songs generated by artificial intelligence designed to stay in voters’ minds long after the rallies are over. From Coimbatore to Cauvery Delta, candidates have tried to strike a chord with voters through customized campaign songs, with more than 30 songs being composed during the nomination phase alone. This isn’t a low-budget side hustle. Political parties and candidates are willing to spend Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 for a song to expand their reach.The scope of the play extends far beyond wall posters and van announcements. Political parties are now combining music, artificial intelligence and social media algorithms to create more targeted campaigns, particularly on Instagram and Facebook, where ads are being fine-tuned based on budgets and voter demographics through meta-advertising.At the heart of the fusion of music and politics is a growing ecosystem of AI creators. Ninth Direction’s creative director R Loganathan said he alone has composed more than 30 AI-generated songs for 15 candidates, including several in Coimbatore. “Unlike previous elections, AI is now being used for better publicity, especially through AI-generated campaign songs,” he told TOI. “The DMK and ADMK candidates as well as DMK alliance parties like Congress and the Left have the same demand.“His client list cuts across party lines and geographies – from DMK and ADMK candidates in Tirupur, Coimbatore and Delta to DMK alliance candidates in the southern districts. Loganathan said his journalism background helps him write better lyrics for individual candidates. “I have even received requests for song packages from former ministers, with prices ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000. Depending on the package selected, songs of different tunes are provided to the candidates.“But the digital push isn’t limited to songs. Events are also going global. Sources said the DMK’s IT wing is running an intensive social media presence in the UAE, targeting overseas audiences and leveraging platforms such as TikTok. TikTok remains banned in India but is active in many Gulf countries. A social media manager in Dubai confirmed the scale of the effort, saying DMK’s IT machinery was stronger than its competitors. “To connect with the Tamil audience here, they used extensive SEO strategies,” he said. “TikTok is banned in India, but it is active in many other countries, including the Gulf region, allowing them to share Tamil Nadu content and reach Tamils abroad.”Domestically, campaign professionals say the real shift will occur during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the use of meta-advertising and algorithm-driven targeting surges. A popular YouTuber, now a freelance social media manager of the DMK, said this strategy has become central to the IT departments of all major parties.“Meta advertising helps target demographics and interests, while paid SEO can help candidates better connect with elite and younger audiences,” he said. “For Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, it is easier because they are already using popular songs. But candidates who are new to social media or less active online must rely heavily on paid promotions, with algorithms designed to deliver ads to target audiences in specific locations.“But in the world of digital marketing campaigns, visibility comes at a high price. The YouTuber added that the more money a candidate spends, the more often they appear on voters’ screens. “While there is an official cap on poll spending for each candidate, many candidates go over budget through unreported third-party services.”
| It’s not VIJAY, it’s VIJ-AI
He waved, held a microphone, and appeared to address the crowd. As the campaign vehicle of the Tamilagavetri Kazhagam Party rolled through Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, for a few seconds many viewers believed that party president Vijay had actually turned up in person. The phone rang, heads turned, and excitement spread quickly. But the crowd-drawing spectacle was actually a technological trick: an AI-powered holographic projection of the actor-turned-politician mounted on a vehicle, complete with synchronized speech, lifelike gestures and an incredibly lifelike appearance, quickly went viral. The idea is catching on. The company behind the technology says candidates from all parties are now inquiring, with some even seeking holographic renditions of political icons such as M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa. Hologram campaigning itself is not new – Prime Minister Narendra Modi used it in the 2014 election – but the latest version comes with artificial intelligence enhancements. Better lip sync, smoother body movement and easier portability make these projections more immersive, even in smaller towns and rural areas. The Kumbakonam performance was reportedly produced by a team of just six people, including young engineers, who used a 3D hologram sector display system to achieve clearer and more dynamic visual effects than traditional projectors. However, at around Rs 50,000 per day, the technology is not cheap. |
