Brillante Mendoza
Cannes Film Festival’s Best Director
THE CANNES LIONS SPECIAL TWO BRONZE LIONS FOR MANILA THE DEATH OF THE DIGITAL CAMPAIGN MAD ABOUT RECESSION MARKETING
NO ONE SELLS LIKE MANNY PACQUIAO
CAMPAIGN BRIEF ASIA PHILIPPINE RANKINGS
BANG FOR THE BUCK: PETRONAS “TAN HONG MING”
AWARDS, AWARDS, AWARDS: THE ONE SHOW, CLIOS AME, EFFIES, D&AD
GUNN REPORT 2008: THE TEN-YEAR REPORT MANILA DESIGN WEEK
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: DIGITAL SHOWCASE
Issue #22 July-August 2009 Philippines P180 Indonesia IDR 100k Malaysia MYR 15 Singapore SGD 10 Hong Kong Thailand
Issue #22 Jul-Aug 2009 P180
The Word on Advertising
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TOP STORIES
TBWA\SMP and Universal McCann bring home a pair of Bronze Lions 06 M&C Saatchi founders form LONDON Advertising 07 Leigh, Lowe, Lowe, Leigh 08 Campaign Brief Asia Creative Rankings: How Did the Philippines Fare?
04 COVER STORY Brillante Mendoza
Cannes Film Festival's Best Director
89 CANNES LIONS 2009 SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE 40 Asia Listens to Sir John Hegarty 60 No One Sells Like Manny Pacquiao
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MAD ABOUT
Recession Marketing
AWARDS AWARDS AWARDS
48 The One Show 44 The Clio Awards 49 Effie Awards 46 D&AD Awards 50 The Gunn Report
DIGITALSCAPE 53 The Death of the Digital Campaign
27 28
ENTERTAINMENT REVIEWS
BOOK REVIEW: Getting Things Done BOOK REVIEW: Organizing Genius
CREATIVE REVIEW 30 by Alan Jarvie, LONDON Advertising PRIVATE VIEW 82 Cents & Values by Nanette Franco-Diyco 84 Logic & Magic by Bong Osorio 80 The Bigger Picture by Cid Reyes
REGULAR FEATURES
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THE PACMAN The best pound-for-pound endorser EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ANGEL GUERRERO
EDITOR ROCELLE ARAGON CYNTHIA DAYCO SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
HARRY MOSQUERA
SENIOR WRITER
AYE UBALDO
COLUMNISTS
NANETTE FRANCO-DIYCO CID REYES BONG OSORIO
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS OSCAR GOMEZ
IDA TORRES
ART DIRECTOR LECH VELASCO EDITORIAL ASSITANT
NICA SERRANO
CONTRIBUTING ARTIST
JED-ANGELO SEGOVIA
BUSINESS MANAGER
MAFEL HEBULAN
MARKETING & SALES EXECUTIVES
PHILIPP BALBUENA LIEZL MONTEMAYOR
FRONT COVER CREDITS PHOTOGRAPHER: MARK NICDAO and WILD BUNCH PHOTOGRAPHY
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TBWA\SMP 's Melvin Mangada: It 's always sunny in Cannes
topstories
TBWA\SMP and Universal McCann bring home a pair of Bronze Lions Even with a prudently small delegation, Manila made its presence felt this year at Cannes, with two Bronze Lions for Manila agencies TBWA\ SantiagoMangadaPuno and Universal McCann. Announced on the first awards night was Universal McCann’s Bronze Media Lion (Best Use of Cinema), for “Botelya”, a maternal saga set in motion by the discovery of a vintage glass bottle
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of Johnsons Baby Oil. The film was the centerpiece of a comprehensive mothers’ event which J&J took to communities around Metro Manila. Awarded for creativity in use of media, the Lion is the third international plum for “Botelya.” Speaking to adobo, Universal McCann Managing Director Venus Navalta thanked all the agency’s partners for helping make the project a reality.
PRESS, BRONZE LION • Boysen "Hibiscus", "Lily", TBWA\SMP july-august '09
“We are very happy that J&J Philippines gave us the chance to show our craft through this innovative media vehicle. And we thank God for rewarding us generously for a project that has caused so much birthing pains but has touched so many lives in a positive way.” Victory came again on the third awards night, when Melvin Mangada went onstage to receive the Bronze Lion for his agency’s series for Boysen Paints. Speaking at Cannes, Mangada proudly pointed out the ads’ non-scam credentials: ”More than just awareness, the ad communicates [Boysen’s] real action, making radical changes in its manufacturing process and securing stringent international standards.” Manila has won at least one Cannes Lion a year since 2005. A total of 12 Radio, Outdoor and Design entries also made the shortlist, down from 14 last year.
DM9 JaymeSyfu led with four shortlisted ads: Coppertone “Kobe”, Outdoor; Makati Fire Station “Match”, Outdoor; Coffee Dream “Parallel Universe” Radio; Coppertone “Speed” Radio. TBWA-SantiagoMangadaPuno followed with two: Boysen Paints “Lily”, Press; Boysen Paints “Hibiscus”, Press.
MEDIA, BRONZE LION • Johnsons Baby Oil "Botelya", Universal McCann
Proving that its reboot was finally showing results, Ace-Saatchi & Saatchi got two in: North Face “City Arachini” Outdoor; Vespa “You and Me Against” Outdoor. Y&R sustained the country’s fight in Radio with two: iProtect “Car Illusion”; Perfect Ends Shampoo “Romeo & Juliet”. BBDO Guerrero had one shortlisted, their Creative Guild “DIY Poster”, in Design. Universal McCann, of course, successfully converted its one shortlisted entry, the Johnson & Johnson’s “Botelya”, Media.
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hilippine ad men may have fallen short of Silver and Gold at the recently concluded Cannes Lions, but there is one Filipino who emerged victorious on La Croisette. Two weeks before the ad world’s premiere event, Brillante Mendoza was named Best Director at the Cannes International Film Festival. Because of his feature film “Kinatay”, he rose above Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Aldomovar and Ang Lee. He was also the first Filipino to earn the distinction in the festival’s 62-year history. If Mendoza’s appearance on the Palais’s stage prompted a resounding chorus of “Who’s he?” among most of his countrymen, it elicited a different reaction from the local ad industry— one of stunned recognition.
Brillante Mendoza
The Portrait of the Filipino as Cannes' Best Director Brillante Mendoza is one of advertising’s most senior production designers. Known in ad agencies and production houses by his nickname Dante, this man pulls glamorous sets, bucolic exteriors and a thousand props out of his designer’s hat. He’s the go-to guy for P&G’s detergent ads and retailers like Penshoppe. Now, he stands on the world stage for something so entirely different, it’s hard to believe that Brillante and Dante are one and the same person. THE GRAND DESIGN
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Although far less graphic than his films, Mendoza’s journey to Cannes is worthy of its own mini-biopic. After earning his Fine Arts degree in 1982, Mendoza worked for directors like Chito Roño and Peque Gallaga. With titillating titles like “Private Show” and “Virgin Forrest”, it’s easy to think of these as anything but art house films. Nevertheless, they were considered some of the best in Philippine cinema, and they gave this budding talent the leg up to advertising. Six years later, Mendoza had 24 films in his reel. He was credited as a production designer in some; an assistant director in others. But what he really was…was tired and hungry. Of this experience, Mendoza said, “There was no creativity…so I said ‘I’ll just go into advertising. At least, I can make a good living.’” Working on TV ads also allowed him to observe many directors up close. When he wasn’t artfully hanging tea-stained shirts on clotheslines, he was taking mental notes. He learned a lot but did not always like what he saw. It’s hard for someone as polite as Mendoza to say what bothered him, but finally, he offers, “[Some directors of TV ads] are not editing in their mind…there are too many safety shots. I think that if you give a lot of options, it lessens the creativity because you are not sure of yourself.” Nevertheless he continued to watch from the sidelines, thinking about how he would tell the story. He dreamed of being a director himself, but had grown content with his life in production design. july-august '09
Photograph by Mark Nicdao
In 2005, a friend asked him to direct a feature film. It was a low-budget video about a male masseuse, and it smacked of gay exploitation. Mendoza didn’t like the story, so he tweaked it. He didn’t like the script, so he rewrote it. By the time Mendoza was done with “Masahista”, it was a completely different movie, one that local critics loved. Encouraged by the feedback, the firsttime director submitted it to the 2005 Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland. At first, he was honored to be the first Filipino director to screen his film in Locarno. By the week’s end, he was also the first Filipino to win top honors in its digital video competition. Back home, everyone was incredulous. To the local film industry, he was a newbie who had yet to pay his dues; to his colleagues in the advertising, he was just a production designer. No one knew Mendoza could direct a good film, much less win in an international film festival.
work is exploitative, he says that if Filipinos took off their blinders, they’d see that his “poverty porn” is quite real. In his youth, Mendoza looked up to Hollywood, but international exposure, however niche, opened his heart to a more serious calling. Although they found his freshman work in “Masahista” uneven, critics admired the raw power and honesty of his vision. It took his second movie, “Kaleldo”, to drive home the point. Despite a commercial premise, some name talents and a marketing campaign, it tanked at the local box office. “When you think of the audience, you have to think of what they want: A little drama? A little comedy?” he explains. “At the same time, your producer says ‘Hey, we have to recoup our investment.’ “The thing is that didn’t happen, because no one saw ‘Kaleldo’. I lost money; I wasn’t happy, and nobody saw the film.” Continued on page 6
ON BORROWED TIME
Mendoza’s first venture into film was charmed. Now, he didn’t want to stop making movies. “I got offers from major studios [in Manila]… but I decided to just produce and direct on my own.” He cashed his nest egg in, mortgaged his home and his car, just to finance his projects and retain his independence. His second effort was I realized “Kaleldo”, a commercial melodrama that was I shouldn’t screened in the Rome compromise International Film Festival. my ideas. I “Manoro”, a documentary an educated Aeta should focus about who returns to teach her on how to tribe, and “Pantasya”, an film about men in tell my story erotic uniform, followed in quick truthfully. succession. In 2007, Mendoza made “Foster Child”, a drama about a surrogate who raises a child meant for adoption in the US. That same year, it debuted at The Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. He was still way off the average Filipino radar, but he had caught the eye of local and foreign critics. His crime thriller “Tirador” made the festival rounds, but it was “Serbis” that brought him back to Cannes. It was hard to tell if “Serbis” was a drama or a comedy. Whatever it was, it revolved around life in a squalid porn theatre. The audience in Cannes hissed and booed, but by the time it reached North America, it had grown on American critics. This established the tone for “Kinatay”, the film that put him shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best cinematic talents of our time.
Blowing its Horn: Tambuli Awards 2009 Conference
Tambuli Awards 2009 Conference opened last July 9 at the Dizon Auditorium of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P). John Zeigler, president and CEO of DDB Asia Pacific and Japan, talked on Business Results and Creativity: Building a Culture of Effectiveness, while Herminio Ordoñez, chairman emeritus of Publicis Manila, discussed Values in Ads as Ad'd Value. The event was primed for practitioners, students and anyone with a wary eye on the current global economic scenario. Also, a CEO Panel discussion on “Rethinking the Future of the Advertising Business” was moderated by Ramon Jimenez, Publicis JimenezBasic immediate past chairman.
Bates141 donates DIWA winnings
In the last Kidlat, Bates141 bagged a Gold DIWA award along with US$2,000 from the Ayala Foundation, for their Woman Today “Embossed” breast cancer flyer. At the Woman Today Anniversary celebration in May, Bates 141 donated US$1,000 to the Bessie B. Legarda Memorial Foundation. Joey Ong, Bates141 ECD and breast cancer awareness advocate, presented the donation to foundation head Sen. Loren Legarda, who said it would be used to fund free Tamoxifen and mammographies.
Mon and Abby Jimenez are back in the game
KINATAY
Mon and Abby Jimenez have opened WOO Consultants in their old office space in Pacific Star—the space recently vacated by Publicis JimenezBasic, the agency that the couple founded and from which they recently retired. According to Abby Jimenez, WOO is “a marketing and media consultancy, not an ad agency,” but agency folks will recognize a few names. Suit Lawrence Tan, who comes on board as a consultant, was most recently general manager of media independent PhD. He had stints in network giant ABS-CBN and many of the country’s top shops—including Saatchi, where he met the couple. WOO’s finance and IT heads are also Saatchi alumni.
LBC pulls out spelling ad
Courier LBC received multiple complaints after its TV ad showed a student on a game show spelling “remittance” as “L-B-C”. The ad generated numerous comments and stronglyworded feedbackfrom a group representing Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), which demanded the pull out of the commercial. LBC voluntarily withdrew the ad after three weeks, stating that they value the education of Filipino youth and highly regard the efforts of the Department of Education. Agency ASPAC/Law pointed out that the ad was clearly intended as a joke and aired not in kiddie shows but in ones targeted to their parents. They bemoaned the sense-ofhumor failure that the protest suggests, but supported their client's voluntary pull out of the ad.
NO ONE LIKES A WINNER
For someone who has been a director for only four years, Mendoza has a lot to show for it. Behind his office is a trophy room, the looks of which would make any agency creative drool. There are metals from Locarno, Berlin, Brisbane, Jeonju, Bangkok, Singapore, Torino, Durban, Marrakesh, Russia, Venice and of course, Cannes. It must hurt to be appreciated everywhere else but your hometown. “Basically, my films are really appreciated outside the Philippines because these other cultures are used to alternative cinema. They see the value of my work.” It also helps that these cineastes don’t have to live in the squalor that permeates many of Mendoza’s movies. To the accusations that his
newsline
Terry Gilliam and Brillante Mendoza in Cannes july-august '09
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Continued from page 5.
"I hope that someday, they would go back and see my films in a better light.” “After that, I realized I shouldn’t think of what the audience wants,” he said. “I shouldn’t compromise my ideas. I should focus on how to tell my story truthfully." Since then, telling his story, his way, has raised many an eyebrow in the audience. In the case of “Serbis” and “Kinatay”, voices were raised in dismay as well. From his chair, however, Mendoza sees it as the price of entry to alternative cinema. In his youth, “I was a Hollywood movie buff. I didn’t know about alternative cinema; I wasn’t exposed to films that provoked thought.” Neither is your typical Filipino, which Mendoza understands completely. If Filipino audiences are not ready for alternative cinema, he says, “It’s not their fault. “We were colonized by Spain and America. We were exposed to their entertainment. Zarzuela (an operatta that was popular in colonial times). Over-the-top acting. The glossy pictures. It’s medieval, but that’s all we know.” LONG TIME COMING Tarantino is a fan (albeit not a great speller).
M&C Saatchi founders form global ad agency Michael Moszynski and Alan Jarvie, founders of M&C Saatchi’s first overseas office and now its first break-away, have left to launch LONDON, a new type of global advertising agency. adobo magazine’s Angel Guerrero met with Michael Moszynski in Cannes recently. So why the name London?
“It’s about offering London quality strategic and creative thinking to the world. London is a renowned international center of creative excellence; we thought we would own that proposition.” LONDON pioneered a unique working model facilitated by the Internet, from one central headquarters. Through their global partnerships, the agency can “deliver any ad, in any language, anywhere in the world” and claim that in its first five months it “has won clients on every continent.”
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july-august '09
LONDON recently won the global advertising account for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (working in 25 countries including Hong Kong, London and New York). Moszynski explained to adobo, “With digital these days you can do it all in one location. We got a three-legged stool where we have London as the creative agency that comes up with the strategy, account management and creative. We have a production company called, Splash, which can deliver an ad to any media anywhere in the world all from London. And the third leg is is a company called, Textappeal, which has strategic planners and copywriters in every market. With that, we deliver the full service of a traditional agency but deliver it better, cheaper, faster.” In addition to creating quality work for fees 30-percent lower than a network agency, LONDON is the first agency to publish a production cost price list on its website and to guarantee no mark-up charges, resulting in a 50-percent saving to clients.
Mendoza is determined to change that.
“The only thing I can do now as a filmmaker is to make them aware that there’s another way.” Part of the re-education consists of producing and directing movies that go against formula. It’s a painful process, for both audience and filmmaker. Mendoza should know; he has heard it all: “Ang pangit naman, bakit nanalo yan? Ang dilim, bakit ganun? Nakapagraphic. Bakit ang tagal ng shot? Nahihilo na ako sa kamera niya. Nasusuka na ako. (It’s so bad; why did it win? Why is it so dark? Why is the shot so long? His camera-work makes me dizzy. Watching this makes me sick.)” Mendoza is surprisingly forgiving of the audience’s intolerance. “It’s not their fault. You have to make them understand why it’s a long take, why it’s dark and so on….When they understand, then they can accept.” Unfortunately, acceptance will be a long time coming. Mendoza shrugs. “People may not like it. I mean [my films] are not acceptable [to mainstream audiences] now, but I hope that someday, they would go back and see my films in a better light.” In the meantime, he’s planning his next movie. He has his sights on the swamp villages of Dagatdagatan. But first, he has to raise money. It’s a good thing that the poster boy for poverty porn can look forward to Penshoppe's next holiday campaign.
London's Michael Moszynski and Alan Jarvie
newsline The Agency of the Year 2008
LEIGH, LOWE. LOWE, LEIGH…. After months of searching, Lowe Manila has a new ECD. Leigh Reyes—who won the country’s first-ever Gold Clio in 2007, served on the Cannes Radio jury and co-chairs this year’s ARAW Awards—takes on Steve Clay’s old job this July. Prior to Lowe, Reyes was executive creative director at Y&R Philippines. For several years, she was also Basic Advertising’s creative hotshot. According to Y&R President Chiqui Lara, “Leigh told me about her plans to leave more than two weeks ago, but only just made her final decision. It’s a great move for her. We’ve been friends for 21 years and worked together for six. It’s been a great ride.” Lara is now looking for an ECD who is both hardworking and inspiring. (Aren’t we all?) For her part, Lowe Manila CEO Mariles Gustilo told adobo, “I am so pleased to have Leigh on board; her impeccable creative credentials, her new business know-how, her passion for all things interactive are exactly what the agency needs today.” With Reyes partly responsible for wooing a number of Lowe’s clients over to Y&R (not to mention getting two of Y&R’s radio ads shortlisted in the Cannes Lions), Gustilo is probably looking forward to payback time.
By now, agencies have submitted their entries to the Agency of the Year 2008. Run annually by the 4As-P, this year’s competition is chaired by Ogilvy’s Randy Aquino. Media agencies can compete for Media Excellence, with two sub-awards for Business Performance and Media Creativity. Production houses compete for Print, Audio and Broadcast Production House of the Year, as nominated by the Creative Guild. General agencies compete in Management of Business, Creative, Market Performance and Industry Leadership. The plum award, Agency of the Year, is awarded to the Best in Creative finalist who has entered all the categories and received the highest total score.
Gameloft launched official game for Terminator Salvation
Mobile gaming company Gameloft, a leader in branded games for mobile phones and consoles, launched the official game for the film, Terminator Salvation. Developed for the fourth episode of the fan-based Terminator series, Terminator Salvation is the first-ever mobile game to use a dynamic, console-type third person view. Players lead the Resistance in a merciless fight to destroy Skynet and save mankind. Series fanatics gain access to a showdown between the game’s two main heroes, John Connor and Marcus Wright, each with their own strengths and special abilities. In the Philippines, the game is available by download from www.gameloft. com or from the wap-sites of Gameloft’s telecom company-partners.
MVP to own 75% of Philippine Star holding company by yearend
First the name, then the place A long-time resident of Pacific Star, Publicis JimenezBasic moved to the other side of Makati. The agency found its new home at 14/F Solaris One Bldg, 130 Dela Rosa St., Legaspi Village (diagonally behind Rufino Bldg, going towards Makati Med). With their office blessing held last May 15, Publicis JimenezBasic roared to a new beginning, opening doors to more opportunities and more successes. As they say: Change is very, very good.
BusinessWorld reported that magnate Manuel V. Pangilinan—owner of Smart and PLDT, a new director of Meralco, and much-speculated but unannounced future politico—confirms that his investment firm Mediaquest Holdings expects to complete negotiations for 75 percent of Philstar Daily within the year. According to Pangilinan, Star might expand its online presence, and may merge production and marketing operations with BusinessWorld. The two papers would remain editorially separate, however. Members of the Belmonte family, the main owners of Philstar, have told newspapers that MediaQuest’s entry would pave the way for the print group’s entry into the booming world of multimedia. july-august '09
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PHILIPPINES' MOST AWARDED CREATIVES (BASED ON Campaign Brief Asia 2008) ASIA RANK 2008
ASIA RANK 2007
1
59
35
DAVID GUERRERO
BBDO GUERRERO
2
65
39
JOEL LIMCHOC
BBDO GUERRERO
3
71
47
SIMON WELSH
BBDO GUERRERO
4
92
93
JONI CAPAR AS
BBDO GUERRERO
5
121
55
DAVE FERRER
JWT MANIL A
6
122
112
LEIGH REYES
Y&R MANIL A
7
131
130
TRISHA UY
Y&R MANIL A
8
152
142
LITO GEMOR A
O&M MANIL A
9
216
267
BR ANDIE TAN
LOWE VIETNAM
216
245
TIN SANCHEZ
LOWE VIETNAM
234
181
MIKE SICAM
O&M MANIL A
234
198
PIA ROX AS
O&M MANIL A
11
273
524
LOUIE SOTTO
DDB DM9 JAYMESYFU
12
288
107
JOEY ONG
JWT MANIL A
13
360
TIFFANY KING
BBDO GUERRERO
14
392
BADONG ABESAMIS
TBWA\SMP
15
404
MELVIN MANGADA
TBWA\SMP
16
422
JOE DY
JWT MANIL A
422
MICH UY
BBDO GUERRERO
17
446
ANGEL A ARCHES
TBWA\SMP
18
474
GOGIE SINSON
DDB DM9 JAYMESYFU
19
604
ROGER PE
FREEL ANCE, MANIL A
20
625
K AR A BAUTISTA
JWT MANIL A
21
631
R AY VILL ACARLOS
LOWE MANIL A
22
643
RYAN RUBILL AR
TBWA\SMP
23
685
ALNAIR L ANGK AY
O&M MANIL A
685
EVANS SATOR
TBWA\SMP
753
MANNY DEL ROSARIO
O&M MANIL A
753
SAR AH KO
O&M MANIL A
767
ALL AN ALMEDA
LOWE MANIL A
767
GABBY ALCA Z AREN
LOWE MANIL A
767
GARY ALMANTE
BBDO GUERRERO
767
NOEL BERMEJO
LOWE MANIL A
767
REY TIEMPO
BBDO GUERRERO
767
RONNIE AMADOR
DDB DM9 JAYMESYFU
813
ALI SIL AO
TBWA\SMP
813
CAROL ONG
BBH SHANGHAI
887
DORK Y MALL ARE
O&M MANIL A
887
HERBERT HERNANDEZ
DDB DM9 JAYMESFYU
887
LIZ ANNE SARMIENTO
JWT MANIL A
887
PATRICK BUCHANAN
BBDO GUERRERO
887
RICHIE PEREZ
JWT MANIL A
887
ROSENE SANTOS
OGILV YONE MANIL A
28
943
MAUI REYES
BBDO GUERRERO
29
970
DERRICK PERIODICO
Y&R MANIL A
970
JAY SANTIAGO
Y&R MANIL A
970
MARCO DIMA ANO
Y&R MANIL A
30
992
ALL AN MONTAYRE
DDB DM9 JAYMESYFU
31
1077
DINDO VILL AESTER
BBDO GUERRERO
10
24
25
26
27
NAME
AGENCY
The much-awaited, much-debated Campaign Brief Asia 2008 creative rankings for Manila are here. Compiled by regional publication Campaign Brief Asia, the rankings measure awards performance in Asian and global shows, assigning points per winner and finalist. Issued at the start of June, this is already moving after Cannes Lions ’09, and will do so again after the London International Awards in July, Spikes in September and so on. But that’s for next year. For now, BBDO Guerrero holds the top agency spot, for the 4th time. It is the only agency to be on top since the rankings began. The top three remain unchanged (BBDO, JWT, O&M), while DM9 JaymeSyfu moved up to 4th position, TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno went one slot down to 5th. New to the ranking are Leo Burnett and Publicis JimenezBasic.
The Philippines is ranked no.7 in Asia’s most creative countries, below Mainland China but above Hong Kong.
For creatives, the top four slots went to BBDO creatives David, Joel, Simon and Joni, followed by Dave Ferrer (JWT) and Leigh Reyes (Y&R at time of ranking). Creatives from O&M and DM9 JaymeSyfu Manila also made the top chart. Most of the movement took place on the lower rungs, where we find many new names that we should be hearing from next year.
ASIA'S TOP 10 R ANKING POINTS
NAME
AGENCY
1
1036
ADRIAN CHAN
O&M SINGAPORE
2
1010
RICHARD COPPING
SA ATCHI & SA ATCHI SINGAPORE
3
995
Ashidiq GHA Z ALI
BBH SINGAPORE
4
965
SOMPAT TRISADIKUN
LEO BURNETT BANGKOK
5
943
TROY LIM
O&M SINGAPORE
6
941
ERIC YEO
O&M SINGAPORE
7
861
NOR ANIT YASOPA
LEO BURNETT BANGKOK
8
829
PIPAT
LEO BURNETT
UR APORN
BANGKOK
9
816
JAGDISH R AMAKRISHNAN
BBDO SINGAPORE
10
798
SUTHISAK SUCHARITTANONTA
BBDO SINGAPORE
Where the numbers come from The rankings are compiled by regional magazine Campaign Brief Asia. They measure winners and finalists at eight shows: Cannes, D&AD, The One Show, Clio, ADFEST, Spikes Asia, AWARD and The Work. Design and Craft international awards are not included, nor are any Asian local shows like Kidlat or Araw. London International Awards will be counted starting next year. Rankings and agency are based on awards won over the past two years. If an ad came out three years ago but was awarded within the last two years, it ’s still counted and the creative is still listed with that agency.
Campaign Brief 2008 rankings for Manila
BBDO Guerrero, JWT and O&M
are the top award-winning agencies
“It just comes as a humbling reminder that we can never take success for granted. And we know we’ll have to work twice as hard to stay there in future. The year has been tough and it’s more important than ever to stay focused on doing the things that will really make a difference.”
