WHETHER you followed the 2025 election campaign closely, overheard snippets in passing, or even supported a rival party, chances are you still found yourself humming along or singing the United National Congress' (UNC) campaign song When UNC Wins Everybody Wins – thanks to its arguably irresistible catchy nature.

The UNC effectively turned the song into a political weapon, blasting it at every opportunity – from rallies, to walkabouts and even as a paid radio advertisement (just the song).

Steve Bailey, a behavioural psychologist with over 21 years of experience, said the song was one of the main reasons the UNC's campaign was a success.

"If you have a promise and you put it into a language people can relate to... a song, it is quite an emotional experience for most people, so it goes deeper into the psyche."

The catch, he said, was when the UNC won, everybody won.

"Most people in our country believe that they are oppressed. Grocery prices are high, they can't pay their bills and it is only a select few people who have wages that they can comfortably live on.

"When you come out with a song or any mechanism that is easy to understand that "everybody wins" – you get free laptops, you going to restart Petrotrin or whatever else you're saying – it takes people immediately to a vision out of that oppression."

Bailey said former prime minister Stuart Young's messaging was more "reasonable.

"Young telling people that they won't necessarily win and that they would have to brakes because the country cannot afford this or that was an easy sell for the UNC."

When asked about the PNM's changes of slogans from All In to A New Chapter to Red, Ready and Responsible as compared to the UNC sticking to When UNC Wins Everybody Wins, he said consistency was key.

"You have to maintain it because it has to sink in. You need to say the same thing over and over and over and then it sinks in.

"If you don't catch them the first time, you have to try until you do. And once you do catch it, you have to keep repeating it."

A communications professional with experience executing social and behaviour change campaigns across the Caribbean also agreed.

"It was a resonant message because everybody along the line of the social strata, no matter if it was rural communities or businessmen, remembered a time there was more money in the country.

[caption id="attachment_1153145" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Isasha (Brendon Young) struck a chord with Let’s Do This Together for the PNM in 2015. - Photo by Faith Ayoung[/caption]

"There were more resources in the country during the 2010-2015 period, hence more economic fluidity. And the UNC played on that."

She said one of the UNC’s strengths during the campaign was their clear and consistent messaging.

"If you really look, they essentially launched their campaign and messaging for this election since February 2024. People thought because they had no candidates they were behind, but it is the message that reads to the heart of the people."

Something to look for in 203