This study empirically examined the efficacy of political campaigns in the application of Brand Personality Constructs (BPC) to enhance candidate appeal in the 2023 Nigerian Presidential Election. Although the theoretical application of political marketing is now well established, how BPC is used and its differential efficacy in dynamic emerging democracies has received scant rigorous empirical examination. The quantitative survey design was utilised in this research and data were collected from 568 registered voters in Lagos State regarding perceived use, effectiveness and influence of candidate choice. The results indicated that the BPCs were highly significantly adopted and utilised by the major campaigns with a mean of 3.77. Crucially, the campaigns were perceived to be highly effective at enhancing candidate appeal with a mean of 3.80, while the BPC constructs had a direct and significant influence on the actual choice of candidate with a mean of 3.80. Sincerity was identified as the most recognised personality trait with a mean of 3.91. Differential success was found, with Bola Tinubu identified as the most effective brand strategist with 49.8%, followed by Peter Obi with 35.0%. Such findings confirm the depth of personalisation of politics in Nigeria, validating brand persona as a salient electoral
factor and providing critical insights for political communication in developing nations.