#1 BBDO Guerrero
David Guerrero Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Guerrero
PHILIPPINES' TOP 10 CREATIVE AGENCIES (BASED ON CAMPAIGN BRIEF ASIA 2008) ASIA RANK 2008
ASIA RANK 2007
ASIA RANK 2006
AGENCY
1
24
17
21
BBDO GUERRERO
2
35
26
47
JWT MANIL A
3
40
28
50
OGILV Y & MATHER MANIL A
4
58
104
5
60
58
58
TBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO
6
66
67
126
Y&R MANIL A
7
95
113
86
LEO BURNETT MANIL A
8
132
131
9
135
133
10
150
DDB DM9 JAYMESYFU
JIMENEZBASIC 88
LOWE MANIL A CAMPAIGNS & GREY MANIL A
“It’s been quite challenging given our deliberate efforts to further strengthen effectiveness measures while keeping the creative standards high. We are very proud of our crew and this achievement considering the many operational limitations and realities that they have to contend with. Things around us are changing so fast and some of the things we hold sacred no longer apply so we just have to keep raising the bar for ourselves.” #3 O&M
#2 JWT Manila Phew! After a very tough year, glad we're still in the running. It would be interesting how the rest of the year, up to the next Cannes will pay out. Dave Ferrer Executive Creative Director JWT Manila
Randy Aquino Head of Country Ogilvy & Mather Philippines
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movers PJB welcomes new creative directors
Creative directors Lawin Bulatao, formerly of online specialist DentsuIndio, and longtime Lowe creative director Ricky Aragon, joined Publicis JimenezBasic Known for the priority it gives to family life, PJB is a stark contrast to Lawin’s previous shop, which keeps typical online hours. Though Dentsu regional tried to keep him in the network, in the end work/family balance won out. It is a return to roots for Lawin, who worked at Basic before it merged with Jimenez & Partners in the 1990s. For his part, the low-profile Aragon recently worked on accounts including Alaska and Fita.
Pris Santos joins Publicis Manila as Chief Strategy Officer
Publicis Manila announced the appointment of Pris Santos as chief strategy officer. Considered one of the country’s top strategists, Pris was formerly a regional planner on Unilever for Lowe, and has worked in Jakarta and Bangkok. She began her career in Basic, before moving to JWT and Lowe in Manila. Also within Publicis, Tattess Ocampo has been promoted to head of Accounts & New Business.
Y&R moves its soldiers to the Fort
Y&R Philippines announces its new office address: 9th Flr., Marajo Tower, 26th St., Bonifacio Global City. Key landmarks for food-focused industry people: UCC Café and McDonald’s. For our foreign readers, the Fort is a posh, gleaming business district built on sprawling grounds that once belonged to the Philippine Armed Forces.
New team at TBWA\Asia-Pacific
Alain Rhone, Omnicom’s regional CFO, rejoined TBWA as chief operating officer for Asia-Pacific. Philip Brett moved up to president of Southeast Asia but maintains his responsibilities as chairman of TBWA Tequila\Singapore and regional managing director of Tequila\Asia Pacific. Darren Jackson, formerly financial controller Asia-Pacific, was promoted to chief financial officer for the region. Ian Thubron, currently executive vice-president TBWA\Asia-Pacific, is also tasked to help grow TBWA Global clients in the region and to coordinate new business support with the agency’s global network. Thubron continues his responsibilities as chief executive officer for TBWA\Hong Kong. Rhone, Brett, Jackson, and Thubron report to Keith Smith, president of international at TBWA Worldwide.
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Start Spreading the News, The NYF International Advertising Awards Show Comes to Manila New York! New York! The Big Apple comes to town and adobo magazine invites you to take the first bite. The World Tour of the 2009 New York Festivals International Advertising Awards Show—The World’s Best Advertising happens in Manila on Thursday, July 23, 2009 at The Establishment, The Fort at the Bonifacio Global City, at 7 p.m. NYF President Michael O’Rourke is the Guest of Honor. Manila kicks off in Asia after its Chicago debut. The tour includes Shanghai, Santiago de Chile, Mumbai, Madrid and ends in New York. Southeast Asian winners and finalists of the NYF will don their party best on the day as they come to claim their coveted awards. To provide the perfect backdrop to the event, the School of Fashion and the Arts (SoFA) will rock up the catwalk a la Sex and the City. Jazz and blues crooner and Awit-awardee Skarlet will end the night on a high note.
DDB Philippines
Press Restart
“We have a unique culture, based on creativity and humanity. We unleash brands, and unleash people.” So says recent Manila visitor Craig Lonnee, regional talent MD of DDB Asia-Pacific. A former suit, Lonnee is part of a team that travels the region “DDB-izing” offices and bringing diverse local organizations up to speed with DDB’s proprietary tools and ways of working. In both Manila and Shanghai, spacious open-plan offices with spectacular views have come to symbolize the new wind blowing through the network. With modules for everything from brainstorming to business reporting, and a global education program called Catalyst, OneDDB is one serious effort. On this visit, the highlight was a seminar on new digital thinking, run by Amanda King and Dirk Eschenbacher, the Asia-Pacific heads of TribalDDB. But just as important as shared acronyms is a shared heritage. Globally, DDB is known as the powerhouse that created “Wazzup” and tops effectiveness competitions with boring regularity. But its creative reputation is less well-known in Asia, even with hot shops like DM9 JaymeSyfu regularly turning up at award shows.
Thus, part of Lonnee’s task to remind employees where the “B” in DDB came from: Bill Bernbach, the legendary creative who changed the industry with his ads for Volkswagen. Also in the DNA is the less known yet equally brilliant Keith Reinhardt, who created “You Deserve a Break” for McDonald’s. Those are big shoes for any network to fill. But both McDonald’s and Volkswagen are still DDB clients; Volkswagen’s director of global Craig Lonee Regional Talent Management Director DDB Asia Pacific
marketing thanked DDB from the stage while accepting the Advertiser of the Year award at Cannes. DDB Brasil was voted Agency of the Year, with DDB Istanbul ranked no. 3, and TribalDDB won the Grand Prix for Film. Clearly, for this network gold is more than just the Pantone on their calling card. For its part, DDB Philippines is coming off a run of locally popular ads—“Ako Mismo”, “Burger Burger” and “First Love” for McDo—and coveted new business wins. But that local acclaim has yet to translate into global awards. Can world seminars, a spectacular new home and the confidence of local acclaim turn a Smart, effective agency into a globally creative one? We’ll find out at the Ad Congress. (That’s their client too, by the way.)
21st Philippine Advertising Congress November 18-21, 2009, Baguio City adcon.com.ph • 8177724 • 8186113 to 58
Media, marketing and digital as well as creative
15 speakers confirmed for Adcongress A futurist and a Death merchant will be kicking off this year’s Ad Congress, according to a speakers’ list released by the AdCon programs committee on the site. Plenary speakers John Naisbitt and BJ Cunningham lead this year’s speakers, aside of course from Keynote Speaker Fernando Zobel de Ayala. But whichever part of the industry you’re in, you’ll find at least one mind-blowing speaker from the list below. The topics are tentative, but give you an idea of which breakout tracks to prioritize. PLENARY SPEAKERS Predictions for the future, post global meltdown JOHN NAISBITT Author, Megatrends and Megatrends 2000
NICK MOORE EVP, Chief Creative Officer, Wunderman The argument for CSR in a down economy MIKE SCHALIT Founding Partner Network BBDO Getting creative on digital
John Naisbitt
MARKETING
LINDA KOVARIK Regional Creative Director, Coca-Cola DATUK TONY FERNANDES CEO, Air Asia Marketing to today’s youth generation SANDY AGARWAL Director for Asia Pacific, Nokia MARK INKSTER GM for South East Asia, Online Services Business, Microsoft Marketing to kids ANDREW KINGHAM Managing Director, The Marketing Store JEREMY CARR VP, Cartoon Network DIGITAL Creative and metrics that matter in the new social media environment
MEDIA
TONY WRIGHT President and CEO, LOWE Worldwide Media strategy planning BERNHARD GLOCK VP Global Media and Communication, P&G
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21st PAC Organizers (from L to R): Allen Velez, Mayor Peter Rey Bautista, Margot Torres and Jones Campos at the press conference for Baguio City media last June 11, 2009
Creating opportunities amidst the global crisis
Creative work that travels
Creative strategy planning
The Media Araw
Comes Clean, and Green
RICHARD FRASER Regional Managing Director, Proximity Asia
KENTARO KIMURA Co-CEO, Creative Director, and Account Planner, Hakuhodo KETTLE, Inc, Japan
New this year
The 21st Philippine Advertising Congress
BJ CUNNINGHAM Branding and Brand Marketing Expert CREATIVE Creating Conversations, not Ads
Introduced this year, the MEDIA ARAW awards creative use of media, as judged by media experts, creative directors and marketers. Best Use of Media will be awarded for various media, including ambient (large-scale and small), special events and stunts, digital and sponsorship. Best Use of Mixed Media will judge campaigns across three media or more. The category was created for media agencies, but anyone is free to join who is willing to be judged according to media guidelines. Visit adcon.com.ph for entry details and forms.
Pacific
VISHNU MOHAN Chief Excutive Officer Havas Digital Asia
The future of Internet and its new role in advertising and marketing PETER PEZ ARIS Founder and CEO, Multiply.com IAN STEWART Head of Asia, Friendster
Anticipating the concerns of Baguio locals on the 5,000-plus AdCon transients trampling on the host City, 21st PAC Over-all Chair Margot Torres addressed the matter during a local presscon organized by the PR and Publicity Committee last June 11. The 21st PAC organizers plan to perk up the 21st PAC with a Clean and Green rally that includes a symbolic tree-planting activity with the Camp John Hay administration and with Fernando Zobel de Ayala of the Ayala Foundation. The initiative supports Baguio City Mayor Peter Rey Bautista’s efforts at reforestation. Mindful of mounds of paper waste that is the norm of any exhibit, the 21st PAC plans to provide flash drives and soft copies of all exhibitor materials instead. For a totally healthy AdCon, designated buses and shuttles will ply routes between venues during the congress. AdCon private cars will be contained and parking areas will be specified. “We might even get to use electric jeepneys,” Mayor Peter Rey added. Plans to deploy horse-drawn carts to ferry the five-day visitors are being drawn up. “Don’t worry, Venues Chair Allen Velez has portalets for the horses,” Torres kidded. Of the AdBoard’s efforts however, Torres is serious. “That’s the AdBoard’s way of making up for the carbon footprint the AdCongress will bring to the City,” she added. Of course, walking is preferable, rain or shine. While savoring the cool mountain air, one can always stop to smell the flowers.
movers Fresh creative talents join BBH Asia Pacific
Singapore - Adrian Chan, who was named Asia’s hottest creative recently by Campaign Brief Asia, joined BBH Asia Pacific as senior art director along with four more young creatives: Elena Fletcher (senior copywriter), Lauren Tan (art director), Daniel Ko (copywriter), Janson Choo (art director). “It’s always good to shake things up and these guys will certainly do that. It’s also a signal from BBH that we are constantly open to getting the freshest thinkers in the business and applying their particular and unusual talents to what we do,” said Steve Elrick, regional executive creative director of BBH Asia Pacific.
Grey Beijing names new Managing Director
Beijing - Ivan Yuen joins Grey Beijing as managing director, following the resignation of Tammy Sheu, who will pursue new challenges outside of the network. Yuen comes with 20 years of experience in communications. his China venture commenced in 2000 when he moved to Saatchi & Saatchi Guangzhou, as group account director on local clients. Subsequently, he was transferred to Saatchi & Saatchi Shanghai as director of Client Services and deputy general manager. After a short deviation back to Hong Kong on the client side, Yuen returned to China in 2005 as general manager of DDB Shanghai. In 2007, Yuen was recruited to lead the Intel business at McCann Erickson Beijing, as senior vice president and demand team leader of over 40 members.
Richard Irvine bids Beacon Communications sayonara
Tokyo - Just over a year after joining Beacon Communications as executive creative director, Richard Irvine says goodbye. His brief stint at the agency helped earn the Promo Lions Grand Prix for Yubari Resort at the recent Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. Irvine plans to relocate to France and take a 12-month sabbatical. Prior to joining Beacon Communications, Irvine was a beloved member of the Philippine advertising community where he was chief creative officer of Leo Burnett Manila for over a decade.
Lowe Thailand head retires
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Bangkok – Steve Gatfield, chief executive officer of Lowe Worldwide, announced the retirement of Charuvarn Vanasin, chairman of Lowe Thailand, by end of June. But her relationship with Lowe will continue in her new role of Chairman Emeritus. During her tenure at Lowe, the agency’s creative reputation has flourished both locally and internationally. Last year, Lowe Thailand was the most successful Thai agency at Cannes. This year, Lowe Thailand was ranked among the top ten agencies in Asia by Campaign Brief Asia magazine. Vanasin said, “I have worked with so many wonderful people at Lowe Worldwide. I would like to thank them all and I look forward to remaining part of the Lowe family.” july-august '09
Mark My (Published) Word
The Asian Publishing Convention Comes to Town
Frederick Saurat
Make money, save money and sharpen skills, the Asian Publishing Convention (APC) is gearing up to accomplish the task from July 16 to 17 in our own backyard. The numbers don’t lie. Thirty-six speakers, presenters and moderators from nine countries across Asia, Europe and the U.S in more than four plenary sessions. Seventeen countries and 81 organizations, 205 delegates and counting, from 17 countries. So far, the APC 2009 appears it might just top its numbers from last year. On July 17, winners from 74 entries from nine countries and 44 organization will received their Excellence Awards from the 3rd Asian Multimedia Publishing Awards. To whet the appetite, the APC offers three pre-convention sessions with leading experts on July 15 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, as follows: “The Science of Coaching with EQ” by Dr. Dups de los Reyes, managing director of RAdelosReyes Management Consultancy; “How to Save Newspapers Regarding Decrease in Ad Revenue and Readers” by Frederick Saurat, CEO of The TMS Way; “The Future of Print Publishing in Multimedia Publishing” by Gary Gopinathan, CMTO/Director of BIZITMEDIA Consulting Pty. Ltd.
Gary Gopinathan
INTERNATIONAL Andrew Duck • Executive Director, Quiqcorp Limited (New Zealand) Steve Garton • Executive Director, Media, Synovate Ltd. (Hong Kong) Gary Gopinathan • BIZITMEDIA Consulting Pte. Ltd. (Australia) Erik Hartmann • Strategic Partner Development Manager, Google (Singapore) Joerg Krahnert • Director of Business Development, APAC Region, Netbiscuits (Singapore) Mark Laudi, CEO • Hong Bao Media Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) Sophia Liao • Managing Director, Conde Nast Interculture Group Taiwan (Taiwan) Doreen Liu • Co-founder & Managing Director, World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd. (Singapore) Raju Mandhyan • President, Inner Sun Consultants (India) Abraham Mathew • President, CyberMedia (India) Allein Moore • CEO/Publisher, BluePrint Media Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) Deepika Nikhilender • Partner - Business Planning, Asia Pacific, Mindshare (Singapore) Frederick Saurat • CEO, The TMS Way (Hong Kong) Chris Schaumann • Global Advertising & Digital Lead, Asia Pacific & Greater China Region, W W CMG, Microsoft Corporation (Singapore) Andrew Smart • Director, Fairfax Business Media (Singapore) Chris Stevens • Global Account Manager, Swiss Post International (Switzerland) Joanne Teoh • Senior Producer, Mediacorp (Singapore) Philippines Dominador Buhain • President of ASEAN Book Publishers Association Joel Christopher • President & CEO, MasterListBuilder.com Rene Domingo • Professor, Asian Institute of Management Patricia Go • Corporate Communications Director, JG Summit Holdings, Inc. Dondi Gomez • Vice President, Marketing, Jollibee Dr. Dennis Gonzales • Chairman, National Book Development Board Donald Lim • Internet & Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines Gabby Lopez • Chairman and COO, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. Lizelle Maralag • Managing Director, Starcom Worldwide Arthur Policarpio • President, Internet & Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines Dr. Rodolfo “Dups” de los Reyes • Managing Director, R. A. de los Reyes Management Consultancy Ardy Roberto • CEO, Salt & Light Ventures Eric Villarama • Creative Director, Creative Thinking-Mind Mapping Visit www.publishingconvention.com for additional information.
MANILA DESIGN WEEK 2009
READY TO MOVE High Street and G reenbelt as the centers for all events designed for the novices and the general public; underground favorite Cubao X , for music and motion graphic enthusiasts, and S M mall of A sia for the annual G raphika Manila conference.
August 8-15 2009 www.maniladesignweek.com
Alviar says that it ’s all about fusion. Manila Design Week 2009 promotes collaboration of artists in all fields of design, with each day showcasing a different theme. Indeed, the programme is geared for the graphic designer, the ever yday
individual, and the client; for the creative industr y and the corporate world. If it becomes a success, Alviar adds, “ the fusion, collaboration and celebration of the Manila Design Week will all point to one essential truth: Graphic Design moves.”
Long relegated to the fringes, Philippine graphic designers of all ages and persuasions are finally demanding their share of the spotlight with Manila Design Week 2009. The first of its kind in the country, its organizers are determined to make Filipinos recognize the role of graphic design in mainstream culture. With the help of internationally known designers, Manila Design Week may even establish the Philippines as a major hub for graphic design and creativity in the region. S cheduled for August, the week long festival takes place in four or more popular venues in the metropolis. Jowee A lviar, one of Manila Design Week ’s main proponents (as well as one of the stars of graphic design hotshop Team Manila) identifies B onifacio
IDEASXMACHINA NEXT-GEN CDs OPEN THEIR OWN SHOP Welcome a new shop to agency row. Two-award-winning CDs and a BTL expert have set up IDEASXMACHINA to create "ingenious" work—starting with a 2010 Presidential campaign. "If we give him a strong fight and he wins, we win too, big time. We are excited for what we have created for him," says iXm's Third Domingo. Formerly of Publicis JimenezBasic, Domingo set up iXm with partners Evans Sator (most recently of Leo Burnett Vietnam), and business head Florence Santos-Reyes. The shop plans to "move people by devising ingenious communication system," with a clear eye on both turnaround and cost. Other clients include The Philippine Star, Powerboooks and up-and-coming FMCG FoodFlow.
Graphika Manila and other design events GR APHIK A MANIL A The graphic communit y is already a-buzz with news of Stefan Sagmeister, a living god of Design, by most accounts, attending as a speaker at Graphika Manila. But there’s more to Manila Design Week than this artist, designer, ad director and man-about-world. Other speakers include Industrial Light and Magic’s Christian Alzmann, Springboard director Pancho Esguerra and Mark Mendoza and Ever y where We Shoot’s Ryan & Garovs.
PUBLIC ART Set in Bonifacio High Street, Manila Design Week starts with this live art demonstration by top graffiti artists and illustrators, on the theme “Preser ving the Environment.” After wards, the showcased tarps will be converted into different merchandise to be sold by charitable organizations. CREATIVE COLL ABOR ATION Visual and wearable art comes together as make-up artists, st ylists, photographers, fashion designers and graphic artists create images for fashion editorials in different publications. DESIGN DIALOGUE A gathering of individuals from different fields of graphic design discussing its potential of graphic design in communication CUBAO EXPERIENCE Celebrating the culture of independent films, music videos and motion graphics, exhibits (and hopefully, a block party) showcase the retrospective of Furball, Inc. and other Filipino pioneers in this field.
Stefan Sagmeister
FUTURE DESIGN: STUDENT EXHIBIT An exhibit and assembly of young talents from different schools and communities to introduce them to the culture of Design.
120,000 tags distributed at
AKO MISMO Dog Tag Day When today’s young people want something, they really want it. If they want change as much as they wanted their AKO MISMO Dog Tags, the Philippine government should be quaking in its tiny shoes. An estimated 25,000 people, mostly in their teens and twenties, spent Independence Day at the Global City Open Field, lining up to personally get their hands on the Dog Tags. It was a telling contrast to an old-style protest rally the day before, which went out with a whimper despite the seriousness of its cause. (Or perhaps because of it.) Featured in the popular TV ad, the PhP40 accessory— a youthful version of the cause ribbons, symbolizing a personal commitment to change — served as an entrance ticket to a field of charity booths and a free evening concert featuring top bands. Lines had formed even before the gates opened at 2pm; by evening, about 120,000 tags had been sold, despite a limit of five tags per person. Funds went to the day’s 11 charity beneficiaries, including the organization of “Kariton teacher” Efren Penaflorida, Jr.
“My hero,” says Susan Dimacali of DDB, the ad agency that created and steers AKO MISMO via its socialresponsibility arm DDB Cares. Dimacali and DDB ECD Teeny Gonzales were personally involved in the event. Also present that evening was PLDT/SMART magnate Manny V. Pangilinan, with other top officers of the telco conglomerate. Together with McDonald’s and Pepsi, the PLDT/ SMART Foundation is a key sponsor of AKO MISMO — a fact which has led to controversy from observers who draw connections between the movement and Pangilinan’s still-unstated political aspirations. In a sure sign of success, the dog tags were being scalped on the day itself— PhP40 tags were sold at PhP150 to people who didn't feel like lining up— and fake ones have shown up in public markets. DDB's official supplier has apparently turned away nearly PhP20 million in "unofficial" orders. Some say that profiteering from a charity effort is capitalism at its best—Ako mismo ang kikita—but happily the fans themselves have panned the profiteers, saying that they contradict the spirit of the effort. The tour goes national in July, with shows planned in Cebu and Davao. But simply by so will 120,000 tags translate to 120,000 people taking concrete action? With over 187,000 commitments on the site so far, we can only hope so. The crowds of Dog Tag Day prove that a well-expressed idea with some pop culture gloss can go a long way. Simply by getting the future of the country to line up and show up, AKO MISMO has proven that it’s worth watching.
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movers Interpublic Group and Lowe Worldwide announces management developments
New York – Lowe Worldwide announced a number of significant developments in its senior management team. Michael Wall, formerly with Fallon London, is Lowe’s new global CEO; while Steve Gatfield, whose three-year appointment as CEO of Lowe Worldwide is ending, steps into a part-time role as Interpublic Group (IPG) EVP, as envisioned in his agreement with the holding company when he took the Lowe post. Wright and Wall will work as partners in leading Lowe, and both will report directly to Roth. The two will also be part of the agency’s newly formed Management Committee, together with Kevin Allen (vice chairman and head of business development), Matthew Bull (chief creative officer), Hugh Doherty (chief financial officer), Joy Hamlyn (global HR director) and Bert Moore (chief strategy officer).
Novellone named new head of Burnett Central and Eastern Europe
Warsaw – Leo Burnett has named Nicola Novellone as chairman and CEO of Central and Eastern Europe. Now managing director and New Business director of Leo Burnett Milan, Novellone is based in Warsaw and become a member of the agency’s Global Leadership Council. He takes over for JarekZiebinski, who now leads the Asia-Pacific excluding China. Prior to becoming managing director of LB Milan in 2001, Novellone led the growth of the agency’s Fiat business in Europe, and later Latin America. He returned to Italy in 1999 as managing director of LB Rome, where he was based until moving to Milan.
Tim Love is Omnicom Asia Pacific’s new CEO
New York - Omnicom Group Inc. has announced the appointment of Tim Love as chief executive officer of Omnicom’s Asia Pacific India Middle East Africa (APIMA) operations, effective July 1. In his new role Love, who remains a vice chairman of Omnicom Group, succeeds Michael Birkin, Omnicom Group vice chairman and Asia Pacific chairman and CEO, who is leaving to take a majority interest in RPMC, a US based events company with offices in London and Los Angeles. At the same time, Serge Dumont, is promoted to president, Omnicom APIMA and chairman Asia Pacific.
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Out-of-home media with legs — or rather, wheels. If you see these jeepneys in the Makati or Ortigas CBDs, hop on! Launched May 25, the bright orange vehicles are sponsored by Abbott Labs’ vitamin brand Cecon, as a memorable way to promote their message of healthy living inside and out. All of them are special "LPJeepneys", whose polluting diesel engines have been converted to run on cleaner, more efficient LPG. The conversion is part of Formula Juan, an advocacy program organized by Bates141, with Maxus, the World Wildlife Fund, SEO Brand, and the Japanese NGO Ecos. Watch for more Formula Juan jeepneys from other sponsors soon. Thousands visit the June affair that is the Graphic Expo. A convergence of multimedia craft and technology, the event is an explosion of color, design and text that elicits delight every year. The 14th Graphic Expo “Creativity Amidst Downturn” went on despite the downpour. The show always goes on.
newbizpitches JWT gets golden assignment from San Miguel
Jos Ortega, CEO of JWT Manila, announced that San Miguel Brewery has assigned the Gold Eagle beer business to JWT. The decades-old but not widely promoted brand was previously handled by Publicis JimenezBasic. After many years of managing Red Horse Beer, JWT can now count two of SMB’s brands in its portfolio.
Can this ad make consumers turn Red?
Neuron joins Metrobank roster of agencies
Carat wins Honda Civic, Smoke-Free Manila media
Carat Philippines’ Cookie Bartolome announced that the agency has won the Honda Civic media business, in a pitch against media:edge and Brand Media Ideas. The media independent also won the the World Lung Foundation’s “SmokeFree Manila” campaign, in a pitch against Vizeum and Touch DDB.
Chief Creative Officer, Creative Director: Merlee Jayme Creative Director, Copywriter: Louie Sotto Associate Creative Director, Art Director:Herbert Hernandez Accounts: Alex Syfu,Ronald Barreiro, Caloy Sambrano Producer: Jem Lim Director: Mark Querubin Production House: 88 Storey
The newbie network provider boasts of double the cell sites versus the third most established network in the Philippines. According to Jayme, coming in as a fourth player is a very difficult task. “The market is saturated, and everyone has their preferred brand by now. You can’t convince someone to carry around three phones at this point.
So you hope they switch their secondary line. And the only way to do that is to show you offer the better service,” she said. Will this campaign be enough to make subscribers switch to Red? Perhaps not, but it’s certainly making the people at Sun turn a crimson shade. SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT
Campaigns & Grey hotshop Neuron has been awarded a project by Metrobank following a pitch. “Neuron’s creativity impressed client enough to make the agency one of the bank’s accredited marketing communications companies,” said Campaigns head Yoly Ong.
Faithful to their first series of ads, Red highlights the inconvenience of a spotty signal. Their second installment, though, is more literal. Instead of a mobile phone, an actual person is portrayed as the handset. “Idea from launch materials has always been people as phones. The idea is skewed toward insufficient coverage which competition still suffers from. And curiously, the reaction of users to this day is to adjust one’s phone, position, angle in the hopes of getting a better signal,” explains Merlee Jayme, chief creative officer of DM9 JaymeSyfu. The TVC “Bossing” starts with a boss scolding a man inside a car. Then the boss stops in midsentence. The employee immediately stops the car, takes his boss out, and repositions him in search for a better signal.
RocketScience breaks MyPhone campaign, wins three new Robinsons projects
Independent agency RocketScience broke a campaign for MyPhone, a mobile phone brand owned by the Solid Corp. (local distributors of Sony and Samsung and owners of My Destiny cable and internet). The agency pitched in early May, was awarded the account the week after, and launched that same month. RocketScience has also been awarded three new assignments from client Robinson’s Land: The Amisa property in Cebu; The Gateway Residences at Pioneer and The Sonata Private Residences in Pasig City.
MasterCard gets more with McCann Erickson Singapore
Singapore MasterCard recently launched a McCann Erickson Singaporedeveloped strategic marketing campaign, “Get More for Less with MasterCard” (Great Singapore Sale) to target the style-forward but cost-conscious Great Singapore Sale shopper. Following the launch, initial results are showing that the campaign is already beginning to reap concrete benefits, with Singaporean MasterCard cardholders spending US$26.3 million during the first weekend of the Great Singapore Sale (May 29 – 31, 2009), an increase of seven percent versus the same period last year (May 23 – 25, 2008).
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Bacolod’s Biggest OOH Media Myra 300 E has the 84 x 72 feet Billboard, probably the BiGGEST in VisMin area. The major avenue of Negros Occidental connecting the North and the South is fast becoming a haven for Outdoor Advertisers. The business district of Bacolod, Lacson Street, Mandalagan, is THE PERFECT SITE for Out-Of-Home advertising. Bring your products to your provincial consumers. Steel Art Billboards, Inc., one of the leading Outdoor Advertising Company in Visayas and Mindanao, has a large inventory of strategic billboard sites in key provincial cities. Inquire now at (0917) 3000.840 or log on to www.steelart.ph for more information.
newbizpitches Carat wins global Nokia media
Global - Nokia has reportedly appointed Carat to handle its global US$450 million media planning and buying account. For most of Asia, the change is effective third quarter of 2009; India, the Middle East and North Africa will move later. In a press statement, Nokia’s global head of Marketing, Pekka Rantala, said, “We were looking for a partner that offered digital media excellence to accelerate Nokia’s move into solutions marketing. We believe that innovation will be an important component to improve the effectiveness of media communications in the future. Carat will add value especially in strategic planning and offer strong digital capabilities,” Rantala said.
and built from scratch with the help of expert friends, the owners tore down walls and linoleum floors to construct a modern backdrop that completely concealed wall and floor corners and edges for a continuous curving illusion. “We did the research and the studio has never failed to impress our clients. We knew the demand for a studio was starting to mushroom and we put our experiences together to service consumer and media demand. It’s a boutique studio. Business with character,” says Katya.
One Pioneer step, major industry leap It is in their blood. Carrying the Guerrero family name, sisters Katya and Tanya were exposed to the worlds of photography, the visual arts and the publishing business from childhood. Both women are married to photographers: Katya to At Maculangan, one of the country’s noted photographers, and Tanya to Daemon Becker, an uprooted NY photographer transplanted onto Philippine soil. Initially meant to function as their husband’s studios, the former fastfood warehouse facility eventually transformed into Pioneer Studios, a photographers’ hub offering state-of-theart physical space and dressing room amenities. Planned
Next on the agenda, the sisters plan to manage freelance photographers and other talents. In the Philippines the photographer handles aspects beyond photography like post-production and location scouting that may be timeconsuming, but manageable with supporting logistics, like an office or personnel. “In the US, it’s unheard of. Everything is unionized; everyone is protected. Here it’s like the Wild West, still. We want to help by handling communications on the financial end, like invoicing, licensing, the right to use their images, even collection. To offload the business end to let photographers [just] shoot,” Tanya adds. As Pioneer Studios goes through its freshman year, Katya and Tanya Guerrero are already studying phase two: the photographer as professionals, creating the art and business of photography for a greater good. www.pioneerstudios.ph. 123 Pioneer Street. Tel: +63 2 632 7683
The 16th National PRSP Congress
Pursuing Reforms and Meeting the Social Change Challenge The constant dripping of water changes a stone’s physiognomy. Nature provides the means for change, a constant reminder that change is necessary. To shake smart, perhaps stubborn, individuals out of their shelter, the Public Relations Society of the Philippines dedicates its 16th National Congress to “The Social Change Challenge. PR: Pursuing Reforms” scheduled September 10 to 11 at the Manila Hotel. Thematic and timely, the PRSP believe the catalysts of change are individuals that work toward necessary challenges. PR practitioners must explore roles as corporate sensor, conscience, communicators and monitors that can influence peers, corporations and government for the greater good of the country. Early bird rate of P6 thousand and special 5+1 group package available until July 31. Contact prcongress.prsp@yahoo.com or FA X +63 2 638 0012 for additional information.
Epson picks JWT for South, Southeast Asia branding
Singapore – Epson chose JWT Singapore over five other agencies to run their regional branding campaign (covering South and Southeast Asia). There was no incumbent. “We look forward to partnering with Epson to consolidate and streamline their regional marketing communication efforts,” said Angus Fraser, managing director, JWT Singapore. “We plan to leverage our regional knowledge to take Epson to the next level.” “We invited five agencies for this pitch and we felt that JWT’s comprehensive and creative approach made the best sense for us. We were impressed with the passion and commitment displayed by the JWT team,” said Vincent Sim, senior manager, Marcom and PR of Epson Singapore Pte Ltd.
OMD Singapore wins Sentosa
Singapore – OMD Singapore has recently won the assignment to handle all media duties for Sentosa Leisure Group (SLG), the company that manages and promotes Singapore’s premier island resort. While OMD had already managed most of the media, the account had been shared with AGI Communications and ZenithOptimedia. OMD Singapore’s portfolio will include both on- and offline media duties, and includes regional media placements.
ICON wins PR for BreadTalk brands
Singapore– After a closeddoor pitch, Singaporebased lifestyle company BreadTalk Group Ltd. has chosen ICON International Communications as its PR partner. The PR agency will provide communications support for the company’s brands, including BreadTalk boutique bakeries and café chain Toast Box (both represented in the Philippines), Taiwanese soup dumpling mecca Din Tai Fung and the Food Republic chain of food courts. july-august '09
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"What I really want to do is direct." In the case of many ad people, the cliché is all too true. That’s lucky for indie film festival Cinemalaya. Since its earliest days, Cinemalaya has helped many an agency/production drone to realize his celluloid (now, digital) dreams. Today, it has become a visionary brand that helps sustain the local indie film scene. This year, the festival also celebrates its five years of existence with Cinemalaya V (read Cinemalaya Cinco), set for July 17-21 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Having already created two award-winning Cinemalaya ads, Lilit Reyes (former ECD at It has also become a Blackpencil/Leo Burnett) was tapped again to do more. In true indie spirit, his ads were short films, distributed virally. “In this age of new media, we’re using YouTube, word of mouth, blogging, and [social networking],” says Reyes.
Festival Committee with filmmakers in competition
CINEMALAYA V
The Little Festival That Could Blackpencil helped Reyes rope in friends from production like Abracadabra, Provill, UGL and HIT, to create three short films as well as two 30-second ads. Buencamino was his usual direct self, describing his support as, “Challenging. We’re there to help new filmmakers every time they come to us.” Other friends stepped in front of the camera. Directors Eric
Matti and Lyle Sacris took their star turns, as did former McCann Erickson CD Dino Jalandoni. Reyes believed that Jalandoni’s role—as a Japanese film critic searching for the CCP— was made for him. “Everywhere we go, he’s always mistaken for a Japanese.” But Reyes and team are not the only agency crossovers. Last year’s film awarded “100” was
written, directed and produced by ad veterans and continues to grace festivals abroad. This year boasts two full-length entries directed by industry people, with many more involved behind the scenes of short films and individual productions. Asked why so many ad people are compelled to do Cinemalaya, Reyes says, “Working for an artistic community gives you freedom. Quirky stories get the go
SounDesign's Raul Blay ASAP VP and Business Refreshed! Conference Committee Chairman
Recession horror stories and doomsday prophecies dominate, so what’s business to do? Start anew, of course! ASAP hopes to rope in members, SMEs and startup companies to sign up for “Business Refreshed! Inspire. Incite. Ignite—the 2009 ASAP Conference” on August 18 at the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel InterContinental Manila. The yearly conference consistently
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offers trendsetting and eyeopening topics pertinent to the industry, the changing themes of media and technology and the profile transformation of its leading players. “Business Refreshed! Inspire. Incite. Ignite” features professor and author Dr. Nards Garcia on “Recession Proof Marketing”, motivational speaker Anthony Pangilinan on “Blue Ocean Strategy”, and the husband-and-wife tandem of Mon and Abby Jimenez, recent co-chair retirees of Publicis JimenezBasic, who will inspire delegates on “Taking A Big Leap in Advertising Business.”
As a premium offer, ASAP releases a portfolio of its members and industry partners every two years to coincide with the Ad Congress. During the 21st Philippine Advertising Congress in November, the Association launches ASAP INFOGLIO, the definite creative and technical services index designed to target a wide range of communications and entertainment markets, both local and global. As a prized treat, ASAP INFOGLIO comes with a stylish coffee table book. ASAP just logged three decades of exemplary service to advertising, production and multi-media endeavors. With “Business Refreshed! Inspire. Incite. Ignite”, and ASAP INFOGLIO, the industry prepares itself in enthusiastic anticipation of decades more of ASAP.
A former CD at Saatchi, weekend short-filmmaker VIC ACEDILLO needed a break. “Advertising is servicing. Filmmaking allows freedom, more breathing space.” To make his semi-autobiographical Nerseri, Vic simply segmented the movie into “60 mini TVCs.” Indie life requires him to be producer as well as director: “An indie budget is just one-day TVC shoot: about PhP1.2M is enough for a dozen days of film-making,” he says. His film is the first in the Philippines to use Canon 5D Mark II, also used by Disney Productions. “I hope everyone out there watches this— except maybe my family,” Acedillo jokes. Matti and Jalandoni, unlikely stars
signal. There is no censorship in CCP.” Cinemalaya founder and organizer Ma-an Hontiveros uses this promise of freedom to the festival’s advantage. “From the beginning, we knew there were a lot of advertising people loved cinema but found no role for themselves in the mainstream. Cinemalaya films now look sleek; it is the
craft of advertising [to] tell a story in 60 seconds or less.”
The loss of a shooting prop "staple décor of traditional Filipino homes" sets in motion the plot of Unitel line producer RONI VELASCO’s Last Supper No. 3. Roni explains, “Ever since I heard the story of production designer Winston Acuyong losing a ‘Last Supper’ prop in 2003, sinubaybayan ko siya. I’ve been wanting to tell his story ever since.” Collaborating with others on successful films in the past, Velasco flies solo this year.
Erik Matti's star turn in "Candelabra"
Lilit Reyes and Ricky Davao "Ang Kapatid Ko'ng Nagpupumilit Makita Si Ricky Davao"
"Looking for CCP " Dino Jalandoni
Philippine Marketing Association says
YES WE CAN! Half along the journey to a troubled year , the Philippine Marketing Association for its 40th National Marketing Conference presented the “Philippine Marketing Crisis Summit: Yes We Can!” last June 16 to 17 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza. The two-day event gathered marketers, entrepreneurs, and the industry’s bigwigs; they shared strategic solutions and pragmatic approaches to marketing, to survive, thrive and drive growth in the time of recession. The consumers’ changes in attitude and coping mechanisms were at front row and center. Yoly Ong, group chairperson of Campaigns & Grey, revealed that 34 percent of Filipinos believe that there is a better world after this—in Southeast Asia, the highest acceptance of the recession. Although, purchasing behavior has changed, consumers have gone from premium to less-premium, giving more importance to value for money. Ong’s advice to marketers, “Renew your segment strategy. Shortterm behavioral dimensions may be more important than lifestyle or
brand attitudes or even consumer wants.” Adding to this, Gary de Ocampo, managing director of TNS, said that for the Filipinos, the country has always been in crisis, and the people have been in coping mode. “The Filipino consumers are asking us to tell them that they can hope and aspire for a better life. And to be able to answer to that, we
should really make our products and services affordable so that we can keep all of these things within his reach,” expressed De Ocampo. David Guerrero, chairman and chief creative officer of BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines, also pointed out the attitude of the audience nowadays in terms of marketing campaigns. “Giving something and getting
something back. You entertain me and I’ll listen to you. [There should be] emotional connection to your audience.” All in all, by understanding consumer concerns, marketers returned to the daily grind with the belief that they can turn the recession into opportunities. Yes, they can? We can only hope. july-august '09
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REVIEW bookreview
Getting Things Done by David Allen reviewed by
D
David Smail
avid Allen describes the brain as the human equivalent of a computer’s RAM. And if you’re like me, by Friday afternoon, my brain is as fragmented as a Mac’s memory after flipping through Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, Outlook, Quicktime and a plethora of other programs all day until the point where if the dreaded, spinning "beach ball of death" makes one more rotation I’m going to crash. Allen’s book, Getting Things Done, details "The Art of Stress-Free Productivity" and while I guess at many times "stress-free" and "productivity’" may feel somewhat mutually exclusive, Allen is able to distinguish between multi-tasking and organizing your life in a way that allows you to actually ‘get things done without feeling overwhelmed by the onslaught of emails, errands, phone calls, interruptions, work obligations, life obligations and the length of this overly descriptive run-on sentence. Better yet, Allen’s system works beyond the boundaries of the workplace, as those boundaries continue to become more amorphous (Allen’s favorite word, which makes several appearances in the book), and helps smooth out the work/ life balance that always tends to skew heavily in the direction of the former. The end-goal is to create more time for doing the things we want to do, rather than spending cerebral bits worrying about what you might or might not be forgetting. One caveat here, I’m probably the last person to subscribe to the self-help, find your creative "C-spot", nail-the-sale business book evangelicals that populate the countless rows of shelves, creating a literary labyrinth that I tend to get lost in when I visit one of those mega-bookstores. (Or any bookstore outside of Saigon really.) But after a recommendation from a colleague on how it’s changed his life, I thought I’d give it a go. Coincidentally, this is the same colleague whose email I completely forgot to reply to many weeks back, so pie-in-face, I felt a bit of obligation to actually follow through and read the book. I’m also one of those people whose desk looks like the sorting station at the main post office, with a plethora of briefs, letters, ad books, iPod, sunglasses, laptop, opium pipe (don’t ask) and magazines (with my copy of adobo seemingly always at the top) on the edge of collapse like a teetering Jenga tower on its final, wobbling, drunken sway. "But the system works for me." I tell myself. Or so I thought, before Allen’s formula showed me I was doing it all wrong. Allen’s premise is quite simple. If you’ve got a gazillion things swirling around in your head, or as he terms "open loops", your finite brainpower is being used to juggle all of those thoughts, and not working on the important things it’s supposed to be like completing tasks, solving problems or trying to remember who that one actor is in that one movie about that thing.
The key is to get all of that out of your head, and down into a structured system. And when he says all of it, he means even those little "oh damn!" tasks that keep popping up every couple of weeks creating pangs of guilt for not having completed them. Think of it as one of those Koh Samui cleansings, but for your brain. The system does take some discipline. To begin, you essentially have to gather your entire existence (papers, magazines, thoughts, nephew’s and niece’s birthdays, etc.) and dump it all into your ‘in box.’ Essentially closing the ‘loops’. If done right, this seems to take between a day and a week with little to no interruptions. At this point you process everything in your "in box" with one of three actions: Do It, Delegate it, or Defer It. Being Getting Things essentially a Done does lifestyle change, you repeat the process genuinely over-and-over until inspire the it becomes routine. It sounds simple, reader to to describe the rethink the way but entire system would they process take a whole book, which I guess is why every notion Allen wrote his. and action At times, the book can read that inhabits bit like stereo their brain and ainstructions, but provides a it is peppered throughout with well-thoughtthought provoking out process quotes from for organizing notables such as Einstein, da Vinci them all. and Buddha. My favorite being attributed to Stephen Bayne, which Allen uses to describe the somewhat daunting task of beginning to empty one’s overflowing ‘in box’. It reads, ‘I am rather like a mosquito in a nudist camp; I know what I want to do, but I don’t know where to begin.’ Getting Things Done does genuinely inspire the reader to rethink the way they process every notion and action that inhabits their brain and provides a well-thought-out process for organizing them all. If you can commit to the process (and do so without drowning in the sheer number of file folders that Allen prescribes). While I haven’t attempted the full process yet, I was able to do a mini version by setting upon my desk, which I can say was very therapeutic. It no longer looks like a teeming mass of pulp representing procrastination and guilt. And I have been able to accomplish more – Read book: done. Write review: check. And Paul, I’ll get back to you on that email real soon. Was it urgent?
DAVID SMAIL is the executive creative director of BBDO Vietnam. july-august '09
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REVIEW bookreview
Organizing Genius by Warren Bennis and Patricia Ward Biederman reviewed by
I
n their book Organizing Genius, published in 1997, authors Warren Bennis, distinguished professor of Business at University of Southern California and award-winning journalist Patricia Ward Biederman put forth a radical notion: “Great Groups rather than Great Individuals have reshaped the world as we know it.” If you consider the following groups, it’s easy to agree with them:
Mariles Gustilo The scientists at Los Alamos that built the Atom Bomb, ushering in the nuclear age with all its horrors and benefits; The artists of Walt Disney Studios who created “Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs”, launching an enduring art form for generations to enjoy; The quintessential Chicago Bulls who redefined the approach to basketball, setting a new stan-
Reflected in everything from the worship of film directors to our fascination with Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and other high profile entrepreneurs, we frankly tend to underestimate the creative power of groups.
dard for others to emulate; The impressionist painters whose idyllic interpretations of the world around us continue to warm the human spirit; The Bauhaus School whose aesthetic remains to this day the vanguard of the new. Yet our own myths about success, they say, refuse to recognize this reality. We cling to the myth of the Lone Ranger, the romantic idea that a larger-than-life individual, working alone, accomplishes great things. Reflected in everything from the worship of film directors to our fascination with Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and other high profile entrepreneurs, we frankly tend to underestimate the creative power of groups. Instead, Bennis & Biederman propose that we adapt a new paradigm: not great leaders alone, but great leaders who exist in a fertile relationship with a Great Group, a creative alliance where the leader and the team are able to achieve something together that neither can achieve alone. “The leader finds the greatness in the group. And he or she helps the members find it in themselves.” As they are philosophical about Great Groups, they are also specific: Great Groups are made up of highly gifted people; They’re engaged in something substantive and external to the group. The project brings them together and brings out their collective best, and when it’s done the group often spins apart; They have extraordinary leaders who have a keen eye for talent and are unafraid of hiring people better than themselves; Recruitment into a great group requires excellence and the ability to work with others. I first heard of “Organizing Genius” from an ex-big, Big, BIG boss of mine named Martin Puris. It was a must read for anyone who runs an agency, he said, so I quickly got myself a copy. That was in 1998 and I was barely into the second
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Bennis & Biederman propose that we adapt a new paradigm: not great leaders alone, but great leaders who exist in a fertile relationship with a Great Group, a creative alliance where the leader and the team are able to achieve something together year of my presidency of the agency. He was right. The book served as inspiration as I struggled to shape my kind of leadership. Today in 2009, older and hopefully wiser, I find it makes even more sense. In a world marked by heightened competitiveness— thanks in part to the great equalizer called technology—the kind of collaboration it fosters is not only desirable; it is non-negotiable. No matter what the project, be it sublime as understanding the machinations of the human brain or mundane as changing the way a woman feels about a brand of cooking oil, there are just too many aspects to accomplish, too many loose ends to tie up. One need only look to the recent past, at the team led by David Axelrod and David Plouffe who got the first African-American elected 44th President of the United State, or the team led by John Lassiter at Pixar Animation Studios who brought us “Nemo” and now the much awaited “Up” to see how, once again, Great Groups are reshaping the world as we know it. Totally validated, the authors were right when they said, “In all but the rarest of cases, one is too small to produce greatness.” Mariles Gustilo is president and CEO of Lowe. She is a staunch believer in the power of collaboration. She checked with Amazon recently and Organizing Genius is still in print.
CREATIVE REVIEW by Alan Jarvie Founding Partner, Creative Director, LONDON Advertising
Am I the only person left in advertising who’s actually interested in selling stuff to people? To me, it’s a much more interesting task to try and work out what you can say to someone to get them to do something they weren’t previously going to do, than it is to impress some awards jury with an ever-so-clever visual with a tiny logo in the bottom right corner. Of course, the Holy Grail is to be able to say something affective in an arresting and compelling way—now that is clever. So how does the work I’ve been given to review stack-up against this criteria?
Alan Jarvie is the founding partner and creative director of the newest global agency, LONDON Advertising. He started his career as an art director at Leagas Delaney. Moving to Lintas, he eventually became the youngest appointee to agency’s Board of Directors. In the early Nineties, he relocated to Hong Kong where he was a creative director in Saatchi & Saatchi. In 1995, Maurice Saatchi asked Alan and Michael Moszynski to set up M&C Saatchi in Asia. Within a year, they forged it into a Top 20 shop. By 1998, he moved to M&C Saatchi New York and, two years later, was handling the agency’s most challenging global accounts. In the Saatchi network, it’s a known fact that more of his ads were selected to feature in the company’s annual reports, compared to any other creative director in the network.
I like this. It lets me know a persuasive bit of information in an arresting way. If I were to nit-pick, which is my way, I would ask why it was shot in a limbo set and not in an airport? And, why is the important information so small that I could miss it? Cebu Pacific "Excess Luggage" Poster Publicis JimenezBasic
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Is driving off the road a major problem in the Philippines? This unusual execution might at least get me to read about it. Would it be more or less effective than showing me a mother and child crushed to death by a 4x4? I doubt it. C! Magazine "Manibela" Flyer Saatchi & Saatchi What are you asking me to do? What do you want me to think? What a load of tosh. Ayala Corporation "Bank of the Philippine Islands", "Ayala Foundation" Print ads
Robinson’s Land Corporation. Dull, dull, dull. And there’s a complete disconnect between the main idea and the picture of the tower blocks in the bottom right corner. Robinsons Land Corp. "Magnolia" RocketScience
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CREATIVEREVIEW
Alan Jarvie, Founding Partner, Creative Director, LONDON Advertising
Imagine what we can achieve together if we switch off our lights for one hour.” A turtle made out of light switches? I just don’t get it. It looks quite pretty, and at least, the logo’s not in the bottom right corner. But what’s it on about? Is it going to make me do (or not do) anything? I don’t think so. WWF Philippines "Eagle", "Tamaraw", "Turtle" Leo Burnett
Gives me a reason to choose HP refills. Arrests me. Charms me. (Looks like it’s been created for the awards but) the next time I go out to buy some ink (which, of course I do all the time) I’ll probably choose HP. Hewlett-Packard "Sumo" BBDO Guerrero
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I want to like this. And I want it to affect me. And I like the fact it tells me exactly what PhP5.00 can achieve. But I’m just not moved. Perhaps other people are less heartless than me. UN World Food Programme Harrison Communications
CREATIVEREVIEW
Alan Jarvie, Founding Partner, Creative Director, LONDON Advertising
Brilliant. Simple. Affective. I receive a candle; it tells me what to do with it, when to do it and why. Yeah, I’ll do that. A very clever bit of thinking. WWF "Earth Hour" Ambient Bates141 Manila
If I knew about Weeds and was awaiting its arrival on DVD, this would definitely have the desired effect of making me go and buy it. However, if I didn’t know anything about Weeds, it wouldn’t. Who the target market is decides if this is a winner or not. Video City "Joint" Poster / Outdoor Lowe Manila
Surgery can improve my eyesight! Yeah, I know that. If the Lasik Surgery Clinic is the market leader, then maybe this is okay. If they’re not, then you need to tell me something more. Safer? Cheaper? More convenient?... (Dave Trott’s blog on the Binary Brief is excellent at explaining this.) Lasik Surgery Clinic "Bird Watcher", "Star Gazer" Print Ads DM9 JaymeSyfu
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BANG FOR THE BUCK
THE WORLD FALLS IN LOVE WITH TAN HONG MING
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Case Studies of Effective Creativity THE AWARDS AdFest silver, bronze Andy Awards 2 golds, 1 bronze AWARD 2 golds, 2 silvers Clio AWARDS gold CANNES LIONS gold, bronze D& AD Silver nomination K ANCIL AWARDS 2 golds, silver, bronze ONE SHOW Silver
THE CLIENT / THE BRAND:
PETRONAS is the national petroleum company of Malaysia. It has over 100 subsidiaries and associated companies, with operations in more than 30 countries. It is ranked among the Fortune 500 largest corporations in the world. TARGET MARKET:
The Malaysian public THE BRIEF:
PETRONAS tasked Leo Burnett Malaysia to develop a communication plan in conjunction with the nation’s 50th Independence Day (in 2007). THE CHALLENGE:
Despite the company’s business success, some Malaysians still have low affinity with PETRONAS. One reason is that Malaysians, in general, prefer international brands to local ones. Others simply have an ingrained mistrust of giant corporations.
SPIKES Best of TV Gold, 3 silvers, 3 bronzes
THE OBJECTIVE:
THE RESULTS
Evoke believe & credibility towards PETRONAS
It ran on Malaysian TV at the height of the Merdeka celebrations. But so disarming was Tan Hong Ming, that it was uploaded to YouTube and became an Internet sensation. As of press time, YouTube counted 207,450 hits for “Tan Hong Ming in Love” alone. In Malaysia, a survey by Acorn Marketing and Research Consultants revealed that consumers rated Petronas Corporate/Festive ads very highly; 4+ on a scale of maximum 5, on various parameters such as “warm and caring”, “a company that cares about the well being of the nation.” On a more practical note, PETRONAS today enjoys neck-to-neck brand presence in the retail market despite being a latecomer to the oil and gas market in Malaysia. There’s one final twist to Tan Hong Ming’s story. Early this year, it was voted “People’s Choice” in the 35th Annual People’s Choice Awards in the US (following months of online voting among five 2008 Gold Clio winners). Imagine that: Malaysian ad made for Malaysians, captivating other races and other nations. The world can certainly use more of Tan Hong Ming’s love.
Engage with PETRONAS through preference in brand and products
Alter and inject positive perceptions of PETRONAS
THE STRATEGY:
This wasn’t the first corporate campaign that Leo Burnett created for their client. Going forward, Leo Burnett decided that the key was “the unity of our Malaysian youth that will help the nation to stay strong and take the country forward.” After all, the next generation didn’t carry the racial and political baggage of their parents. In pre-school, they probably couldn’t even spell “baggage.” THE IDEA:
For the 50th anniversary of Malaysian independence, Ahmad defined unity as the “absence of differences” as seen through the eyes of Malaysian children.
“After we finished shooting, we told [Tan Hong Ming] to lead [Umi Qazrina] away towards the classrooms. When he did, I looked at my cinematographer and told him we just shot the best ad ever.” Yasmin Ahmad It was a stunningly simple concept. For many Malaysians, though, it was a controversial one. Despite outward appearances, the undercurrents of racial tension ran deep in Malaysia. THE EXECUTION:
Using cinema verite, Leo Burnett ECD Yasmin Ahmad found and casted children whose “best friends” were outside their ethnic group. She put them in front of her lens, interviewed them and hoped for the most honest yet endearing responses. (In fact, that’s her voice the viewer hears off-camera.) This approach made her PETRONAS clients very nervous. But Ahmad assured them that she would get the money shot, or else she would pay for the production out of her own (or Leo Burnett’s) pocket. Luckily for her, a young boy named Tan Hong Ming had fallen in love. In interview with Malay Mail Online, she recalled, “Tan Hong Ming was in the Klang Valley, and we did not know he existed…When I shot him, he was amazing. “…I mean he was in love. He is ordinarily so quiet but on that day, when he began speaking of the girl [Umi Qazrina], he became all animated. “After we finished shooting, we told him to lead her away towards the classrooms. When he did, I looked at my cinematographer and told him we just shot the best ad ever.” By the end of shooting, Ahmad chose Tan Hong Ming’s interview and three others to complete the TV campaign.
Yasmin Ahmad with Umi Qazrina and Tan Hong Ming
CREDITS Ad Title: "Tan Hong Ming" TVC Advertiser: Petronas Agency: Leo Burnett Kuala Lumpur Production Company: MHZ Films Director: Yasmin Ahmad Executive Creative Director: Yasmin Ahmad Art Director :Yasmin Ahmad Tan Yew Leong Copywriter: Yasmin Ahmad Agency Producer: Sheikh Munasar
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David Droga
New Spikes New Opportunities
After 23 years of being Asia’s leading advertising awards show, Spikes Asia becomes a genuine Asian Advertising Festival, offering a three-day program of competition, seminars and workshops that will identify and address specific issues that are relevant to the Asian market. Terry Savage, chairman of Cannes Lions and organizer of this event, commented, “The launch of the Spikes Asia Festival will offer creative inspiration, an exceptional learning experience, a remarkable insight into the region’s advertising and communications industry and a unique networking opportunity.” Spikes Jury David Droga, one of the most-awarded and inspirational creatives in present times, will chair the TV/Cinema, Print, Outdoor, Radio and the Integrated jury. “Although I only lived and worked in Asia for just over 2 years, it has had such a profound influence on my career to date. I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity and still look to the region for inspiration, motivation and unmitigated bravery,” said Droga. Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and national creative director of Ogilvy & Mather India and South Asia, will serve as president of the Craft jury. The Craft jury will reward the excellence of craft technique in Print and TV/Cinema advertising over and above the creative idea of the work.
AMEs
BBDO/Proximity leads the region in effectiveness in 2009
HONG KONG – Online’s conquest continued at the Asian Marketing Efffectiveness Awards, as Aim Proximity/ Colenso BBDO New Zealand won a Platinum for their “Yellow Treehouse” campaign for Yellow Pages New Zealand. A TV-plus-online reality saga, the campaign achieved 61-percent awareness and was twice more efficient than the brand’s traditional TV advertising. It earned Golds for Integrated Marketing Campaign and Most Effective Branded Content, as well as Bronzes for Best Loyalty Marketing Campaign and Best Idea. Held in April, the AMEs are Asia’s most respected prize for marketing effectiveness. The jury includes marketers as well as agencies, with detailed and proven results required of their entries. Golds also went to Lowe Vietnam, for Nestle “Are you bold enough” (Advertising); DDB Singapore’s “Miracle Tonic” (Direct Marketing); O&M Taiwan, Yahoo!/Kimo Taiwan “Search Your Ex-Lover” (Loyalty
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Marketing); Publicis Thailand’s Viera Marathon (Event Marketing); BBDO/ Proximity Malaysia, “Pepsi Longest Football Dribble” (Small-Budget Marketing Campaign); OgilvyAction Japan KK’s “KOOL Limited Expressions” (Product Design/ Packaging); and JWT Mumbai’s “Lux Temptation” (PR). Best Idea went to Red Lounge (a Burnett/Starcom affiliate) for their Coke China effort “First Coke of the Year.” Two TBWA offices won Golds: China for its adidas ads around the Beijing Olympics (Best Integrated Marketing), and Malaysia for the sustained success of “Malaysia: Truly Asia.” BBH Asia also did well, with its Singapore and China offices scoring three Golds for Axe “Wake-up” (Insight And Innovative Media) and Diageo’s “The Pact Between Men.” (National Brand Development). The Philippines was represented by Universal McCann, which won Bronze for the Best Use of Content for “Botelya (bottle).” Two other Manila shops were shortlisted: DDB Philippines, for “How do we make a nation deeply loyal to local fast food empire embrace McDonald’s cheeseburgers” (Best Ideas - McDonald’s “Burger Burger”) and Campaigns & Grey, Downy “Together” campaign (Best Sustained Success).
Piyush Pandey
Piyush said, “It is an honor to be invited to chair the Craft jury at Spikes Asia 2009. We will try our best to ensure that the best work wins.”
Singapore • 16-18 September 2009 • www.spikes.asia Seminars And Speakers The first speakers and seminars at this year’s Spikes Asia Festival have been unveiled. As well as recognizing the best creative advertising in the region, Spikes Asia boasts an impressive program of learning events, including thought-provoking seminars and collaborative workshops.
Tackling topics such as Islamic marketing, the way digital channels have altered brand communications, and the impact of digital storytelling in Korea, the sessions will give delegates a real chance to learn about cuttingedge issues and to stay ahead of the curve.
altered brand communications, and the impact of digital storytelling in Korea, the sessions will give delegates a real chance to learn about cutting-edge issues and to stay ahead of the curve. What’s more, Spikes Asia jury presidents will be sharing their insights into the advertising world in a series of unique sessions. So far, Design President Rodney Fitch and Media President Laura Desmond have published details of the issues they will be tackling in their Presidential Addresses. In total, there will be 24 seminars over the course of the three-day Festival, featuring key players from the regional and international advertising worlds. Information about the rest of the seminar program, as well as details about the collaborative workshops at Spikes Asia are set to be published on the website in the coming weeks.
They said he needed rehab, and he said yes, yes, yes. The 12-year old Ronald McDonald House Children’s Hospital in Hong Kong underwent renovation to better serve its patients of seriously ill children, many from the Chinese Mainland.
BARRY CUPPLES Chief Executive Officer Omnicom Media Group Asia Pacific L AURA DESMOND Chief Executive Officer Starcom MediaVest Group DAVID DROGA Founder, Creative Chairman Droga5 RODNEY FITCH CBE Chairman, Chief Executive Officer Fitch Worldwide SHU FEN GOH Principal, R3 ROY MICHEL HADDAD Chairman, Chief Executive Officer JWT Middle East and Noth Africa THOMAS HONG TACK KIM Creative Director Global Creative Team, Chiel Worldwide
The first eight seminars include speakers from TBWA Worldwide, JWT MENA, Publicis Worldwide, R3, Cheil Worldwide and Razorfish China. These world-famous companies are bringing such speakers as Roy Haddad, Richard Pinder, Hashem Bajwa, Thomas Hong Tack Kim and Royce Lee. Tackling topics such as Islamic marketing, the way digital channels have
Ronald McDonald House Hospital Goes under the Knife
HASHEM BAJWA Digital Artist, Executive Director Strategy & Innovation, TBWA Worldwide
RICHARD PINDER Chief Operating Officer Publicis Worldwide SALLY WARREN General Manager, R3:GC RAHUL WELDE Vice-President of Media Unilever Asia, Africa, Middle East and Turkey
A house indeed that love built, its overhaul was led by Creative agency Orijen, architects and interior designers Synthesis Design, and digital graphic artist Tania Willis. The band of artists created a series of 15 murals from craftily and carefully chosen cross-cultural stories, to uplift the spirits of the tender-aged and emotionally vulnerable young under their care. “To design large images that work creatively in three dimensions is a great challenge. To create work for a therapeutic
purpose is a privilege,’’ artist Willis says of her contribution to the project. Willis consulted with Playright, a Hong Kong Children’s play group, to design rehabilitation play items. Away from the comfort of the Ronald McDonald Children’s House and in the shelter of their own homes, outpatients can draw emotional strength from a bilingual companion book designed by Orijen. RMCH Manager Iris Wong said, “It’s our wish that the mural artworks will help the sick children heal faster.” july-august '09
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regionalnewsbriefs SCB and TBWA\TEQUILA Launch HIV and AIDS Awareness Campaign
Hong Kong- Agency TBWA\TEQUILA Hong Kong creates a new global online campaign for Standard Chartered Bank's (SCB) HIV and AIDS awareness drive. Via an interactive website, complete with youth-centric entertainment, eLearning modules called "Anti-HIVirus software" takes the user on an HIV-AIDS crash-course. Education done, the user takes a final exam. In line with the Clinton program, SCB eyes 1million campaign graduates, so to speak, by March 2010. The program targets English speaking audiences on its initial phase, including the Philippines in its key market region. Visit http://www.vir.us for the Watch and Learn video modules.
CLONED
by Carol Ong, BBH Shanghai
29th Creative Circle Awards postponed to 2010
Singapore - The Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Singapore (4As) has endorsed the recommendation of the 4As Creative Advisory Panel to postpone the 29 th Creative Circle Awards (CCA) to 2010. CCA has push creativity to the edge, raising the creative bar year after year. Each year it gathers people to celebrate and recognize the creativity and craftsmanship of top advertising talents. Organized by Singapore’s 4As, the CCA encompasses all aspects of creative communication. The four major disciplines are: Advertising, Design, Direct Marketing & Promo, and Interactive.
G2 Direct/Digital India Bags US Webby Award, One Show Merit
Mumbai - "Be Aware", an AIDS awareness e-mailer by G2 Direct and Digital India, Grey Group’s interactive division, bagged the jury award against thousand of entries in the Email Marketing category of the 2009 Webby Awards. The ad was designed by Prasanna Devadiga and Vijay Subramani for client Ojus Medical Institute. G2 Direct and Digital Mumbai are the only Asia Pacific agency to win the Webbys. Founded in 1996, the Webbys are awarded by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Science and are considered the Oscars of the global Internet.
AWARD re-brands and launches new websites
Sydney - The AWARD brand and awardonline. com have been given an impressive overhaul, with a new look that better reflects the individuals that form its membership. Produced by Interbrand, AWARD’s new brand identity is a “living” and fluid "A" logo which reflects the creative community by ensuring each member is represented by a dot. Controlled by a complex algorithm and by being plugged into the member database, the logo grows in real time and changes shape as the membership changes. This has been extended throughout print where the logo appears differently in every execution to express that AWARD is always changing and never static.
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Harry Potter
Kelly Pon Associate Creative Director BBH Shanghai, China
If the title of the talk is “What Makes Great Work?” there are few people better qualified to grab the mic than Sir John Hegarty. As founder and worldwide creative director of BBH, he has helped create some of the most famous campaigns of the last 25 years. So although the economic situation had resulted in a shortage of delegates in Pattaya, the room was predictably packed for this one. And the audience was treated to an inspiring insight into what Hegarty and his agency believe in. He opened with a caveat. That these are his
Hegarty’s seven beliefs would be brought to life by a couple of BBH ads. Most of which were fairly impressive.) Belief number three is in the Power of Ideas. Likening an agency to an idea factory he argued that advertising was possibly the most relentlessly creative industry in the world. Every day we have to go into work and come up with an idea. And it has to be a new one that’s unlike all the other ideas we’ve had before. It should also be incredibly simple, as his next ad demonstrated—the beautiful Lynx commercial in which a young couple retrace their steps to the supermarket they’d just met in, picking up their scattered clothes along the way. Interestingly, this script was first presented to him as two lines on a page. Simple As reported by Simon Welsh, Executive Creative Director, BBDO Guerrero indeed. beliefs and we shouldn’t necessarily agree with them. But he went on to stress the importance Then came the Power of Fame. of having our own convictions we won’t let go of. In these celebrity-obsessed times, wannabe Without them, he said, we drift. reality TV stars are giving fame a bad name. But Hegarty’s first belief is in the Power of if we were to remember one thing from Hegarty’s Advertising. His point here is that we should talk, he implored us to remember this: that a never limit our ambitions. That advertising, like brand is not made just by the people who buy it, art, architecture or any other creative endeavor is but also by the people who know about it. capable of changing the way people think and feel. Fame attracts attention and allows a brand By, as he put it, turning intelligence into magic. to resist competitive pressure as well as charge He illustrated his point with two ads from the a higher price. Picasso’s fame adds value to his BBH showreel. One was the new Unbox the Audi thoughts, ideas and, of course, paintings. Same ad. The other was the seminal Levi’s Launderette goes for brands. A couple of ads that got talked from 1985, which forever changed the way people about were Levi’s Flat Eric and a hilarious Vodka thought not just about jeans but about music in Tea Party viral in which preppy New Hampshire advertising, sex in advertising and perhaps above college boys rapped about their privileged all, underpants. lifestyles. The viral famously made it onto the front Next came the Power of Strategy and the role page of the New York Times. it plays in giving direction to creativity. A Polaroid ad was built on the insight that Number five was the Power of Truth. it’s not a camera but a social lubricant. While a According to Hegarty, the finest strategy you can campaign for one of my favorite whiskeys came ever employ is to tell the truth. It’s disarming, from the realization that genuine success isn’t it captures people’s imagination and without it a destination, it’s a journey. "You have to Keep you get found out. The truth makes our ads more Walking." (By now the pattern was clear. Each of powerful and more interesting, a claim he backed
Asia Listens to Sir John Hegarty
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By challenging the status quo, we are able to create something original. And by not taking ourselves too seriously we have more chance of being liked. up with another Levi’s ad—the one in which a man with a depressingly flat stomach swims through a posh neighborhood’s myriad pools, picking up admiring glances and a girl along the way. All because of the truth that the more you wash jeans the better they get. Irreverence is another of the powers Hegarty believes in. Not just in advertising, but in art, life and people. By challenging the status quo, we are able to create something original. And by not taking ourselves too seriously we have more chance of being liked. Irreverent ads from the archives were for Boddingtons and Xbox. In the former we appear to be watching a beauty commercial until it’s revealed that the face cream the woman’s applying is actually the creamy head of a pint of beer. In the Xbox ad a baby is launched like a missile from his mother’s womb, flies through the air at high speed aging as he goes, before crash landing in his grave. Both are irreverent, both are great ads. Finally there’s the Power of Product Demonstration, which somehow doesn’t sound as glamorous as some of its predecessors. Hegarty acknowledged as much when he said he sometimes thought of BBH as a very old fashioned agency. But as any trawl through the award annuals will tell you there’s a lot to be said for simply demonstrating a product benefit in an original and entertaining way. The two ads shown here were for LG steam irons and a new one for Levis, although he could have picked any number of great ads for this brand to make the same point. For me, Hegarty’s talk was a simple lesson. It was all about knowing what you believe in and staying true to these beliefs. The quality of the ads on display should be enough to persuade us all it’s a lesson worth following.
Everything That’s Out There The Asia Pacific Out-of-Home Media Convention 2009
Mark your calendars for the Asia Pacific Out-of-Home (OOH) Media Convention to witness the region’s largest industry event on November 5 and 6, 2009 at Macau Tower. OOH advertising is developing into the most dynamic and diverse medium with many different formats reaching a variety of audiences and markets. That’s why organizers of the Asia Pacific OOH Media Convention are laying out a platform for advertisers, agencies, media owners and suppliers to access the latest trends and technical information, as well as bolster business opportunities. The event features regional and international keynote speakers from the advertising community to provide expertise with a global perspective. The Asia Pacific Out-of-Home Media Convention theme “Inside-Out” is a comprehensive presentation of out-of-home communication, the latest insights and its vast opportunities. Ron Graham, chairman of the Organizing Committee, says, “If it is out there, it is in here, at the Asia Pacific OOH Media Convention.” For additional information visit www.oohmediaconvention.com.
SPEAKERS ANNIE RICK ARD President Posterscope Worldwide
JEFFREY SEAH CEO, SE Asia Chairperson, Asia Digital Leadership team Starcom Mediavest Group SIR JOHN HEGART Y Chairman & Worldwide Creative Director BBH, London John started in advertising as a junior art director at Benton and Bowles, London in 1965. In 1967 he joined the Cramer Saatchi consultancy which became Saatchi & Saatchi in 1970, where he was a founding shareholder. One year later, he was appointed deputy creative director. John left in 1973 to co-found TBWA\ London as creative director. The agency was the first to be voted Campaign (the UK's leading advertising magazine), Agency of the Year in 1980. In 1982, John left to start Bartle Bogle Hegarty. Four years later, in 1986, BBH was voted Campaign magazine’s Agency of the Year and won the title again in 1993, 2003, 2004 and 2005. BBH Worldwide was voted Campaign magazine’s first ever Network of the Year in 2004. BBH was also voted Cannes advertising agency of the year 2 years running. John’s industry awards include two D& AD Golds and six Silvers, Cannes Golds and Silvers, and British Television Gold and Silvers. He was awarded the D& AD President’s Award for outstanding achievement in the advertising industry. In May 2005, the International Clio Awards awarded John with the Life Time Achievement award for his outstanding achievement in the industry. In 2007, John received a knighthood in the Queen’s birthday honours. John has also been appointed to the New York’s One Club Hall of Fame and in 2009 was inducted into the New York Art Directors Club Hall of Fame.
JEREMY CORFIELD Global Director Eye Fly
MARK NEELY Regional Director, Research Asia/Pacific The Nielsen Company
MARK THEWLIS Regional President, Asia Pacific Clear Channel Outdoor
NG TIAN IT Executive Creative Director Lowe Worldwide China
RAVI KIRAN CEO, South Asia Emerging Market Leader Specialist Solutions Starcom MediaVest Group
SALLY DICKERSON Global Director BrandScience
TODD TRAN Managing Director Joule
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Philippines Creative New Business Scoreboard
May 2009 RANK THIS MONTH
RANK LAST MONTH
AGENCY
RECENT WINS
ESTIMATED Y TD WIN REVENUE (US$M)
1=
2
Euro RSCG
Orange (Asia Pacific), Phinma Education Network, Intel, terramedic
1.3
1.3
1=
1
BBH
Srf (Asia Pacific), STB Global, Sprite (Asia Pacific)
1.3
1.3
3
3
DDB
4
4
Y&R
AB Foods (Twinings & Ovaltine), ZONG, Maynilad
0.7
0.7
5=
5
Leo Burnett
Philippine Airlines Global
0.4
0.4
5=
6=
Ogilvy
Globe Telecom CRM-acquisition program, AMEX, Levis
0.8
7=
8=
Grey Group
Wyeth - Promil, Sara Lee - Eskinol
0.3
0.3
7=
6=
Publicis
Growee
0.3
0.3
9=
10
McCann Worldgroup
Kolours Brand Assignment, In & Out Corp. - Duralite, Unilab UAP Nasoflo - Merch Materials
0.3
9=
8=
BBDO
Krispy Kreme, Philweb, Panasonic (Asia Pacific)
0.3
0.2
11
11=
JWT
Epson (Asia Pacific)
0.1
0.1
12= 12= 12= 12= 12= 17 18
11= 11= 11= 11= 11= 17 18
Saatchi & Saatchi DraftFCB Wieden & Kennedy M&C Saatchi Bates TBWA Lowe
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.3
Belo Medical - Outdoor, Del Monte - Sandosenang Sarap, Toblerone, Asia Brewer y - Absolute & 100 Plus
1.2
RECENT LOSSES
PEPSI (Gatorade/Propel/Sting)
Sprite (Asia Pacific)
Belo Essentials
Shangri-la Global Surf (Asia Pacific)
ESTIMATED OVERALL Y TD REVENUE (US$M)
1.1
0.4
0.2
CREATIVE AGENCIES Euro RSCG moves to the first spot on the back of Orange Asia Pacific win. BBH is still in the second position on the back of several Asia and global wins. DDB and Y&R make up the top four. METHODOLOGY The R3 New Business League has been compiled each of the last 79 months using data supplied by 26 multinational agencies on a monthly basis to R3. In addition, this data supplied is balanced against Client Estimates, Nielsen ADEX, discounted to appropriate levels and then converted to a revenue estimate. R3 strives to be accurate in all reporting, but welcomes comments and questions. Please write to greg@rthree.com or visit www.rthree.com for more information or to download a soft copy. R3 is the leading independent consultancy focused on tracking of agency performance, and marketing ROI for clients across the region.
GLUED TO YOUR MONITOR? visit adobo at
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if it’s out there, it’s in here THE COMPLETE PICTURE OF OUT-OF–HOME COMMUNICATION, LATEST INSIGHTS AND NEXT OPPORTUNITIES.
Join us for the biggest and most important gathering for OOH advertising in the Asia Pacific region. It’s your opportunity to hear from influential speakers with international credentials as they come together to give you a rare insight into the total picture of OOH advertising, today and beyond.
Register now at:
www.oohmediaconvention.com
Asia Pacific
OUT-OF-HOME Media Convention
2009
N O V E M B E R
5
&
6
A T
T H E
M A C A U
T O W E R
globalroundup Crispin, Porter to help set up digital ad school in Boulder, Colorado
New York - The New York Times reports that MDC Partners in Toronto (parent company of Crispin, Porter and Kirschenbaum & Bond, among others) is creating a school called Boulder Digital Works, jointly with the University of Colorado, Boulder. Boulder Digital Works will initially offer a 60-week certificate program in digital arts and sciences. The program will begin in the fall; applications are due by Aug. 15. The school also plans to offer, starting late July, executive programs in “digital fluency” for working professionals, which are to run 36 hours.
Print, "Dissolve Your Problems", ALKA-SELTZER, CLM-BBDO, Boulogne-Billancourt A unanimous jury pick.
Facebook gets $200 million from Russia-based investor
New York - US publication Mediaweek reports that Facebook has received a $200 million investment from Digital Sky Technologies, a firm based in Moscow and London that has invested in several internet and social networking companies. The investment buys Digital Sky a 1.96 percent stake in the company. The investment brings the value of Mark Zuckerberg’s dorm room creation to $10 billion, less than two years after Microsoft bought 1.6 percent of the company for $240 million. Since that time, Facebook has grown larger and more global, with 70 percent of its traffic from outside the US.
Digital rules; fictional Mad Men get a real ad award On their 50th anniversary, with the global ad industry in chaos, the Clios could be pardoned for dwelling in the glories of the past. Indeed, parts of the show did hark back. The first-ever Honorary Clios were awarded to "Mad Men" creator Matt Weiner, and to Barry Manilow, who created some of the 1970s’
Golden Drum Awards now open for entries
Portoroz - The European festival Golden Drum is calling for entries for its 16th Golden Drum Ad Festival and Media Meeting. The competition is divided into two: The Golden Drum New Europe 2009, exclusive to selected European countries; and Open Competition that accepts entries from all countries. Judging is headed by the following jury presidents: Stefan Schmidt, Adrian Botan, Mariusz Jan Demner, Martin Lange, Franco Moretti, Dejan Verčič and Andrew Hammett. The festival is set on October 4 to 9, 2009 in Portoroz, Slovenia. For full details on the competition, visit www.goldendrum. com.
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Innovative, "DOPPELHERZ Poem Reading", Sholz & Friends Hamburg GmbH An activation. For a food supplement. For senior citizens. Just shows that a good idea can overcome even the most unpromising brief.
top jingles, as well as broadcast entrepreneur Marc Cuban. But like Lifetime Achievement honoree Dan Wieden, whose agency Weiden+Kennedy remains eternally hip, the awards themselves were firmly tuned into tomorrow. Out of six Grand Clios, three were awarded to digitally based ideas. These top winners were Alka-Seltzer’s “Dissolve Your Problems” Campaign, (Print), Doppelherz (Innovative), Obama for America (Integrated), Whopper Sacrifice (Digital), a BMW installation by ART+COM Berlin (Design), and Droga5’s educational project Million (Contact & Connect). No Grands were awarded for TV. In special awards, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners’ milk ad “Aaron Burr” was elected to the Clio Hall of Fame, and Crispin Porter + Bogusky was named Agency of the Year, on the back of its stunning work for Burger King. Network of the Year was BBDO Worldwide, New York,
Interactive, "Whopper Sacrifice", Crispin, Porter+Bogusky Crispin, Porter strikes again. A Facebook app so successful that Facebook shut it down. Based on a simple question: “Who do you love more: your friends or the Whopper?”
Integrated, "Obama for America" Moving. Strategically brilliant. Not to mention effective.
Production Company of the Year was MJZ, and Advertiser of the Year was Volkswagen. BBDO Malaysia’s Jeep campaign led the charge for Asia, receiving Golds in Press and Poster. In total, the region won nine Gold Clios, 12 Silvers and 26 Bronzes, many for campaigns that had already done well in previous competitions. Among the Gold winners were Lowe Bangkok (Breeze Excel Washing Detergent “Torture Test”), O&M Taiwan (Wego “Soap”), Dentsu Razorfish (Dunlop “Melody Road”), O&M Japan (Esthe WAM “Beauty Bowling”), Leo Burnett Bangkok (WMF “Chicken/Fish/Lobster” print), Contract Mumbai (Aadhar Association “Family Name” posters), Saatchi & Saatchi Malaysia (Guinness “Stop” print). The Philippines had one judge (Dave Ferrer, who judged Radio from his office in Makati), and one metal winner: TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno’s “Recycle” Bag, which received a Bronze for Design.
D&AD AWARDS
BLACK PENCIL Viral: Writing “The Great Schlep” Jewish Council of Education & Research Droga5, USA
58 Pencils in total Two Black Pencils for Droga5 The times, they are changing indeed. Droga5 emerged as the biggest winner at the D&AD Awards, pocketing two very rare Black Pencils. But winners also included top names from film and music, a Hollywood comedienne and one consistent winner from Proximity BBDO/Malaysia. The Design & Art Direction Awards (D&AD), organized by the London-based D&AD club, are considered the toughest show in the industry. Advertising is just one among various design-based categories. In the tradition of the Tap Project, Droga5 won its Black Pencils for socially oriented projects: Integrated, “Million” for the New York City Department of Education, and one for Viral/ Writing, for the Obama-campaign-related “The Great Schlep.” The latter also credits on-cam talent Sarah Silverman as a writer. The two other Black Pencils were for Graphic and Environmental Design. Two agencies received Yellow Pencils for Writing for Advertising: Mother for “Snoop Dogg/ Rob Lowe/Anjelica Huston” for client Orange, and Goodby Silverstein & Partners’ “Rabbit,” for Comcast. In TV advertising, TBWA\ChiatDay’s acclaimed Skittles “Pinata” TVC received a Yellow Pencil. Among Asian winners, BBDO/Proximity Malaysia’s Jeep campaign won a Yellow Pencil for Art Direction-Poster Advertising, together with two citations for Press and Point-of-Sale. The D&AD is just the latest feat for this already multiawarded campaign. There were more Pencils to go around: three (and two nominations) for Dentsu, two for Work
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Advertising in Singapore, and one each for China’s HanTang Communications Group, GT Tokyo, and Bascule Tokyo. Visit awards.dandad.org/2009/ to view video and images of winners, as well as Silver nominations and In-book finalists.
BLACK PENCIL Integrated New York City Department of Education “Million” Droga5,USA
Design pioneer presented D&AD President’s Award Michael Peters OBE, the designer who brought creativity into the boardroom, was presented with the D&AD President’s Award at the D&AD Awards 2009 Ceremony. D&AD President Garrick Hamm, said: “Michael’s contribution to design is so great one could be forgiven for thinking he would have received this award years ago. He has helped shape and revolutionise the industry into the business it is today. These days we use jargon like ‘360 branding’ and ‘joined up thinking’, but Michael was doing it 20 years ago. Peters’ work for British Airways, Johnnie Walker, Universal Studios, and the Conservative Party in Britain raised the profile of design & designers—bringing creativity off the kitchen table and into the boardroom. Hamm added that Peters “was always a larger than life character, loud, brash, a showman always ready with a bad joke; an enthusiast like no other.” The D&AD President gives the award each year in recognition of an outstanding contribution to creativity. Past recipients include Jonathan Ive, Sir Alan Parker and Sir John Hegarty.
BLACK PENCIL Environmental Design: Installations YELLOW PENCIL Digital Installation “Kinetic Sculpture for the BMW Museum” BMW Group ART+COM, Germany
YELLOW PENCIL Art Direction Writing for Advertising: TV & Cinema Advertising "Rabbit" Comcast Goodby Silverstein and Partners
BLACK PENCIL Graphic Design: Applied Print Graphics “UK Definitive Circulating Coinage - New Reverse Designs” The Royal Mint Matt Dent UK YELLOW PENCIL Art Direction: Poster Advertising "Bushman & Eskimo" / "Husky & Camel" "Mountain Goat & Crocodile" Chrysler Korea BBDO/Proximity Malaysia
YELLOW PENCIL Packaging Design: Packaging
YELLOW PENCIL Online Advertising: Digital Advertising Campaigns
"Newspaper to New Paper Project" Ichida Garden Dentsu Tokyo
"Love Distance" Sagami Rubber Industries GT Tokyo july-august '09
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Fans of the much-beleaguered TV spot can ignore rumors of its demise. But how can they possibly look away when The One Show’s Best of Show is a ubiquitous job search ad? If there’s any consolation, there was nothing ordinary about the position and the ad’s idea, so the promotional campaign of Tourism Queensland’s “Best Job in the World” bagged the Best of Show and a Gold Pencil for Integrated Branding at the One Show awards in New York last May.
“Offset The Evil” for Integrated Branding Content. After a murderous game of “Condemned 2”, players are diverted to a sweet, happy website where they can offset their evil. This year, the first ever Green Pencil, for excellence in environment-conscious advertising, was awarded to Haagen Dazs “Help the Honey Bees” by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. It also won Gold Pencils for Integrated Branding Campaign and Innovative Media Single.
Challenged to create awareness on the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, Australianbased agency CumminsNitro crafted a campaign that seemed too good to be true yet too hard to resist. Using a classified ad, the campaign created worldwide buzz. Results: 36,000 applications, 4,000 news stories generated, and media coverage amounting to about US$100 million. Another Gold Pencil went to BBDO Clemenger Sydney’s Sega
The One Show, produced by the One Club, is a premiere international advertising award show. It sets the industry standard for creative excellence with categories including print, television radio, outdoor, innovative media and marketing, and integrated branding. Winners are awarded in Gold, Silver, or Bronze Pencils. The One Show Pencil is a coveted trophy in the advertising industry and scoring one is considered to be a major achievement.
Classified ad wins Best of Show
The One Show is included in the Campaign Brief’s creative ranking tables. Asia’s Pencils
Leading Asia in Pencils was BBDO/Proximity Malaysia, with five pencils, two of which are Gold for its Jeep campaign. Followed by Creative Juice/Bangkok (TBWA)\ Bangkok, whose campaigns for Teleinfo Media won Silver and Bronze. Lowe Thailand’s Unilever ‘Torture Test” ad also received a Silver pencil in the Promotions category. Also bringing home the Bronze for Asia are Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore, EUT Marketing “Boardroom”; Leo Burnett/Bangkok, Italasia “Fish”; and DDB Mundra/Mumbai, Islamic Research Foundation “Bush”. BBDO Guerrero, the only Philippine agency shortlisted this year, received a One Show Design Merit for its “Childhope Cans”. Last year, the agency took a Bronze Pencil in Design for its WWF “Glowing Sticker”.
Silver Pencil Unilever "Torture Test", Lowe Thailand
Three Philippine Agencies Bag the Bronze at the 2009 NYF Advertising All Media Awards The Big Apple might seem far, far away, but Philippine entries to the 2009 New York Festivals have taken big bites from it and have come out the better for it. The New York Festivals are as iconic as Central Park and Times Square. Entries from all parts of the world compete in the multi-categories judged by a global panel of advertising, marketing and media leaders. DDB DM9 JaymeSyfu and Y&R Philippines lead the Proudly-Filipino entries, both with one Bronze and Finalist certificate each. Lowe Philippines won a Bronze, while TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno got a Finalist certificate. Honored by the prestigious award body in the 2009 New York Festivals Advertising Awards, the winners credits below:
Bronze “Mirror”, iProtect Y&R Philippines Finalist Certificate “Nat Geo”, Gabriela Spousal Abuse Hotline DDB DM9JaymeSyfu “Hope”, Cancer Warriors Foundation TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno “Car Illusion”, Y&R Philippines iProtect Bronze • Drixine "Cat", DM9 JaymeSyfu
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Bronze • Video City "Joint" Lowe Philippines
Best of Show Gold Pencil • Integrated Branding Tourism Queensland "The Best Job in the World", CumminsNitro
Green Pencil Haagen Daaz "Help the Honey Bees" Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
Gold Pencil • Integrated Branding Content Sega "Offset the Evil" BBDO Clemenger Sydney
Burger King, Crispin Porter + Bogusky Wins Grand DDB Top Metals Wins. Grey Colombo Gets Global Effie.
At the 41st Annual Gala Night of the Effies, Crispin Porter + Bogusky took home the bacon, the Grand Effie. Well, in this case, it was the burger: Burger King to be exact, for the “Whopper Freakout” campaign. Over four decades of renown, the Effie award has become a global symbol of achievement bestowed on marketing communications ideas that work. Celebrating its trademark Whopper’s 50th anniversary, Burger King embarked on a social experiment involving the “untimely disappearance” of its golden boy from the menu. With the disappearance as the first, succeeding phases include serving competitors’ burgers, then recording and viewing customers’ reactions. Burger King then used TV spots to drive traffic to ‘Whopperfreakout.com’ to view the entirety of the experiment. Linkable and uploadable, blogs- and social networking sites-friendly, the campaign increased quarter sales by double-digits. “Burger King won the Grand Effie convincingly due to their boldness and creativity across multiple media platforms, delivering real cultural relevance and above all, outstanding business results,” said Carl Johnson, chairman of the Board of Directors of Effie Worldwide and co-founder of Anomaly. It rained no less than 24 Gold Effies: Independent Agencies garnered seven, Omnicom the only holding company ran away with six. MDC won three Gold Effies
Grand Effie • Burger King " Whopper Freakout " , Crispin Porter + Bogusky
and the remaining eight Gold Effies shared by the industry’s holding companies. Top winner DDB pocketed 12 Effies: three Gold, six Silver and three Bronze trophies. Gold Effie agency winners by region include DDB, Energy BBDO and (Chicago), Ignited and TBWA\Chiat\Day (Los Angeles), Crispin Porter + Bogusky (Miami), Colle + McVoy, Preston Kelly and Olson (Minneapolis), EURO RSCG, Grey, Publicis and Mindshare (New York), Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, Goodby Silverstein+ Partners and McCann Worldgroup (San
Francisco) and DDB and WONGDOODY (Seattle). The Awards body bestowed one of only two Global Effies on Grey Colombo for its Garments Without Guilt campaign for Sri Lanka Apparel. “This is a milestone win as it is a first for an Asian agency as well as for our Grey Group Network,” remarked Nirvik Singh, Grey Group Asia Pacific chairman and CEO. More details on the campaigns and brands for each winner can be found on www.effie.org.
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THE GUNN REPORT The Gunn Report is ten years old. Some industry veterans insist that it was only yesterday that Donald Gunn compiled the first Leo Burnett’s annual Worldbeaters reel on a proprietary laserdisc jukebox. (You remember laserdiscs, don’t you?) By the end of the century, he took his brilliant idea out of that network and expanded it into the league table to beat all league tables. His Gunn Report compiled and ranks ads, agencies, networks, production houses, directors, and advertisers from the most important award shows. The 2008 report is based on the results of as many as 39 shows. Moreover, in its tenth edition, it does more than assess and rank the metals count of 2008’s best ads. It presents the world’s most awarded in the last ten years. A quick glance at the ten-year consolidated tables confirms many assumptions but reveals a few surprises.
Ten years old and in a league table of its own
ALL-TIME TOP 10 COUNTRIES
In the tally by country, USA remains the nation to beat, followed by Great Britain. Argentina clinches the no. 3 spot, ahead of Brazil, France, Spain and Germany. The Asian champions, Thailand, Japan and Singapore, round off the historical top 10. In the present day, almost all these countries still jockey for position in the top ten, save for Singapore. Blame today’s economic climate, but this Asian hub must content itself with being unlucky no. 13.
Ten years later, the Gunn Report is keeping abreast of the trends. Aside from tracking the world’s most awarded TV and print ads, it presents the Interactive ads table and the new AllGunns-Blazing category.
2008 most awarded T V ad in the world Cadbury Dairy Milk "Gorilla" • Fallon London
2008 table reflects a similar ranking.) Comeback kids Lowe, JWT and McCann Erickson are finally insinuating themselves into the picture, as shown by their positions in the bottom of the top 10. ALL-TIME TOP 10 ADVERTISERS
2008 most awarded All Gunns Blazing campaign W WF "Earth Hour" • Leo Burnett Australia
ALL-TIME TOP 10 AGENCIES & NETWORKS
Institutions like DDB (London) and Dentsu (Osaka and Tokyo) prove to be the consistent leaders, but young’un Crispin Porter & Bogusky is not far behind. The rest of the list consists of the usual suspects: Abbot Mead Vickers BBDO, Almap BBDO, Wieden + Kennedy, TBWA\Paris, TBWA\Chiat\Day, BBH (London) and Lowe (London). By network, however, the historical top dog is BBDO Worldwide, followed by DDB Worldwide, TBWA Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett and Ogilvy & Mather. (The
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Bill Bernbach may take comfort in knowing that, long after his death, his best client is still beloved by many. Volkswagen is the bluest of blue-chip brands, the client that approved the most awardwinners in the last decade. Nike, Sony, adidas, Axe/Lynx round up the top five. Beverage clients like Budweiser, Coca-Cola and Guinness are in the middle of the pack, while MTV and Toyota make a surprise appearance at nos. 9 and 10. But in today’s environment, few people want less MTV, and more computers, cable TV and greenery. No wonder that in the 2008 table, MTV and Toyota give way to Microsoft, WWF, HBO, Burger King and—who would have thunk it?—Tide. WHERE IS ASIA?
Asia doesn’t figure much in the historical top tens but with the economic decline in the Western hemisphere, its ad communities may find themselves rising in the annals of Gunn. If it’s any consolation, there is one Asian that rules one consolidated top ten: Thai director Thanonchai Sornsrivichai. Fellow countryman Suthon Petchsuwan is just a few notches below, at no. 4. Don’t be surprised if these two
cinematic helmsmen exhibit a bump in their talent fees later in the year. BACK TO THE FUTURE
Ten years later, the Gunn Report is keeping abreast of the trends. Aside from tracking the world’s most awarded TV and print ads (Cadbury’s “Gorilla” TVC and Tide Ultra’s “Stains don’t stand a chance” print campaign, respectively), it presents the Interactive ads table and the new All-Gunns-Blazing category. Think of the latter as the Gunn counterpart of the Titanium/Integrated Lions, where brands engage their consumers in many channels and in the most innovative ways. Owing to the rarity of such awarded campaigns, this is the only league table that doesn’t rank the top ten; it is the only ten. As expected, WWF’s “Earth Hour” is at the head, edging out XBOX 360 Halo 3 “Believe” by two points. The rest of the lineup include, in order of rank: Burger King “Whopper Freakout”, HBO “Voyeur”, Uniqlo “Uniqlock”, adidas “Where Sport Meets Art”, Brailleliga “A blind call”, Nissin Cup Noodle “Freedom Project”, Prodis Down Syndrome Foundation “Let us do it” and Shreddies “New Diamond Shreddies”. If you have a copy of the 2008 Gunn Report in your office, take time to browse through it. If you're smart, get your employer to spring for an online membership in the new Gunn Report Library, it's a truly great reference—especially if you're brilliant enough to make it to any of Donald Gunn's lists.
2008 most awarded print campaign in the world Tide Ultra "Soy Sauce" • Saatchi & Saatchi New York
2008 most awarded interactive in the world Uniqlo "Uniqlock" • Projector Tokyo
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Selected by adobo’s editorial board and some of the countr y ’s top creative directors
MAY 2009
Boysen "Hibiscus" Print Ad Ad title: “Hibiscus” Print ad / Advertiser: Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines / Agency: TBWA\SMP / Executive Creative Director: Melvin Mangada / Creative Director: Manuel Villafania / Art Director: Manuel Villafania, Melvin Mangada, Denise Tee / Copywriter: Bryan Siy / Photographer: G-Nie Arambulo / Account Supervisor: Kara Filamor / Print Producer: May Dalisay / Final Artist: Romar Quiroz / Production House: Adphoto
Abreast with the Latest in Social Networking and e-Business
Undoubtedly, social networking and e-Business are the structures by which both personal adventures and business ventures are mounted. In the advertising, branding, marketing and activation trades, these are the petri dish on which germs of ideas are given its genetic codes. Dubbed “Reaching and Connecting to Customers Through Social Networks, the Social Networking and e-Business Conference” at the Hotel Intercontinental last April 23 to 24, addressed the latest choice topics with topnotch speakers from telecommunications and media, content providers, internet portals and social networks.
Friendster: I Want my MTv!
Localization is producing a surge of new users in Asia, where the Philippines comprises 60 percent of users. Keynote speaker Ian Stewart, Friendster’s head of Asia, expressed its commitment to localization of the global site. Friendster is setting up local offices, technical support and local manpower in the region. Fresh from MTV, Stewart’s experience informs Friendster’s new big picture. “Regionalization, localization will bring in fantastic people, a more relevant brand that resonates with Asian teens and young adults that enjoy music, fashion, movies, sport, celebrities— in a local market concept,” said Stewart.
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Recognizing that the youth lead an active physical life as well as an online life may be Stewart’s strongest and most beneficial insight. “Most successful websites are those that take into consideration the physical life component. You have to realize that two to three hours spent online translate to better recognition of brands on a physical level, and will revert back to online and continue on. Friendster will offer great premiums of merchandise at exhibitions, events and concerts,” he added. “I want my MTV,” the song goes, and Friendster got theirs.
SMART Investment
Internet use on mobile phone saw a significant increase from 2001 to 2006. With more affordable handsets, SMART Communications doubled its mobile Internet and data business to PhP 400 Million in 2007 and grew its VAS and data business from nothing to PhP3 Billion ($72M) in just four years. Asked if the accessibility of social networking was the reason, Jerome Almirante, head of VAS and Data Services, says, “Not yet. It’s made an impact, but not yet standard, more like sustaining or the changing of the guard.” A huge, if not total change from traditional telco thinking is imminent as SMART plunges into the future. “Equipment, infrastructure, manpower and training, it is a change in paradigm at how we look at business…Call and text will still be there, that’s our bread and butter. But, maybe in five to six years, that may not be [the case] anymore. Our focus now is on SmartBro because that’s what is delivering a huge part of revenue growth, that huge market of wireless broadband,” Almirante revealed.
SMART has since slowed down building sites for 2G, now heavily investing in 3G to allow higher bandwidth and data and traffic. Investment on the backend is important, so is sustaining content demand. Almirante agrees that the youth market plays a big part, but it is the 25-40 age group that mainly uses mobile Internet. “Though the skeptical, older age group takes longer to get into social networking, they are the users of Facebook and Friendster, and they have discovered that they need the internet other than trivia or new things,” he stated. 1st DigitalFilipino Social Networking Awards 2009 Launched in January, winners of the 1st DigitalFilipino Social Networking Awards 2009 were announced at the conference. Honoring excellent campaigns that ran from April 1, 2008 to March 15, 2009, the first batch of winners included big-name brands in six of its nine categories: Social Network • Jollibee Sulit Sarap Challenge (Jollibee Foods Corporation) Photo Sharing • myPond’s 7 Days Beauty Blog (Unilever Philippines) Video Sharing • Clean & Clear My Beautiful Ride Video Contest (Johnson & Johnson Philippines) Micro-blogs • $3 for Cagayan de Oro City, PH Flash Flood (CDOBloggers.com) Blogs • Fully Booked Bloggers Event (Fully Booked) Search engine marketing • Busby SEO Test (Francis Gary F. Viray) Other categories had no winners this year. Entries were judged equally on Design, Creativity, Copywriting and Impact.
Digitalscape
The death of the digital campaign
Digital is no longer a communication channel or platform, according to Tribal DDB Asia-Pacific’s President and Managing Partner Amanda King. It’s a way of life. Tall and sunny, King is much more rock chick than data planner, web geek or suit. Yet she is all three, as well as a passionate evangelist on digital as it’s done today. Adobo caught up with her on her recent visit to train the local TribalDDB crew. In my household we have one day a week were no one is allowed to use the phone—it’s an absolute nightmare! But it’s an interesting time, and a big opportunity for brands. The big idea used to be the domain of the TV campaign; but I think now the really big ideas are expressed in social media. Part of the opportunity is for digital to create a bigger reach and a deeper connection. The more ingrained you are in an individual’s life, the more inclined they are towards you. You are literally just there, all the time. Internet consumers are not all alike. Forrester [Research] has a ladder of participation for how individuals react to the internet. There are CREATORS, who actually share photographs and experience. You see something you like, something you hate, you talk about it and it creates content. Nandu Nandkishore
Next you have CRITICS; they’ll see something and comment about it. Then you’ve got COLLECTORS, who bookmark, collect and aggregate. You’ve got JOINERS, for whom it’s all about connecting on social networks. And the biggest group is INACTIVES. At Tribal we like to talk about participative branding. How brands—and people—engage and behave, across channels and over time. We’ve gone from passive consumption to interactive participation, as users, consumers, producers, community. Brands have got to stop thinking of that six-week campaign, and toward weaving the brand into the social fabric. We’re talking about co-creation, where people create their own experience of the brand. When you think about planning for your brand, think of
Amanda King Tribal DDB Asia Pacific President and Managing Partner
the six rungs of the ladder. What do I have for [those] who like to look, who like to comment, who like to participate? Anybody can take a press ad and turn it into a banner. That’s not interaction. Interaction is what a brand asks you to do, how you get involved. You’ve got to think about it like a story. When you’ve got a big idea you can actually sell it with lots of different messages. Tell it
Anybody can take a press ad and turn it into a banner. That’s not interaction. Interaction is what a brand asks you to do, how you get involved. You’ve got to think about it like a story. with relevance to a critic, or to a collector, and so on, and you get a much broader reach. That’s what we’re encouraging clients to do. It’s much harder than just saying “Mothers in late 20s, with 2 children.” It’s making people think in a much more detailed way, going back to psychology and looking beneath the veneer. It’s the interlinking of messages. How do I make my brand stand out from others? There is bought media, and there is owned media. The more you own, the less you need to buy. Once you’ve built a community you don’t need to spend so much to get it out there. If you take your big idea and put it
across each of these areas, you can actually build a brand eco-system. This is our approach to planning, and one of the reasons that digital can be most effective. Your client brief, your research and database can build this participant blueprint. But we look at not just the personal profile but a digital profile: how long does he stay on the site, what does he look at, how he acts. For example, “mother in late 20s with two kids” wouldn’t necessarily tell you that that market are huge online gamblers. But they are. You need an understanding of all the elements, and not all digital agencies have that. They’re all caught up in the newest new thing. An application is not an idea, it’s a channel—a shiny new toy that lasts 2 days. Your website is your most constant presence, yet most company websites are visited only once. Then there’s the campaign, where you’re briefed to hit a target, you achieve it, the campaign goes away, we’re briefed again…. But if you create an element of participation every day, one campaign goes right into the next in the consumer’s mind. Digital can build business if you use it right. It’s not a communications choice. It’s out there, and how it’s up to you to ride that opportunity.
IMMAP 3rd Summit Delivers Digital
The third time’s a charm as the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) mounts its annual event on August 25 and 26, 2009, at the SMX Convention Center. Organizers of “Digital Delivers: The Country’s 3rd Internet and Mobile Marketing Summit” plan to tackle the global diversion of ad spend onto digital-online campaigns. Digital-online practitioners, planners and consumers can pick the brains of its impressive array of CEO guest speakers Nandu Nandkishore of Nestlé Philippines, James Lafferty of P&G Philippines and Fernando Fernandez of Unilever Philippines. Topics include Media Synergy, Digital Marketing in a downturn and The New Marketing Landscape. When Charmaine Canillas, concurrent PANA president and AdBoard chairman, and Petron Advertising & Promotions director inducted the current IMMAP Board into office, she motivated the Association to conduct the research and produce the numbers that will guide and inspire the industry, its agencies and clients. Fascinated by the technology, on the verge of investing into its untapped potential, the industry is still held back by business prudence. IMMAP claims Digital Delivers. With the 3rd Summit, IMMAP may deliver on its claims. For more details, visit www.interactivesummit.com. Fernando Fernandez James Lafferty ph. july-august '09
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SIGN OF THE TIMES
Someone in Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) thinks he's quite the punster. Several of these signs, spelling out a U-turn to Filipino motorists, can be seen along the 54-km stretch of EDSA. Citizens like Noel Lorenzana, CEO of SAFI, are not laughing and are thinking of filing a complaint.
Branded content
Centrum T VC
short films or long ads? Seven years ago, the term “branded content” didn’t exist. Then came the series we all remember as BMW Films. Now, Clive Owen is a star; “viral” is an established term, and branded content has taken off. [The films clearly worked as branding: no one remembers the series’ real title: “The Hire.”] Locally, Jollibee’s kiddy show is on People no second season; longer notice its brand-sponsored the 30music videos abound, and a full-length seconder… branded film won the they need country’s only metal at the Asian Marketing to be Effectiveness entertained awards. Local TV before they show “Camera Café”, adapted from a French buy. series, features witty five-minute shorts taking place in front of the (branded) office coffee machine. A more popular version, though within the standard 30-second TVC, is the three-to-four ad teleserye (TV serial). Creatives also seem eager to sign on. Director Paul Alexei (who used to create campaigns as CD Paul Basinillo), is setting his heart and career on branded content. It’s why he returned to production after years at TBWA,
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Paul Alexei
EVENTS CALENDAR University of Asia and the Pacific Tambuli Awards Conference July 9, 2009 Dizon Auditorium University of Asia and the Pacific Tambuli - 3rd IMCEA Awards Night July 10, 2009 www.imcea.org Road Runner Rock Experience July 10, 2009 Visual Light Studio Tel: +63 2 812 5851 www.roadrunner.com.ph Asian Publishing Convention Theme: Multimedia Content Development, Deployment and Management July 16-17, 2009 Manila, Philippines Tel: +63 2 818 3289 www.oiceventsasia.com Graphika Manila 2009 August 15, 2009 Email: graphika@graphikamanila.com www.graphikamanila.com The Advertising Suppliers Association of the Philippines ASAP 2009 Conference Business Refreshed! August 18, 2009 Hotel Intercontinental, Makati City Tel: +63 2 893 0738 www.asapmanila.org.ph
McCann and JWT, with a stint at Viva along the way. He remembers meeting Tony Gloria, who was then starting StraightShooters. “Mr. G wanted to focus on branded entertainment. I wanted to do something na di pa nagagawa nila lahat (that no one had done before).” He stayed a year, but did more TVCs— including TBWA/ SMP’s award-winning “Delivery Room’” for ABC5—than real branded content. To succeed as a director, Alexei had to blur his image as a creative director. “I love music so I started producing videos…parang pelikula (like a movie) more than an ad. Nilagyan namin ng kotse, yung isa naman telepono (We did one with a car, another with a mobile phone). I come up with the storyline and kasama sa kwento yung produkto. (the product is part of the story).” It works for practical reasons as well: “Piracy has killed music videos’ budgets. Approach an advertiser, and you get at least a decent budget.” And the advertiser gets a material with a little breathing room. How different is it from simply a good ad? For one, it’s longer, says Alexei. “Eventually, Metathione T VC
Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines Digital Delivers: The 3rd Internet and Mobile Marketing Summit August 25-26, 2009 Tel: + 63 2 896 0639, 896 0637 www.immap.com.ph Busan International Advertising Festival Ad Stars 2009 August 27-29, 2009 HaendaeGrandHotel Busan, Korea www.adstarsfestival.org Public Relations Society of the Philippines 16th National PRSP Congress: Pursuing Reforms and Meeting the Social Change Challenge September 10-11, 2009 The Manila Hotel prcongress.prsp@yahoo.com Fax: + 63 2 638-0012 Spikes Asia 1st Asian Advertising Festival September 16-18, 2009 Suntec City, Singapore www.spikes.asia Asian Federation of Advertising Associations Ad Asia 09 - Redefining the Future Kuala Lumpur Convention Center Malaysia October 22-24, 2009 www.adasia09.com Asia Pacific PR Awards October 2009 Hong Kong Tel: +852 3175 1912 iris.mui@haymarketasia.com
Asia Pacific OOH Media Convention 2009 November 5-6, 2009 Macau Tel: +65 6344 0051 www.oohmediaconvention.com Digital Media Awards November 16, 2009 Beijing, China Tel: +65 6579 0538 vic.ho@haymarketasia.com London International Awards Awards Night: November 16, 2009 Troxy, London www.liaawards.com 21st Philippine Advertising Congress Perspectives: Ano sa Tingin Mo? November 18-21, 2009 CAP Convention Center Camp John Hay Baguio City www.adcon.com.ph Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas 35th Top Level Management Conference Golden Dove Awards Presentation November 2009 www.kbp.org.ph Media Agency of the Year 2009 December 10, 2009 Singapore Tel: +65 6579 0538 vic.ho@haymarketasia.com
Pure n Fresh T VC
the 30-seconder will extend. We will get tired of watching [ads]. We will watch films, music videos, shows. Yung 30-seconds kasi di na pinapansin ng mga tao…kailangan mag-enjoy sya in watching, ma-entertain bago sila bumili (People no longer notice the 30-seconder…they need to be entertained before they buy).” Throw in TV networks producing media portions and even ads, and the line blurs even more. The London-based Branded Content Marketing Association defines branded content as “ideas that bring entertainment value to brands, and that integrate brands into entertainment…e.g. films, TV programmes, music, events, digital, sponsorship, merchandising… Consumers volunteer their attention. It is the move from interruption to attraction.” Will the recession kill branded content? It may improve things, as demanding consumers force brands to try harder. The field is still wideopen: Soft sell or hard? Intrude or ask nicely? The destination remains the same, but new routes are open. With all the options open to us, let’s all stay off the teleserye path. Please.
Set in an ad agency that handles Dove, Ugly Wudi is hailed as a high-water mark in branded content, drawing 87 million viewers on opening night. Negative comment are a-plenty, but audience share, awareness and sales are all off the charts. july-august '09
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mediascape
Top 20 Advertisers
LongXi Awards 2009, Green-lit
Echoing the battle cry of recession-hit 2009, LongXi Awards calls for agencies to show off magic to make a rainbow! The LongXi Worldwide Chinese Language Advertising Awards has advanced the LongXi Grand Awards for Film, Radio, Print, and Outdoor, normally at yearend, to coincide with LongXi Catch Awards for new media creativity, LongXi Nova Awards for young creatives, and LongXi Design for outstanding Chinese design. LongXi Awards is open for registration and submission fully online through the official website http://www.longxiawards. org/09lx for entries outside Mainland China. Deadline for submission is July 11, 2009.
Ratings war, who’s No.1?
At end-June, Manila Bulletin reported that GMA Network leads in Mega Manila and Urban Luzon according to the latest data from AGB Nielsen Philippines. For the period June 1 to 21, GMA network posted an average total day audience share of 40.6 percent in Mega Manila, higher by 10.7 percentage points than ABS-CBN’s 29.9percent. However last May, ABS-CBN claimed an audience share of 40% vs. 39% for arch-rival GMA, according to ratings figures released by global market research specialist Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS). The announcement indeed reflects a gap between the two networks, which employed different ratings agencies. AGB Nielsen has 1,600 home panels and has been providing Mega Manila TV ratings since January 2001. Meanwhile TNS has 1,250 home panels and has provided TV ratings only in September 2007.
Q-11 launches new station ID, Web site
In its commitment to further establish itself as a station for women, Quality Television (Q-11) launches new station identification (ID) plug called “Love Life, Love Q”. As a channel dedicated to Filipinas, Q-11 reaches out to them through their new station ID. It represented the channel’s advocacy and attitude about life, and that is to appreciate everything life has to offer. Along with this project is the launch of Q-11’s new network website, WMN.ph – a one stop site featuring the latest buzz on topics and issues concerning women.
BusinessWorld Board elects Anthony Cuaycong as President/CEO
The Board of Directors of BusinessWorld elected Anthony Cuaycong as President/ CEO. Barbara Locsin, child of founders Raul and Leticia Locsin, was elected Chairman of the Board. Cuaycong had been VP/COO before his promotion, and still finds time to write the paper’s “Courtside” sports.
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(Jan-May, 2009)
Top 20 Philippine Advertisers based on advertising expenditure RANK ADVERTISER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Unilever Philippines Procter & Gamble Philippines Nestlé Philippines United Laboratories Colgate-Palmolive Philippines, Inc. The Coca-Cola Export Company Johnson & Johnson Philippines, Inc. Universal Robina Corporation Herbs & Nature Corporation Mead Johnson Philippines, Inc. Globe Telecom, inc. Del Monte Philippines, inc Wyeth Philippines, Inc. Smart Communications, Inc. Monde Nissin Corporation Tanduay Distillers, Inc. Jollibee Foods Corporation Chowking Food Corporation Golden Arches Development Corp. Kraft Foods (Philippines), Inc OTHERS GRAND TOTAL
Jan-May %Change Y2009 vs. Y2008 8,970 4,968 4,898 4,674 2,236 1,235 1,059 1,052 974 957 948 851 837 817 810 705 642 618 562 551 35,833 74,196
21% 15% 29% 22% -38% 24% 6% 87% 0% 27% 8% 79% 26% -18% 9% 18% -5% 178% 11% 23% 11% 13%
In Million Pesos based on Ratecard costs source: Nielsen Advertising Information Services
TRUTH IN ADVERTISING
1999
Once there were two venerable corporations, both very old and very large advertisers. But once the Eighties rolled in, their paths diverged. One evolved into a bastion of machismo; the other, a haven for alternative lifestyles. In the former, Team Testosterone ruled, drinking and partying like it was 1999 (no matter that it was ten in the morning). While the company employed a number of homosexuals, many made the effort to fly well below the gaydar. Some were successful; others became so repressed, they were warped for life. The other firm was its polar opposite, a mirror-verse, as it were. While employees here Illustration by Jed-Angelo Q. Segovia also partied like it was 1999, the Rainbow Coalition was the one serving the Kool-Aid. The leadership was so flaming, a shocked middle manager lodged a complaint, citing the proliferation of male centerfolds on the desks. Finally, the year 1999 rolled in, and with it came change. Team Testosterone disbanded, and the Rainbow Coalition migrated. In their wake, they left desolation. Then a strange thing happened. In Team Testosterone’s old hood, the closeted ones emerged. Unfettered, they flourished and came into their own. Today, this office remains one of the largest, most respected— and gayest—in town. In its mirror-verse, the board of directors hired The Man to bring the company back on track. He repopulated it with Men like himself: quiet, straight-laced, obsessive compulsive and just a wee bit homophobic. Its brands regained some of their old glory, but the work environment was no longer gay— and by this, we mean “happy and productive”. What’s the moral of the story? None. It only proves that, given enough time, corporations can swing both ways, too. So ten years from now, what gender will your corporate culture be?
Out-of-Home:
What’s Up? The country’s first-ever out-ofhome tradeshow drew over 75 exhibitors and was a landmark for the 40-year-old Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP). The audience was small, and passive even by local standards, but it was a solid beginning for the trade group. Culled from speakers and interviews, a billboard-view on the state of outdoor: OOH is big here — US$83 million big. That’s Nielsen’s estimated ad revenue for last year’s OOH placements in Mega Manila alone. That’s 2-3 percent of total Philippine adspend. The biggest advertisers are no surprise: Bench, Unilab, CocaCola and Smart. It would be even bigger with real metrics. Speaking for the Phil. Assn. of National Advertisers, Charmaine Canillas called for detailed numbers that could be independently audited. Nielsen proposes a reach-and-frequency framework, while cautioning that different forms of OOH require different measures. Outdoor specialist company Kinetic Worldwide begs to differ: “If we try to [measure] OOH like television, it will fail. We’ll always be misrepresented if we keep following other media models,” said Steve Alex Ridley, the Thompson firm’s New York-based global CEO. Steve Ridley
Regulation = Survival. Every year the billboards get
bigger— and we get an average of 23 to 26 typhoons (according to former OA AP president Carlo Llave). Unless all vendors stick to size and safety rules, accidents are inevitable, and the whole industry will suffer. The technology is moving, but are we? LCD screens get cheaper every day, and the technology is available to measure exactly which people are looking at your ad. “Out of home will go digital. It’s not if, but when,” says Kinetic’s Ridley. But according to Kinetic, digital demands specific creative: Typical TV ads or viral films often suffer without sound, while most banner ads are just not meant to be seen large. Vendors must also consider content. Even simple things like weather, time and exchange rates can make the screen a welcome landmark rather than a nuisance. As mobile broadband spreads, the Internet can allow more consumers to respond instantly to OOH. Andrew Stephens
OOH is about audience, not posters. This is the mantra of Kinetic Worldwide, represented at the show by Asia-Pacific head Alex Thompson. Digital’s impact comes not only from technical changes, but cultural ones.
Are you engaged? Omnicom’s Jim Goh spreads the word for creativity in outdoor As Omnicom Media Group’s regional Business Development head, Jim Goh has a front seat for Asia’s outdoor media explosion (though he prefers the broader term "Out of Home", or OOH). Globally, OOH is about three percent of adspend, but in the Asia-Pacific it is about eight percent. Goh’s last four speaking gigs have all been about OOH, so interest is up. Jim obliged us with a few insights: There are three key challenges for outdoor in Asia: geographic sprawl that scatters the Very, very fresh: an effort for a chain of audience; differences in vegetarian restaurants, by Wirz/BBDO Switzerland legislation; and different levels of technology. For example, WiFi/Bluetooth concepts are winners in compact areas like Singapore and Shanghai, but are less successful elsewhere. Some countries have more unique challenges: how to buy a huge billboard in North Korea (go via Beijing, not Seoul); how to get Cambodia’s government to stop monopolizing their prime sites (you can’t). Singapore’s regulations are rigid, while the Philippines’ are anything but. “No client is too small, as long as they’re open minded and see us as partners. But of course, all clients want the same thing: something new, for not too much money and a sure guarantee of success!...That’s where partnership (with vendors) comes in, plus inferences and sheer gut feel.” Goh knows the latter firsthand: as a Boots brand manager decades ago, he managed the first buy on Malaysia’s brand-new tollway signs— directing weary drivers to eye drops at the nearest Boots. Negotiation took months, but the campaign was a success, and remains unduplicated.
“It’s all about people’s lifestyles, how and when they move, and what choices they make,” says Thompson. Thus OOH is not just billboards, or the newest fancy screen; it is also figuring out what people want to see, and when and how to bring it to them.
A “sneezing”, squirting billboard for Science World museum in Vancouver, by RETHINK advertising.
It’s all about engagement: how to get consumers to look up from their cars or phones for a split-second. Creativity is the best way to cut through the clutter. But some events like the Super Bowl and the Pacquiao fight are must-buys, clutter or not: “One big reason: the fear of not being there.” july-august '09
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It’s the best time to launch a product, when people need new answers and new solutions.
RP tech mags go online
The economic crisis in the country has taken its toll on well established technology magazines, T3 Philippines and PC World Philippines forcing them to venture into online publication. Techie.com.ph is now replacing T3 magazine after it has been completely dropped by Summit Media. The website is said to feature original content which will be updated daily to keep magazine devotees satisfied and at the same time attract “netizens” who don’t rely on print media for their information fix. Meanwhile, PC World Philippines has not made a formal announcement yet but the magazine’s May issue is said to be its last publication.
A XN Man: Jack Lim, SPE Networks - Asia's ’s vice president for Advertising Sales & Marketing, now has four new channels keeping him busy.
Three GMA docus win at the 2009 US International Film and Video Festival
Three GMA network episodes have won big at the recent US International Film and Video Festival (USIFVF). The GMA "Reporter’s Notebook" episodes “Lunok-Droga” (Filipino Drug Mules) won silver, and “Pinays for Export” (Filipinas for Export), as well as I-Witness episode "Batang Langoy" (Child Swimmers) received Certificates at the recent US-IFVF. A leading global awards body founded in 1967, the USIFVF recognizes excellence in Business, Television, Documentary, Education, Entertainment, Industrial and Informative productions.
MTV Exit: Stop traffic to stop trafficking
Together with 80 different NGOs, MTV Exit is taking action to prevent more young Filipinos from falling victim to the US$10 billion trade in human beings. It is the local arm of a global MTV campaign that began in Europe. The Asian campaign can be followed on www.mtvexit.org. MTV Exit will be touring five key cities nationwide, where human trafficking is widespread and MTV (a cable channel) is not accessible to those most at risk. To follow the campaign and check out short films, performances and behind-the-scenes clips from local and foreign artists, visit www.mtvexit.org.
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It takes two Regional networks SPE Networks - Asia (SPENA) and AETN All Asia Networks Pte Ltd (AAAN) partner up to bring value to advertisers
Good news for niche advertisers: the intelligent audience just got a little easier to find. Thanks to a first-in-Asia partnership signed in April, SPE Networks - Asia, the Sonyowned company behind AXN, Animax, AXN Beyond and Sony Entertainment Television, now also represents AETN All-Asia Networks. This means that top youth and action/crime buys can be packaged with factual programs from The History Channel, The Biography Channel(BIO) and Crime & Investigation Network, and vice versa. While the deal originated in 2008–long before the worst of the recession—recent events have only strengthened its proposition. “You can’t save your way out of a recession, but you can provide better value,” said SPENA’s Jack Lim, who chatted with adobo during a recent Manila visit. “[The deal]
actually enlarges our bouquet of channels from four to eight overnight, providing better reach both horizontally and vertically.”
You can’t save your way out of a recession, but you can provide better value.
SPENA gets four strong channels, in areas that complement its core audience rather than compete. For example, AXN’s male-oriented magazine show “The Duke” can be packaged with a History Channel documentary on Asian business leaders, or fans of Animax’ “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” could look at the medieval experiments that inspired it. An audience that asks why According to Lim, the
deal could not have come at a better time for AETN and SPENA. Market turmoil created an openness to new ideas, structures—and partnerships. “It’s the best time to launch a product, when people need new answers and new solutions,” he says. Lim meets many corporate types who are big fans of the History Channel, watching it because they want to, not to keep up with their ads. It is a niche that has proven elusive for mainstream Philippine media advertisers; neither toprating teleseryes or the Lifestyle Network can deliver it. With past stints at General Electric, CNBC and IBM, Lim is an ideal representative for that niche. In a conversation ranging from the film “Frost/Nixon” to his experiences promoting computers to an ex-Vietcong commander-turned-government official, he typifies the viewer who may not consider himself a geek, yet is curious enough to know that Wikipedia can’t tell you everything. In fact, while the last few months have been tough on adspend, they’re good for AETN’s brands. Confronted with recession, terrorism and the environment, some viewers choose to escape, but many also want answers that go beyond page one. The back story matters again. As Asia takes a greater role in world affairs, a factual view that considers the past is exactly what many viewers want. (Of course, BIO’s lighter realityshow programming doesn’t hurt.) One can also go deeper into the viewership. The History Channel is not just for adult males: Lim’s two young daughters are avid fans, as is one of adobo’s writers, a 30something woman. Meanwhile, action and adventure channel AXN actually has a strong female following for "The Amazing Race", "House", "CSI" and "Damages". “Women seem to love the orderly sorting out of clues,” Lim observes. Another answer that’s a bit beyond the obvious. What else would we expect from SPENA and AETN?
The prizefighter is also a champion pitcher
by Oscar A. Gomez Jr. • Photograph by Tom Epperson
This just in from Las Vegas: Officials of Nevada’s state athletic commission are stunned that a mandatory drug test on Manny Pacquiao has found high traces of several unknown substances from his urine sample. After further testing, lab experts identified the mysterious substances as Alaxan, Vitwater, Clusivol, San Miguel Pale Pilsen, Café Puro, Ginebra…
E
ven a crude SMS gag can’t capture the assortment of campaigns revolving around Manny Pacquiao. The sports hero has been pitching everything, from french fries and sing-along mics to socks and pills for derby cocks. Not surprisingly, the Bureau of Internal Revenue was also hot on his trail— but not for dodging any tax obligations. The agency nabbed “Pacman” as its talking head for a new collection drive. Advertisers are after him because, simply put, Manny sells. In an endorsement milestone, Pacquiao wrapped up a global campaign for US
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shoe and apparel giant Nike last year. The 60second spot cast him together with superstars Kobe Bryant, Roger Federer, Ronaldhino and Maria Sharapova. It also left little doubt who was boxing’s top gun. The 30-year-old phenom is on the verge: of greatness, a political career, and a marketing whirlwind guaranteed to spin cash well beyond his heyday. At least, Pacquiao can retire on his monster deal with San Miguel Corporation that will pay him for long after he hangs up his gloves. He commands $12 million every time he climbs the ring. Pacquiao may not make as much
yet from flogging various brands—endorsements netted him lower than $2 million last year—but no worries there because Pacquiao Inc. has another serious money gusher: the sale of Philippine broadcast rights, from which the boxer rakes in more than a million dollars per fight. Since 2003, a dozen Pacquiao slugfests have been dealt to Solar Sports (ABS-CBN Sports, on the other hand, picked up three fights including one that it co-promoted with Pacquiao in Araneta Coliseum). To recover its steep investment, Solar beams the fights on multiple platforms—free-to-air TV, its own cable channel, a closed-circuit feed to cinemas, and pay-perview linkups to bars and living rooms.
Ever the diplomat. The latest addition to Pacquiao’s arsenal is something not just anybody can wield: influence. This year, both Time and Forbes recognized the growing impact of his feats, wealth and international celebrity. “He has charisma and he’s personable. Obviously the masses love him, but the upper classes across genders like him, too,” Solar Sports’ Marketing Chief Jude Turcuato observes. These are the very qualities that create a cult following. Boxing during the Seventies and Eighties, in particular, carried glamorous and marketable names like Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard. They were brilliant showmen as they were also brash, loud, wild and cash-mad.
Fans can deal with the fact that he doesn’t talk a lot. They have no problem with the broken English. They know it comes from the heart,” Claudio says, “so whatever Manny says, because of what he’s proven, people will believe.” To marketers, Pacquiao is a dream. Not just an incredible athlete, he’s also young and approachable, although he somewhat breaks from the usual mold. An electrifying machine between the ropes, he morphs into a quiet and reserved man out of the ring. Ever the diplomat, he’s a consummate sportsman who never has a bad word to say about his opponents. While seemingly made of steel, he has a soft touch, especially for ordinary folk. Pacquiao’s humility stems from someone who grew up in abject poverty. Indeed, he’s been so generous in supporting charitable projects that Manny might just give away everything that he has earned. Pacquiao can launch wild celebrations among devoted Filipino fans, who don’t mind that he’s not as flamboyant as the other greats. “The requirements of our own culture are different,” Solar’s Turcuato suggests. “It’s a big sell to Pinoys if you can relate to the poor and own a rags-to-riches story.” Roberto Claudio, founder of the Toby’s Sports retail chain, believes the Pacquiao mystique is rooted in his down-to-earth ways. “Fans can deal with the fact that he doesn’t talk a lot. They have no problem with the broken English. They know it comes from the heart,” Claudio says, “so whatever Manny says, because of what he’s proven, people will believe.” HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant expects Pacquiao to inherit the mantle of De la Hoya, a wildly popular fighter up to his retirement this year. The Golden Boy could pull boxing fans, non-fans and ex-fans alike. Pacquiao proved against De La Hoya last December that he is a thrilling, relentless puncher. His victory probably made him the next De La Hoya, that singular fighter who could transform a boxing match into a sports happening. While thriving on his natural gifts, Pacquiao also gets credit for taking the bold gambits that have super-sized his career, namely: He follows the money. Entering his prime at 28, Pacquiao focused on big-money fights in the
“He was pretty quiet. All business…he was clearly conscious of the time. Ask him to run or shadowbox, and he will, didn’t even break a sweat. He memorized the lines quickly, is used to acting. He’s very professional. Scheduling is really a nightmare, the time constraint, the layers of people around him (who have nuances in their own relationships with each other).” Ana Perez, VP Group Creative Director, ASPAC/LAW
axis of boxing, Las Vegas, where he shines in its bright lights and headlines against titans of the sport. The bigger his opponent, the better. Few believed Pacquiao’s power punches would carry the same sting against opponents of superior size. In his last three fights, however, Pacquiao scored big upsets against bigger men, audacious David and Goliath acts that burnished his Hall of Fame status.
A Ginebra championship game couldn’t stop the country the way Pacquiao does. People who don’t care about boxing or even sports know his name, in the way they know Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods. He courts the pay-per view bonanza. “Pay-per-view distribution confers special status on a bout,” says the Wall Street Journal. Like blockbuster films, pay-per-view fights have the biggest hype and promises of satisfaction. Pacquiao shows astonishing payper-view strength in Filipino communities in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, says Mark Taffet, a senior vice president of HBO Sports, which previously rode De La Hoya’s support in Latino communities and crossover appeal. “Like Oscar, Manny has shown tremendous growth in all demographics and markets,” adds Taffet. He runs the show. Inspired by De la Hoya’s success with Golden Boy Promotions, Pacquiao abandoned the safety net of US-
MINI-MANNY For those who miss out on the special edition watch, this USB is a great inducement to pick up another Victorinox watch. Available at Chronos and Lucerne stores.
style management in favor of running his own affairs since 2007. He has formed an experienced, Filipino-led team of marketing, legal and sports advisers. Opting out of three successive American managers has improved his take-home pay as well. Only one Canadian matchmaker, Michael Koncz, is retained to handle his stateside affairs. “Manny tends to be underrated in his analytical and business skills,” says Turcuato. “I know him to be an avid card player and he likes to challenge anyone to a game of chess, so I can’t say that I’m surprised.” He also says Pacquiao has sat on the negotiating table many times with boxing’s toughest-talking dealmakers. IT'S SWISS, YOU KNOW. It only took one billboard to get the phone ringing with advance orders for the limited-edition Pacquiao Victorinox. Assembled entirely in Switzerland for retail exclusively in the Philippines, the strictly limited edition of 1,000 is selling briskly. Buyers get a red boxing glove adorned with Pacquiao's signature with the watch, which is priced at under PhP23,000 —but it has been spotted at double that price on eBay.
He rebounds fast from mistakes and poor judgment. Pacquiao hasn’t been spared the occasional hubris afflicting many superstar athletes. They’ve brought him legal troubles and embarrassments. One infamous lawsuit erupted when he mindlessly signed with both Golden Boy and Top Rank, only to dump Golden Boy later and return a $500,000 advance. Amid training for his Hatton bout, he announced from out of the blue that he was defecting to ABS-CBN despite iron-clad contracts with both Solar and GMA-7. (Staring at a rash of lawsuit threats, he sheepishly rescinded the ABS-CBN deal.) Pacquiao is nothing if not resilient. It helps that despite his scandalous follies, the public has been quick to forgive. Even those he rubs the wrong way (including executives of GMA, Solar and Golden Boy) cut him much slack. The man, after all, quenches an entire nation’s thirst for a genuine sports hero. He is unlikely to wither fast unlike other flash-in-the-pan boxers, golfers, bowlers, and billiards players. Comparisons abound between Pacquiao and past legends—notably basketball player-coach and former senator Robert Jaworski and triple World Cup bowling champion Rafael Nepomuceno. “Maybe it’s Jaworski who comes closest in popularity,” says Solar’s Turcuato. “But a Ginebra championship game couldn’t stop the country the way Pacquiao does. People who don’t care about boxing or even sports know his name, in the way they know Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods.” Claudio of Toby’s could only agree. “He’s our most popular personality across all segments. Not just sports.” OSCAR GOMEZ is a freelance business journalist and former sports writer. He covers sports marketing and the mass media business for adobo.
adobocenterfold
DISSECTION Brillante Mendoza Best Director 2009 Cannes International Film Festival
When critics tore Mendoza’s masterwork “Kinatay” apart, it was nothing less than supreme irony. Then again, that’s what he does to his audiences anyway—tear them and their expectations apart. From his first film, “Masahista” to his most recent opus, his work has been called poverty porn. To him, however, it’s simply a frank depiction of Philippine reality. “We are 90 million Filipinos, 90 percent of which are poor. The other 10 percent, the incredibly rich, is not representative of the Philippines. So the experiences of the 90
percent—those are the best stories, because they’re all real, not imagined. “Kinatay”, in particular, was based on an eyewitness account of the actual crime. So accusations that “it’s too brutal” or “it’s too graphic” just don’t hold water with Mendoza. “I want to involve the audience. I make the experience three-dimensional not just one-dimensional. I show it all, how it looks, how it smells. Every element I can possibly use. And not all audiences are prepared for that. “When you watch my films, you won’t get entertained. You get bothered, disturbed.
You’re irritated, angered. You might even walk out, because it’s totally different from what you expect.” Mendoza hopes that once Filipinos become aware of what his films do, they can begin to understand, and eventually accept his vision. Sadly, he knows that this may not happen in his lifetime. “It’s probably going to happen for the next generation, probably in the many generations to come. I can only hope that there will be another filmmaker who will continue this kind of cinema.”
ART DIRECTION: DANTE DIZON • PHOTOGRAPHY: MARK NICDAO & WILDBUNCH PHOTOGRAPHY • PRODUCTION STYLING: ERL DIRECTO-CUISON MAKE-UP: AL DE LEON • FINAL ART & DIGITAL IMAGING: ROMAR QUIROZ
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“BAGETS” First batch of The FARM’s Portfolio Development Program (from left to right: Katrina Katindig, Sam Hernan, Benjo Billones, Manong Vendor, Mark Andres, Bianca Santos)
A harvest of artists for social change. Words Ida Torres Photography Melissa Rivera
The FARM is a joint advocacy project by Helpwork Inc. and Vgrafiks Design + Consultancy. _ www.thefarmprojects.org
When you hear the word FARM, the immediate images that pop into your head are barnyard animals, plants and crops, or if you are a health and wellness buff, you would think of that resort/retreat down in Batangas. But go to one of the side streets along Tomas Morato in Quezon City and you’ll discover a different kind of FARM. In a nutshell, The FARM Project was born out of the desire to “nurture and cultivate creative talents”. But don’t expect the usual design and creative school. “You can learn any software just by downloading tutorials from the Internet, but that is not what we’re about”, says Christian Paul Chan, Managing Partner of Vgrafiks Design + Consultancy.
hello@thefarmprojects.org www.vgrafiks.com
Along with co-Managing Partner Russell Vergara, they aim to create an unconventional hands-on and experiential educational facility that will not just focus on the technical skills, but more on the development of life skills of the young talents in the country.
You might call Christian and Russell realistic idealists. They are aware that in an industry like ours where sales are the bottom line of most companies, it is hard for young creatives to truly express their ingenuity while also thinking if the idea will translate to sales. But they are also idealistic enough to want to change the mindset not just of clients, but of the whole country. It might sound like a beauty pageant statement, but their goal is really to create positive change through harnessing the creative geniuses of the young. The young professionals (they refuse to call them students) who undergo training at The FARM go through a very strict and unorthodox screening process where more than just talent is at stake. “Their training may seem meaningless to them at the moment, but every activity that we do at The FARM, has a purpose that contributes to their growth as an artist and as a person”, explains Russell. And essentially, that is what The FARM is all about; sharing of skills, developing talents, exchange of ideas and providing knowledge to artists and designers to create something that has a positive impact in the society. “We are not training robotic graphic designers, we are actually shaping and molding the future leaders and creative thinkers of our country.” Christian states empathically.
CREATIVE SHOWCASE \ PHILIPPINES
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CREATIVE SHOWCASE \ PHILIPPINES
Ad title: “Hibiscus”, “Lily” Print ad / Advertiser: Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines / Agency: TBWA\SMP Executive Creative Director: Melvin Mangada / Creative Director: Manuel Villafania Art Director: Manuel Villafania, Melvin Mangada, Denise Tee / Copywriter: Br yan Siy Photographer: G-Nie Arambulo / Account Supervisor: Kara Filamor / Print Producer: May Dalisay Final Artist: Romar Quiroz / Production House: Adphoto july-august '09
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CREATIVE SHOWCASE \ PHILIPPINES
Ad title: Wella "Blue", "Red", "Yellow" Print ads / Advertiser: P&G Philippines / Agency: Leo Burnett Manila Executive Creative Director: Raoul Panes / Art Director: Mike dela Cuesta, Mon Pineda Copywriter: Sheila dela Cuesta, Therese Endriga, Nino Gupana / Retoucher: Robert Perez
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CREATIVE SHOWCASE \ PHILIPPINES
Ad Title: " Heavy Plate" Print ad / Advertiser: Pascual Laboratories / Agency: DM9JaymeSyfu Chief Creative Officer:Merlee Jayme / Creative Director: Eugene Demata, Jerr y Hizon / Creative Director : Jerr y Hizon Art Director: Miko Quiogue / Copywriter: Ej Galang / Creative: Allan Montayre / Digital Artist: Pinoy Reyes / Account Manager: Fin Neric
Ad Title: "Vascular", "Digestive" Print ads / Advertiser: Childhope Asia Philippines / Agency: BBDO Guerrero Chief Creative Officer: David Guerrero / Executive Creative Director: Joel Limchoc, Simon Welsh / Art Director: Joel Limchoc Copywriter: David Guerrero, Simon Welsh / Illustrator: Noel Angeles, Leeroy New, Dale Lopez, Randy Torres / Retoucher: Manny Vailoces Photographer: Dindo Villaester, DMV Photography / Producer: Al Salvador / Accounts: Lynne Esguerra july-august '09
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CREATIVE SHOWCASE \ PHILIPPINES
Ad title: "Mud" / Advertiser: FedEx / Agency: BBDO Guerrero, Proximity Philippines Chief Creative Officer: David Guerrero / Executive Creative Director: Joel Limchoc, Simon Welsh Art Director: Dale Lopez / Copywriter: Meggy De Guzman / Retoucher: Dale Lopez, Manny Vailoces / Producer: Al Salvador / Accounts: Lynne Esguerra
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CREATIVE SHOWCASE \ PHILIPPINES
Ad Title: Bench Raw Jeans "Cool" TVCs / Advertiser: Suyen Corporation / Agency: Blue Bottle Inc. / Executive Creative Director: Mickey Domingo Art Director: Grace Montano Pucan / Copywriter: Carl Clemente / Client Service Director: Mio Chongson / Account Manager: Gen Tiu / Director: Onat Diaz Producer: Sonny Cruz / Production House: Media Circuit / Post-Production House: UGL / Director of Photography: Monchie Reboledo /Production Designer: Adelina Leung
Ad title: Infinit "Ballerina" TVC / Advertiser: Infinit / Agency: Campaigns & Grey / Creative Director: Ompong Remigio Art Director: Bunny Vivero, Tasha Bautista / Management Supervisor: Henr y Chua / Account Manager: Henson Wongaiham / Producer: Aldrin Galang Post Production: Underground Logic / Director: Jose Ticsay / Musical Arranger: Juan Miguel Salvador
Ad title: “Wind” 30s TVC / Advertiser: Pineda Hair Transplant Clinic / Agency: Rocket Science Manila Inc. Executive Creative Director: Manny del Rosario / Art Director: Manny del Rosario, Aries Cayabyab / Copywriter: Manny del Rosario / Production: Brew Productions Executive Producer: Annette Eufemio / Director: Jun Carangan / Director of Photography: Ver Poyaoan / Editing Facility: Shockpost / Editor: Francis Po Sound Design Company: Liquid Post / Account Manager: Celina Matias, Ira Sayco
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CREATIVE SHOWCASE \ PHILIPPINES Ad title: P&G Rejoice "Comb Escalator" / Advertiser: P&G Philippines Agency: Leo Burnett Manila / Executive Creative Director: Raoul Panes Art Director: Dingdong Baes / Copywriter: Raoul Panes Accounts: Jet Darisan, Roan Reyes, Jess Geli
Ad title: P&G Rejoice "Air Hockey" / Advertiser: P&G Philippines / Agency: Leo Burnett Manila Executive Creative Director: Raoul Panes / Art Director: Mela Advincula / Copywriter: Alvin Tecson / Accounts: Jet Darisan, Roan Reyes, Jess Geli
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Seeing is Believing Unitel introduces the Phantom, the revolutionary new high-speed camera that delivers film-like depth of field and ultra-high frame rates at virtually any desired resolution. “Our directors were clamoring for a hi-speed camera. I looked at lots of cameras but all were for industrial use, with image quality not good enough for commercials. When I saw a demo of the Phantom, I was impressed! Quality-wise, it blends well with 35mm film and has a fast & simple workflow which is a must in TVC productions. Another important consideration was cost. A regular 16mm photosonic shoot would cost 160k for the camera, filmstock, processing and TC. With the Phantom’s rates, clients will spend less but get a higher value with their shots. " • Tony Gloria, Unitel President
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You can keep on shooting at ultra high speed without worrying about film stock, and you can instantly see what you just shot at the rate it was taken. training & testing with the trainor from Australia, the Phantom went beyond expectations. Image resolution has depth with contrast levels as good as film. The camera was very stable considering the fact that it was ON non-stop for 8 hours and running / exposing an average of 100gb” • Jun Reyes, Director
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the bigger picture
PARODIES ON PARADE
How advertising gets its laughs and profits
T
by Cid Reyes
it for tat. A dose of your own medicine is precisely what advertising gets when it gets spoofed, lampooned, and parodied in comic shows. In fact, the popular TV show “Bubble Gang” does numerous parodies of Philippine television commercials, which the audience laps up. The comedian Michael V. is a genius of sorts at this type of entertainment. Amazingly, the ad agency whose work gets “pilloried” on the show even takes the parody, not as an affront, but as a tribute to its commercial! The reasoning being: if your commercial doesn’t get parodied, then your work did not make its mark on the public’s consciousness. The Nike campaign was certainly noticed, its famous slogan parodied: “Just douche it!” The American TV sketch comedy series, “Saturday Night Live”, regularly features parodies of actual TV commercials, but are careful to note that “they are comedy parodies of the style of the real advertisement rather than its product. Mad Magazine was also famous for parodying commercials and print ads. Indeed, mad publisher William Gaines received frequent requests from ad agencies to parody their ads. The publisher’s standard reply is: “Come up with a really stupid ad campaign, and we’ll be happy to make fun of it.” advertising Most popular itselfBut is the greatest objects of practitioner of parJust so we’re all parody in the ody. in agreement about Philippines are what the subject our politicians. means: Parody is the ridiculous imitation, That is not through exaggeration surprising, and/or distortion, of a person, object being in the or event. In fact, you limelight daily, cannot parody just anything. The object with all their of parody must have foibles and the distinct “honor” jolly in the of being famous, or infamous, as the case public eye. may be, someone or something that has become part of national consciousness. In other words, you cannot parody someone insignificant or unknown to the greater segment of the public. In that sense, it is a form of questionable tribute or act of homage to parody someone. Whether the object of parody is amused or complimented doesn’t seem to be of any import to the ad agency and advertiser. Most popular objects of parody in the Philippines are our politicians. That is not surprising, being in the limelight daily, with all their foibles and jolly in the public eye, not to mention their distinctive mannerisms, eccentricities, speech patterns and even accents, they are “ideal” vehicles for commercials.
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Motillum "Baraks"
Wonderbra goes ape
Bubble Gang's Rexona "Idol" spoof
Thy shall be banned: Girbaud's "Last Supper"
Godfather a la Del Monte
Former President Erap Estrada and Senator Miriam Santiago were used as “characters” in several commercials. To this day, it still “reverberates” in our mind the senator’s laughter, climaxed by a finely delivered “I lied!” The most recent of politician send-ups is a commercial for indigestion, which featured impersonators of President GMA and the recently elected US President Barack Obama. (It had, too, some of the wittiest copy lines ever heard hereabouts: from the kare-kare’s “It’s ox” to the after-dinner Kapeng Barak). Incredibly enough, celebrity and top endorser Kris Aquino did not have qualms about parodying her very public love life, such as the one for a corned beef product, where she claimed that, for once her Mommy and her kuya agree with her choice of corned beef, that is. For a calcium supplement, singer Pilita Corales parodied herself and gamely did her trademark back-bending performance. Not to be outdone, a telecom commercial parodied the EDSA People Power. Blockbuster movies are staples for parody in advertising. Each decade has had its share of ironic movies, from Superwheel’s parody of Cleopatra (remember “Maga-patuka na lang ako sa ahas?”) Del Monte Tomato Sauce’s “Godfather”, to Knorr Chinese Soup’s “Pu Yi”, a parody of “The Last Emperor”, to several sendups of “The Sound of Music”. An excellent parody of a movie was Visa’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Tiger” where, in a casting coup, Zhang Zi Yi, actress of the movie was also the star of the commercial. More: The famous shot from “The Karate Kid” has also been much parodied, as are the Kung Fu movies.
Now immortals in the universal consciousness, icon such as Marilyn Monroe, and Superman still appear in print advertising. When an idea calls for a symbol of sex and pulchritude (to a degree verging on camp), poor la Monroe’s image, now beyond copyright strictures, is trotted out. Obligingly an irrelevant parody of Monroe is that product for digestive flatulence, sending up (literally) the classic image of the Love Goddess whose billowing skirt was suggested to have been caused by excessive intestinal gas. Not only famous or well-known personalities but also images from art history are grist for the mill of parody. In Da Vinci mode, agency creatives do not tire of parodying the Renaissance master’s Mona Lisa. Indeed, she is the supreme parodist’s love/hate object. In one print campaign for a tomato sauce, the hands of a director transforms the Mona Lisa into a fat Italian momma, held up for ridicule. Being the most famous playwright in history, Shakespeare is always open season for parody. Favorite characters are poor Romeo and his Juliet—in both the balcony and the crypt scenes. I may not have seen it yet, but no doubt, Hamlet and Macbeth must surely have appeared in some European commercial. Their famous lines “To be or not to be” and “Is this dagger which I see before me?” are over-ripe for parody. Danish treats for parodists are the fairy tale creations of Hans Christian Anderson. Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, Goldilocks—you name it, and any of these cutesy fantasy figures must have sold some detergent, shampoo, biscuits, or skin whitener.
From the dim recesses of my memory (back in the Eighties!), I recall a parody commercial of Prince Charles and his fair, demure Diana a-courting. It was an English brand of biscuits, natch. To its credit, the agency found an amazing look-alike pair of the royal couple. (Some British tourists probably on their way to Bali but on a stopover in Manila, but waylaid by a resourceful caster to do a commercial).
But parody can be a really iffy thing. The calibration of several underlying conflictive sentiments— adoration and contempt, humor and seriousness, appropriateness and mindless appropriation— must all be subtly considered. Or else, the creative enterprise can boomerang and blow in your face. I should know: I was the guilty creative who cobbled together this improbable fantasy. While at this Anglophile adulation period, the Beatles were also idolized/satirized by commercials. The lyrics of their songs were perfect for substitution, singing the praises of some product. Creatives also parody media formats, such as those of the soap opera or telenovela and the radio love advices. A hilarious example of the latter is the series of Perla radio commercials, using a flamboyantly gay advisor. Parody—or tribute, if you wish—of the telenovela saw its exemplary execution in Bangkok’s Smooth E Baby Face Foam “Love Story”. Created by the now legendary Jureeporn Thaidumrong, the campaign consisted of four 90-second commercials! Not surprisingly, the campaign swept a slew of awards: Cannes Gold Lion 2006, Best of the Best Media Spikes 2006, and 17th most awarded TV commercial in the US world, 2006 Gunn Report. But all that is gravy to the campaign’s ultimate success: sales rose 155 percent! But parody can be a really iffy thing. The calibration of several underlying conflictive sentiments—adoration and contempt, humor and seriousness, appropriateness and mindless appropriation—must all be subtly considered. Or else, the creative enterprise can boomerang and blow in your face. One such material was the billboard for Belo Medical, which was featured in adobo’s “Ad Nauseam”, which “…aspires for the languid glamour of Annie Liebovitz but only succeeds in making the beauteous faces Botox-stiff.” Thus, Vanity Fair’s vengeance. So, what we are to learn from the proper use (if at all) a parody? Irrepressible still, we can quote that horror movie’s famous slogan: “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” The last laugh… may be on you! CID REYES is an artist, writer, art critic, book publisher and creative consultant. july-august '09
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cents and values Getting the Impressionable Youth
T
by Nanette Franco-Diyco
he very short break between the end of the summer classes and the beginning of the new school year allowed academicians and students some precious leisure time to just sit together and relax. Many mid-mornings at the university coffee shop, we chatted about everything while the rain pelted the campus. A most interesting session had us discussing “memorable television commercials” of recent vintage, a favorite topic of the undergrads. I hasten to say that for the session, we had only a handful of men in the group. We agreed that the TV commercials should have everyone as pleased as punch and, individually, each could even have nominated the material himself. A recent Coke promo ad with Bench scored well in terms of memorability. The group noted the extraordinarily colorful shirts with
Camella Homes
good designs and materials “which were better than most.” They felt that both Coke and Bench embraced a market leader stance, gave top quality products and definitely added a new dimension to just refreshing yourselves. Practically everyone liked the Selecta Cornetto spots for their uncomplicated humor and PhP20 offering. Yes, indeed, everyone agreed that because of the commercial, their liking for Cornetto visibly increased. The Smart Buddy double-decker tickled their funny bone endlessly. Hardly anybody could resist this TV commercial—specially the guys! The Nescafe iced coffee which the barkada prepared and shared with “Manong” along the rented boats was described as realistic. It actually
The UN-World Food Program Fights to End Hunger
Walk a Mile, Feed a Child
With food commercials going strong even during tough times, it’s easy to forget that about 3 million Filipino children under five years old suffer from malnutrition. Foodies of all sorts, people could not pass up a different Sunday: the UN World Food Program's End Hunger, Walk the World event, set head-achingly early last June 7 along Roxas Boulevard. Organizers estimate about 8,000 people registered for the short and largely symbolic two-flank walk from CCP and the US Embassy and converging at Raha Sulayman Park, yes, surrounded by restaurants. Half the crowd stayed for program that opened with Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. Each person represented a PhP150 donation straight to the program's beneficiaries, children in Mindanao's conflict zones, enough to feed ten children for a day, according to the WFP’s calculation.
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For the UN-WFP, finding strong allies is crucial. TNT Express, staunchly committed to the UN-WFP at the onset, ensures the safe, secure and smooth delivery and distribution of the goods supplied by Unilever Philippines, one of the partners. The organizations work closely with the government’s Department of Social Welfare and Development. Philippine young star KC Concepcion is the UN-WFP National Ambassador against Hunger. After rain battered the Metro for a week, that Sunday was blissfully sunny. Despite the odds of good weather, the number of participants doubled from 3,500 last year. Stephen Anderson, Country Director and Representative of the UN-WFP, attributes it to faith. “We could not change the date because it happens on the same day all over the world. (So) we are very happy with the turnout. The last two months have paid off. This is all voluntary work… the culmination (of which is) the biggest and the most successful (to date),” says Anderson. That, or the eggs offered to St. Claire to appease the rain gods. To learn more on the UN-WFP, visit www.wfp.org.
I was most pleased that the selection had a lot of good values that linger beyond the selling message.
happened to a duo in the group. They liked the socialization aspect, the friendliness of the visitors and the reverberating Pinoy hospitality all around. Good production values, too. The Close-up adventure in a Chinese marketplace, where this man and woman became aware of each other while blowing bubbles, was romantic and appealed to the group. There was a lot of creative license here, but still, the commercial left a nice warm feeling for Close-up. Nescafe Iced Coffee There were a few girls who dreamt of the Fit and Right photo-proofs of success. Similarly, the FAB commercial appealed to the younger set. “I thought it was clever for the girl to simply snip off the old shirt of her brother. And I couldn’t help but remember my pesky brother.” Everyone loved the McDonald’s burger chant “and had actually chanted a treat for the barkada”! (Which the group repeated before parting!)! Close-up scored a “production high”, where the familiar rains caught a couple running for shelter, winding up with the man plucking a raindrop which is transformed into a sparkling pendant for his girl. Utterly romantic. Great casting. The Motilium commercial was praised for the very clever spoofing of Barack Obama having dinner at the Malacanang Palace. The group specifically pointed out that the airing schedule during Obama’s preinaugural days elevated it even to greater effectiveness. The athletes in the group liked Milo’s advocacy treatment, with their friend Chris Tiu and fellow athletes helping raise the consciousness of the very young in the field of sports. Winner!
There’s this one single commercial that was selected, not because of their being the target market (which they’re not), but because of the very creative way Camella Homes dramatized changing lifestyles. The group all chorused a great liking for the little girl cast in the commercial who had difficulty adjusting to a big Camella home. The “I am Ninoy” advocacy campaign was a lasting inspiration to the group, which, a few believed also inspired the brand new televison campaign on personal involvement and commitment sponsored by PLDT and Smart. As the group became “more peaceful”, the group selected the C2 commercial “showing a lot of serenity” while being cool and energetic, as it gave the distinct healthy strengths of the green tea pioneering drink. The girls praised the uniqueness of the Lactum Mother’s Day TV commercial where a little boy lauds his mother for not ever raising her voice at him, for her pure understanding of him. At the very end, it is revealed that his mom can’t speak except through the sign language. “Tugs at the heart.” We analyzed that apart from Coke, which gave the strengths of the brand straight out, the rest of the ads had a story to tell. The group displayed greater leanings toward the emotional approach. One can, after all, say that women are generally more emotional than men. I can’t help but recall an expat commenting on a creative reel presented to him that we Filipinos like our ads truly emotional. (There were tearjerkers in the batch presented to him). Most importantly, I was most pleased that the selection had a lot of good values that linger beyond the selling message. Let’s just say that they’re already able to partner cents with values. Selecta Cornetto
NANETTE FRANCO-DIYCO is a faculty member of the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of Asia & the Pacific. She also writes a weekly advertising column in BusinessWorld and a bi-monthly marketing column in Food & Beverage World Magazine.
Selected by adobo’s editorial board and some of the countr y ’s top creative directors
JUNE 2009 North Face "City Arachni"
Ad Title: North Face "City Arachni" Advertiser: Primer Group / Agency: Ace Saatchi & Saatchi / Creative Director: Andrew Petch, Tony Sarmiento, Raoul Floresca / Art Director: Gabby Tripon, Andrew Petch / Copywriter: Bia Fernandez / Illustrator: Peter Raphael Mutoc / Producer: Rodel Quitain, Dennis Obien
july-august '09
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logic and magic The Most Hardworking Medium
I
by Bong Osorio
n February, international market research company Taylor Nelson and Sofres (TNS) completed installation and testing of its TV ratings national panel. Here are some observations culled from the data:
TV viewing starts at 4:30 a.m., but serious viewing starts at 5:30 a.m., with programs like "Umagang Kay Ganda". By then, five percent, or 390,000 homes, have their TV sets on. This figure climbs until noon, when about half of TV homes (3.9 million) tune in. Viewing drops in the afternoon, only to peak again between 8:30 to 9pm, for about 70 percent or 5.4 million homes. Fifteen percent of TV homes keep their sets on until 12 midnight.
Parekoy Hole in the Wall
Game Ka na Ba?
A TV set is on an average seven hours per household, both Mega Manila and nationwide. Expectedly, three of these seven hours are spent on primetime. Three out of four homes are terrestrial or free-TV homes. Half the viewers come from Metro Manila and the suburbs; the other from balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Eighty-five percent come from the lower income class; gender is evenly split throughout the day. The majority of viewers are housewives; working members are mostly before 9 a.m. and after 6:30 p.m. Metro Manila and the suburbs make up 50 percent of the total viewing bloc? Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, taken
Not One of the Guys
ZenithOptimedia’s Abrahams He’s a slip of a guy. And that is his name. Guy Abrahams, ZenithOptimedia’s regional director of Communications Planning for Asia Pacific and ranked in Campaign Magazine’s Top Ten Best Media Thinkers, shares his insights on the fusion of media, social networking, mobile phones and video. Social networking media
“The mobile phone is at the heart of social networking in the Philippines. Affordable units, cheap text-messaging, and easy Internet access have resulted in massive online absorption and consumption. Communication between and from one to many requires material to initiate, stimulate and sustain engagement, and clearly, that material is entertainment. Great quality TVvideo content. The future of TV is IP—not Internet protocol, but Intellectual Property TV.” Fresh apple juice
“The fresher the TV, the better. Apple’s iPod and iPhone provides TV on your computer and in your
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pocket, covering every single media. Juice is from Skypecreators, whose on-demand, crossplatform TV service is the future of media. Because down the road consumers will demand to enjoy a TV show virtually on the same sofa with a friend overseas, these business models provide highway infrastructure to serve it. Social networking and TV on demand. It’s Martini media, any time, any place, anywhere.” Integration: speedy or sharp?
“To each his own consumer interaction: unless the consumer is at the heart of communication, you’ll never get them. Digital is the turbo-charge to analog campaigns. Adapting quickly and taking advantage of the new world is the key. Those who can match their business structure with new consumer behavior will succeed.” Out of the box and all about the box. This Guy knows his TV. Dangling media and marketing tidbits, Abrahams’ may just as well be casting chunks of foresight and fortune on the future of human bonding.
as a whole, account for the other 50 percent. Eight out of 10 homes nationwide have children 12 years old and below. Dramas, news and game shows pull the most viewers; ad spend is proportioned among them. GMA 7 allots over a quarter of the TV day to news and public affairs, 20 percent for local dramas, and divides the rest among talk shows, game shows, docus, cartoons and foreign dramas. ABS-CBN allots 32 percent of airtime for public service, 25 percent for variety game shows, and 20 percent for local dramas. Over the past 14 years of audience measurement, programs come and go. In the late 1990s, for example, “Marimar” stunned the big networks by dominating ratings for months. PBA (darling of the 1970s and the 80s) eventually lost viewers by hogging viewership for extended periods. “F4 (Meteor Garden)” took the country by storm, and “Game Ka Na Ba” fiercely competed with foreign game shows. Not to be outdone, reality TV quickly turned "Marimar" unknown participants into celebrities. Continuing or episodic game shows continue to bite. A continuing show features a contestant competing until he is dethroned; the episodic type declares a new winner per episode. In their launch week, these shows rate at about 25.5 percent (continuing) and 20.5 percent (episodic), which are maintained relatively closely for the entire run. The difference is usually seen in their last episodes. A continuing show can build audience through time; an episodic relies on the guests who play. Studying the life cycles of past programs is critical. It helps determine which shows have the power to build, and which will be merely consistent. It also determines which game show formats deliver more efficiently.
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Noontime programs are tried and tested. Taken across time, this genre stays flat, with spikes attributable to specials within the show. Shows like “Wowowee” are considered consistent and bankable; TV programming specialists strongly believe that advertisers can never go wrong with this category. Evening news remains a staple. In the absence of a controversy, these programs turn in 25 to 30 percent of viewers each night. Telenovelas or teleseryes are networks’ biggest investment. But high costs create performance pressure. A good storyline can sustain interest through over 100 airings; with production wellprepared and luck on its side, a teleserye may rate consistently throughout its lifetime and perhaps its grand finale can even rate higher than its premiere. Viewers are postponing their siesta−to start afternoon viewing a little earlier. The networks have seized on this new daypart with programs for “afternoon people”, like “Pieta” and “Parekoy”. ABS-CBN’s movie remake “Kambal sa Uma” debuted in April, followed that week by GMA-7’s game show “Hole in the Wall”; each triggered programming adjustments. Just a few weeks later, Koreanovela “Boys Over Flowers” was launched on afternoon TV. On a national scale, “Wowowee” rules daytime, and “May Bukas Pa”, “Only You”, “TV Patrol World” and “Tayong Dalawa” for primetime. What can we learn from this? TV indeed is a hardworking medium and a good window to reach targets; viewing hours are well spread out. Viewers can be simple or complicated; news, local drama and game shows dominate the TV day. Knowing your viewers from sign on to sign off is important. Good programs can convert “siesta people” to viewers, and gaining knowledge from the experiences of past programs is advisable. BONG OSORIO is an active marketing communications practitioner, a multi-awarded educator and writer rolled into one. He currently heads the Corporate Communication Division of ABSCBN, and is a professor at the University of Santo Tomas, as well as a columnist in the Philippine Star.
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CANNES
LIONS 2009
56th International Advertising Festival The Philippines’ Official Cannes Festival Representative
CANNES LIONS 2009
56th International Advertising Festival
An underdog wins America over; a regime is called out by billboard; spunky digital campaigns overturn the old guard. Themes of hope and change ran through the winners of the 56th Cannes International Advertising Festival. Registered attendance to this biggest and most prestigious assembly of the world’s advertising practitioners was down; so were entries that vied for the prized Cannes
taking home Media Agency of the Year, three Golds, and four Bronzes. Volkswagen reminded people that it was capable of making more than just Bill Bernbach’s career. It was lauded Advertiser of the Year. Microsoft changed the way people consumed media, and for that, Steve Ballmer was named Media Person of the Year.
Game changers Reported by Angel Guerrero
Lions, but online interest was way, way up. As an industry, humbled by economics, gathered to celebrate itself and ponder its future, the empowered yet fickle digital consumer was the unseen guest at the table. Asia’s big year
It was a historic year for Asia. Building on its surprise success last year, the region took three Grand Prix—Gold Lions for Print, Outdoor and Design—and the global awards for Media Agency of the Year (Dentsu) and Palme d’Or / Production House of the Year (Phenomena Bangkok). Long sidelined by political and economic upheaval, Hong Kong announced it was back by winning several metals and its first ever Grand Prix. The Asian victory was part of a bigger trend of global winners: besides Asia’s three, two Grand Prix went to South Africa, and three to a single campaign from Australia. Europe and USA took six; the rest of world, eight. Granted, the West loomed over the biggest categories— Titanium/Integrated, Film and Press, as well as two Cybers. But the industry went global as never before, and there was no going back.
New ones like PR, and old ones whose boundaries were debated: Can a noncommercial campaign qualify for a Grand Prix? How is it that one campaign can win Grand Prix in two or even three categories? More than Lions
Among the networks, BBDO kept its three-year hold on Network of the Year. The sun also shone on DDB. Its Brazil office won Agency of the Year and while Tribal DDB Amsterdam took the Film Grand Prix. For Asian winners, it was JWT: the Media Grand Prix, two of the region’s three Gold Lions in Film and the region’s sole Gold Lion in Press, plus a slew of silvers for Nokia’s Bruce Lee video campaign. Dentsu also did quietly well,
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Twitter’s tipping point
From the judging halls to Gutter Bar to special mention on media embargoes (“Should not appear on any media: broadcast, print, online, twitter.”), Biz Stone’s creation was Cannes’ digital drug of choice. Stone’s seminar eclipsed those of Google and Microsoft, as insiders joined the rest of the world in marveling at how 140 characters could convey so much.
Bob Geldof and Kofi Annan
New categories, new questions
These were a hot issue this year. New ones like PR, and old ones whose boundaries were debated: Can a non-commercial campaign qualify for a Grand Prix? How is it that one campaign can win Grand Prix in two or even three categories? What is Promo and what is PR? Does a viral film belong in Cyber, Direct, Film or Integrated? Across categories, the winners were real breakthroughs. The Obama campaign changed the industry as well as history. Philips “Carousel” was created and produced by digital agencies, and was hailed as the future of film. The Outdoor campaign for The Zimbabwean sent a powerful message with an almost worthless material: actual Zimbabwean dollars. Not to forget that CumminsNitro’s “Best Job in the World”, which won three Grand Prix for Australia, redefined tourism marketing and generated so much attention and resources that the account is now up for pitch. Meanwhile, the Cyber Lions generated an eyebrow-raising three Grand Prix. “Best Job” got the headlines, but equally honored were AKQA London’s Fiat “Echo-Drive”, and 42 Entertainment’s “Why So Serious?”, a.k.a. “The Dark Knight” virals. Straight from the headlines
In keeping with the serious themes, this year’s seminars offered plenty of smart people to listen to. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Live Aid founder Bob Geldof received standing ovations for their plea for action on climate change. Filmmaker Spike Lee warned delegates to ignore the democratizing effects of new technology, at their own peril. Musicianactor-record producer Steven van Zandt pitched concert tours and radio shows to brand stewards, while Roger Daltry of The Who (the band that gives the CSI TV franchise its sound) and impresario Harvey Goldstein reflected on life in the limelight. Each in their own way, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe and Twitter founder Biz Stone embodied change to an electrified crowd. On recession (a.k.a. “Will we still have these jobs next year?”) Microsoft head Steve Ballmer said bluntly that “the ad industry has reset” and will take years to come back.
With all these distractions, the longtime hottest ticket in Cannes—Saatchi's New Directors Showcase—only simmered this year. At the end of it all, Obama for America’s double-Grand Prix closed Cannes with exhilarating shot of hope for the delegates. Hope for new things, brain-shattering new ideas—and one hopes, new winners next year. See you in 2010!
Network of the Year The Network of the Year award is given to the agency network that obtains the highest score for entries in the Film, Press, Outdoor, Radio, Media, Cyber, Direct, Promo, Titanium & Integrated Lions.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
BBDO DDB LEO BURNETT OGILVY & MATHER TBWA\
Asia’s Cannes Lions by country (Metal count in all categories) Country
Grand Prix 2
Japan India China Singapore Malaysia Hong Kong 1 Thailand Korea Philippines Indonesia 3 TOTAL
Gold
Silver
Bronze
PR
Total
7 4
6 7 7 2 1 1 3 1
13 14 7 5 6 4 3 2 2 1 57
2
30 25 14 8 7 6 6 3 2 1 102
1
12
28
2
The Philippines’ Official Cannes Festival Representative A Lions jury
Roger Daltrey
The Best Job in the World: Cyber Grand Prix for Tourism Queensland
Microsoft's Steve Ballmer
Dentsu's Akira Kagami awards the Outdoor Grand Prix to TBWA's John Hunt
Spike Lee
A standing ovation for Bob Geldof
CANNES LIONS 2009 • Philippines 56th International Advertising Festival
TBWA\SMP, Universal McCann bring home the Bronze Two Philippine agencies were honored at Cannes this year: TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno won a Bronze Lion in Press for its Boysen “Lily”/”Hibiscus” series, and Universal McCann received a Bronze Media Lion for Johnson & Johnson’s full-length film “Botelya”. Twelve Philippine entries were shortlisted: DM9 JaymeSyfu led with four finalists; TBWA\ SMP, Y&R and Ace Saatchi & Saatchi had two each (two Press for TBWA\SMP, two Radios for Y&R and two in Outdoor for Saatchi); BBDO Guerrero had one for Design, and Universal McCann, one for Media. Compared to our own past performance, these are stark numbers. Whether it’s tougher editing of entries or more global exposure for our young ones, we’ve got 10 months and an Ad Congress to train for Cannes 2010. So let’s get to work.
Phillipines' performance in the 2009 Cannes Lions (Metal count in all categories) Bronze
Shortlist
TOTAL
TBWA\SMP
1
2
3
Universal McCann
1
1
2
DDB DM9 JaymeSyfu
4
4
Ace Saatchi & Saatchi
2
2
Y&R
2
2
BBDO Guerrero
1
1
12
14
Agency
TOTAL
PRESS BRONZE LION “Hibiscus”, “Lily” Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines TBWA\SMP Executive Creative Director: Melvin Mangada Creative Director: Manuel Villafania Art Director: Manuel Villafania, Melvin Mangada, Denise Tee Copywriter: Br yan Siy Photographer: G-Nie Arambulo Account Supervisor: Kara Filamor Print Producer: May Dalisay Final Artist: Romar Quiroz Production House: Adphoto
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2
From BUCKETS TO METAL It took TBWA\SMP buckets and buckets of paint to recreate petals and pistils of a real flower, but the Bronze Lions in Press made it all worth it. The campaign came from a previous ad titled “Trees” which talked about Boysen’s certified green manufacturing plants. “Manuel Villafania, our creative director, presented the flowers in green, a fantastic extension of the original campaign. But I thought we should drop the green, and use actual colors instead,” shared Melvin Mangada, executive creative director of TBWA\SMP. Throwing paint straight from a bucket created the petals;
shooting it from a hypodermic syringe, the pistils, along with some kickass digital imaging created “Lily” and “Hibiscus”. “Originally in ‘Lily’, there’s another petal, but we think it’s more graphic to take out one petal. This actually made it more stunning,” said Mangada. In the case of “Hibiscus”, strobe lights were used to capture the high-speed droplets on cam. Aside from the Cannes win, the ads earlier appeared in the magazine of the Photographers Association of Australia, who took notice of the technique used in its photography.
The Philippines’ Official Cannes Festival Representative
FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY ON THE YOUNG LIONS
"We met everyone from pretty much everywhere…. Ooohh, were we in for a shock. "We discovered that three other teams were representatives of their countries last year, meaning they won their national competitions back-to-back. A pair was a creative director and a producer. Some had London International Awards back home; others, a Clio. One team already had its own Cannes-freaking-Lion. (Cue Theme from Jaws.)"
"Judging from the shortlist, it seems that the clarity of the ideas still rules. It would help good art direction, but I think the common ground here is there’s a lot of simple and clear ideas, strong ideas, not too much of those muddled ones or complicated ones." Jerry Hizon Creative Director DM9 JaymeSyfu
Outdoor SHORTLIST “You and Me Against ” Vespa Ace Saatchi & Saatchi Creative Director: Andrew Petch, Tony Sarmiento, Raoul Floresca Art Directors: Biboy Royong, Gelo Lico, Andrew Petch Copywriter: Tony Sarmiento, Andrew Petch, Bogey Bernardo Producer: Rodel Quitain, Dennis Obien
Kulas Abrenilla & Peepo David Philippine Young Lions and Art Directors, DentsuIndio
MEDIA BRONZE LION "Botelya" Johnson & Johnson Universal McCann Managing Director: Venus Navalta Marketing Manager: Alex Dan Tracderas (Johnson&Johnson) Director of Entertainment: Kokoy Boncan Assistant Media Strategist: Eugene Claravall Media Planner: Am Sibayan Screenwriter/Director: Emmanuel Quindo Pas The film, “Botelya” (The Bottle) told the war-time stor y of a mother forced to give up her baby, her final act of love was touch therapy. The movie became the centerpiece of a mobile “ festival of love” event that toured communities engaging mothers with touch therapy demonstrations product samples, lectures, quizzes, even transport to attend the event. TNS study showed the campaign successfully communicated the importance of Touch Therapy (96%). Purchase intent (“definitely will buy ”) reached almost 100%. Johnson’s Baby Oil’s market share increased from 86% to 93%, trial and conversion went up to 100%.
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CANNES LIONS 2009 • Philippines 56th International Advertising Festival
DESIGN SHORTLIST “D.I.Y. Poster ” Creative Guild BBDO Guerrero
Outdoor SHORTLIST “City Arachni” North Face Ace Saatchi & Saatchi
Chief Creative Officer: David Guerrero Executive Creative Director: Joel Limchoc, Simon Welsh Creative Director: Brandie Tan Art Director: Dale Lopez Copywriter: David Guerrero, Rachel Teotico Photographer: Paolo Gripo Print Producer: Al Salvador Final Art: Dale Lopez Accounts: Susan Incierto
Creative Director: Andrew Petch, Tony Sarmiento, Raoul Floresca Art Director: Gabby Tripon, Andrew Petch Copywriter: Bia Fernandez Illustrator: Peter Raphael Mutoc Producer: Rodel Quitain, Dennis Obien
BIZ:
HOME
MAN: I brushed my face and washed my teeth I shampooed my clothes and wore my scalp
I scrambled the toast and buttered the eggs
I put on the dog and fed my shoes
I locked my hair and combed the door
I drove the juice and (YAWNS) drank my car
MUSIC: OLD-STYLE THEATRICAL PIANO SCORE WOMAN: He lay, dead by zone hand, beside her. She woke up believing her love would be there. The poison was swift but it wasn’t fatal. No thanks to her cousin. She refused to marry the man her parents chose. She married the man who’s family hated hers. He overheard her saying, “Wherefore out thou, Romeo?” And that was it, he knew. Their eyes met across the room and instantly, they fell in love. ANNCR: It ’s more beautiful when you start where it ends Palmolive Perfect Ends Shampoo.
ANNCR: Start the day with Coffee Dream. Coffee on the go. RADIO SHORTLIST Coffee Dream "Parallel Universe" DM9 JaymeSyfu Chief Creative Officer: Merlee Jayme Executive Creative Director: Eugene Demata Creative Director: Merlee Jayme, Eugene Demata, Jerr y Hizon, Louie Sotto Scriptwriter: Biba Cabuquit Account Manager: Marj Aznar Account Supervisor: Alex Syfu, Ronald Barriero Production Company: HIT PRODUCTIONS Producer: Lyda Aguinaldo Sound Engineer: Regie Ambas Voice Talents: Paul Holmes/May Zayco
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RADIO SHORTLIST "Romeo and Juliet" Palmolive Perfect Ends Shampoo Y&R Philippines Executive Creative Director: Leigh Reyes Copywriter: Leigh Reyes Agency Producer: Sonny Cruz Account Director: Chris Dinglasan Sound Engineer: Chris Cantada Production Company: Hit Productions
The Philippines’ Official Cannes Festival Representative
OUTDOOR SHORTLIST "Match" Makati Fire Station DM9 JaymeSyfu Chief Creative Officer: Merlee Jayme Executive Creative Director: Eugene Demata Creative Director: Merlee Jayme, Eugene Demata Copywriter: Eugene Demata Account Manager: Junette Laxamana, Sheila Villanueva Producer: Jess Ramo, Sheila Villanueva Art Director: Eugene Demata Illustrator: Allan Montayre
OUTDOOR SHORTLIST "Kobe" Coppertone DM9 JaymeSyfu Chief Creative Officer: Merlee Jayme Executive Creative Director: Eugene Demata Creative Director: Merlee Jayme, Eugene Demata, Louie Sotto Copywriter: Louie Sotto Account Manager: Caloy Sambrano Account Supervisor: Alex Syfu, Ronald Barriero Producer: Jess Ramo, Sheila Villanueva Art Director: Herbert Hernandez Illustrator: Allan Montayre Photographer: Paolo Gripo
(This commercial uses holophonic technology to create the illusion of live sound coming from behind the listener. Inside the car, the driver can’t help but feel that someone else is in the car with her.) BIZ:
CAR INTERIOR
SFX:
A MAN IS BREATHING, MORE AND MORE HEAVILY AS IT PROGRESSES.
GUY:
(IN A MENACING WHISPER) You can be attacked anywhere. iProtect pepper spray.
MUSIC: MUSIC, BECOMING MORE AND MORE DRAMATIC ANNCR: A punch going at the speed of seven meters per second can cause a bruise. An arrow going 48.6 meters per second can puncture the skin and stab the internal organs. A bullet going 1,000 meters per second can penetrate through layers and layers of skin, flesh, muscle, and bone. Imagine how much damage something going at the speed of more than 299 million meters per second can do to your skin and the rest of your body. Protect yourself from sunlight with Coppertone.
RADIO SHORTLIST iProtect "Car Illusions" Y&R Philippines
RADIO SHORTLIST "Speed" DM9 JaymeSyfu
Regional Chief Creative Officer: Marcus Rebeschini Executive Creative Director: Leigh Reyes Copywriter: Leigh Reyes Agency Producer: Sonny Cruz Account Managers:Kayen Zialcita, Monche Herce Production Company: Hit Productions
Chief Creative Officer: Merlee Jayme Executive Creative Director: Eugene Demata Creative Director: Merlee Jayme, Eugene Demata, Jerr y Hizon Scriptwriter: Ej Galang, Miko Quiogue Agency Producer: Steve Vesagas Account Manager: Caloy Sambrano Account Supervisor: Alex Syfu Production Company: HIT PRODUCTIONS Producer: Steve Vesagas Sound Engineer: Glenn Mariano Music: Arnold Buena Voice Talent: Caloy Hinolan
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CANNES LIONS 2009
56th International Advertising Festival
Fernando Vega Olmos loves crisis
adobo magazine's 3rd year in Cannes
GT Tokyo's Film Gold Lion for the much applauded condoms "Love Distrance"
Tour Cannes city by train
India's T V network interviews their star
Brazilians celebrate!
Suited creative chiefs David Droga and Mark Tutssel
India's two Gold Lions!
On awards night, Uniqlo t-shirt lined up by the Palais exit
Young Lions from Mexico wins the Film competition
BBDO wins Network of the Year: David Lubars with the Lion and adobo's Angel G
Dentsu's Akira presents Masako, Carol and Judee, Asia's creative divas
The Philippines’ Official Cannes Festival Representative
Sir Martin Sorrell
Dominican Republic's Miguel, Linette, Yangul and Rodolfo
Coca-Cola Masterclass: Jonathan Mildenhall
Biz Stone twittering in Cannes
Multi Cannes winner: Droga 5's The Great Schlep
AlmapBBDO Sao Paolo wins again for Havaianas
CANNES LIONS 2009 • Grand Prix Winners 56th International Advertising Festival
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PRESS GRAND PRIX "Dakota on Road", "Dakota 2" Wrangler Fred & Farid Paris FACTS: 5,048 entries, 71 countries •Jur y President: David Lubars, BBDO New York , USA •GRAND PRIX 2008: DDB SOUTH AFRICA, ENERGIZER,”PAINTS”,PANTS”, PARKS” SPIT”
PROMO GRAND PRIX "Yubari" Yubari Resort Beacon Communications Tokyo Bankrupt city of Yubari was pulled back from the brink by boasting that it had the lowest divorce rate in the whole of Japan. The agency helped the city to create additional schemes that positioned the city as a destination for happy couples—official certificates of happily married couples, branded merchandise and Yubari music CD’s, to name but a few. Aside from the $1.5 million generated in advertising value, annual number of visitors to Yubari increased 10% year on year, whilst $31 million has been generated toward alleviating the city ’s debt. FACTS: 1,118 entries. 54countries •Jur y President: William Rosen ARC Worldwide, USA •GRAND PRIX 2008: BBDO NEW YORK, HBO “ VOYEUR”
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OUTDOOR GRAND PRIX "Fight The Regime" The Zimbabwean TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris FACTS: 4,498 entries, 67 countries •Jur y President: Akira Kagami, Dentsu Tokyo, Japan •GRAND PRIX 2008: BBDO NEW YORK , HBO “ VOYEUR”
The Philippines’ Official Cannes Festival Representative
CYBER GRAND PRIX "Why So Serious?" Warner Bros. Worldwide Marketing 42 Entertainment Pasadena “ Why So Serious?” was a 360 alternate reality experience. Centered on the web, yet branching out over mobile, mail, flash mobs, scavenger hunts, casual games, user generated content, collaborative narratives, streaming video and more, the audience was immersed into the saga of Gotham City from the last frame of Batman Begins to the opening scene of “The Dark Knight ”. Over 10M unique participants in 75 countries made “ Why So Serious?” a new benchmark for integrated campaigns.
CYBER GRAND PRIX "Eco-Drive" Fiat AKQA London Fiat is the first car manufacturer to launch the concept of ‘The Connected Car ”, developing an innovative way of mapping a car ’s engine, and providing diagnostics about how the car is driven. This data is sent to a USB stick via Blue&Me™ (Fiat ’s in-car Bluetooth system); it can then be collected and analyzed via a user-friendly desktop application. Called eco:Drive and based on real and accurate journey data, the technology allows Fiat drivers to easily understand how their driving techniques and habits can be improved to reduce CO2 emissions and save money on fuel. FACTS: 2205 entries, 56 countries •Jur y President: Lars Bastholm, AKQO, USA •GRAND PRIX 2008: VIRAL MARKETING - 42 ENTERTAINMENT USA, TRENT REZNOR/NIN “YEAR ZERO” •GRAND PRIX 2008: WEBSITE & INTERACTIVE - PROJECTOR TOKYO , UNIQLO “UNQLOCK” •GRAND PRIX 2008: ON-LINE ADVERTISING - MEDIAFRONT OSLO “SCANDINAVIA ONLINE “SOL COMMENTS”
CANNES LIONS 2009 • Grand Prix Winners 56th International Advertising Festival
DESIGN GRAND PRIX "Paper Battlefield" Nike Hong Kong McCann Worldgroup Causeway Bay FACTS: 1,139 entries, 63 countries •Jur y President: Sylvia Vitale Rotta, Team Creativ Paris, France •GRAND PRIX 2008: TURNER DUCKWORTH, THE COCA-COLA COMPANY “COCA-COLA IDENTITY”
FILM GRAND PRIX "Carousel" Phillips Tribal DDB Amsterdam FACTS: 3,453 entries, 75 countries •Jur y President, David Lubars, BBDO New York, USA •GRAND PRIX 2008: FALLON LONDON, CADBURY DAIRY MILK,”GORILLA” CADBURY
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TITANIUM GRAND PRIX INTEGRATED GRAND PRIX "Obama / Biden Presidentail Campaign Obama / Biden 2008 Obama For America Washington President Obama won the General Election by the biggest margin of any Democrat in 60 years, save Lyndon Johnson. By bringing millions of new voters into the political process, he won in states that had not voted for a Democrat for President in decades. Today, President Obama’s campaign serves as case-study for how a successfully integrated campaign can mobilize support, influence a population and change the face of government. FACTS: 403 entries, 45 countries •Jur y President: David Droga, Droga5 USA •TITANIUM GRAND PRIX 2008: PROJECTOR TOKYO, JAPAN, UNIQLO “UNIQLOCK” •INTEGRATED GRAND PRIX 2008: MCCANN WORLDWIDE, SAN FRANCISCO, MICROSOFT XBOX HALO 3 “BELIEVE”
MAN: Plain Insanity By Virgin Atlantic
MAN: Plain Insanity by Virgin Atlantic
SFX:
SFX:
CUCKOO CLOCK
MAN: I don’t often eat caviar for breakfast. Perhaps as rarely as twice a week. But, it was only Wednesday. Or Dorisday. The lady in the tutu interrupted me mid-bite. She was licking a breakfast dog, “I was born to dance”, she sang as catsup dribbled down her chin. Her wooden leg betrayed her. I quickly changed the subject to geography, “What ’s the lay of the land?” I asked. She tapped her wooden leg with the heel of her red stiletto three times. Her balance was uncanny. “I landed this evening”, she said. “First Class amenities for a Business Class fare” she said. “Virgin Atlantic Upper Class”, she screamed, as if she’d won at bingo. It was plain insanity. So I stared at her leg. Teak...or maybe mahogany.
CUCKOO CLOCK
MAN: A dog followed me home from the supermarket, eight three-quarter days ago. Not a big dog, but not a small one either. I let it in and made a pot of tea. It didn’t care for the tea, but it ate all the digestives. I drew a picture of the dog in purple crayon and placed it at the supermarket. We watch the news every night and I became quite fond of him. I called him Derek, after a bully in my school. Yesterday, there was a knock at the door. “I’m here,” the woman said. “But where have you been?” I asked. “I’m sorry. I’m married,” she said. “My husband’s in London” she said. “He flew First Class for a Business Class fare, Virgin Atlantic of a class,” she whispered. She was plainly insane...so I gave her the dog.
RADIO GRAND PRIX "Dance", "Dog" Virgin Atlantic Airlines Network BBDO Johannesburg FACTS: 1,153 entries, 56 countries •Jur y President: Matthew Bull, Lowe Worldwide, LONDON •GRAND PRIX 2008: DENTSU TOKYO, CANON CAMERA “SHUTTER CHANCE”
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CANNES LIONS 2009 • Grand Prix Winners 56th International Advertising Festival
CYBER GRAND PRIX DIRECT GRAND PRIX PR GRAND PRIX "Best Job In The World" Tourism Queensland CUMMINSNITRO Brisbane To raise awareness of Queensland’s Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, ‘The Best Job in the World’” was advertised through online job sites and small display ads, directing traffic to islandreefjob. com. In 56 days islandreefjob.com had 6,849,504 visits, 47,548,514 page views with an average of 8.62 minutes spent on the site. 36,648 people from 201 countries applied. Over 450,000 votes were cast for the Wild Card applicant. The “job” was given to Ben Southall who now blogs about his experience. FACTS (DIRECT LIONS): 1,364 entries, 59 countries •Jur y President: David Sable, Wunderman, USA •GRAND PRIX 2008: JWT INDIA, TIMES OF INDIA “LEAD INDIA” FACTS (PR LIONS): 431 entries, 48 countries •Jur y President: Lord Tim Bell, Chime Communications
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The Philippines’ Official Cannes Festival Representative
MEDIA GRAND PRIX "Kit Kat Mail" Nestle JWT Tokyo, Japan An innovative package of Kit Kat that can dropped into any Japan post office box. Overnight, Kit Kat became available in 20,000 additional locations that were entirely new, and competition-free, retail channels. The campaign received PR coverage on national news and throughout the blogosphere, totaling more than US$11 million in free media exposure. In fact, the campaign was so successful, Japan Post established Kit Kat Mail as a permanent product offering in their outlets. FACTS: 1,840 entries, 68 countries •Jur y President: Nick Brien, Mediabrands, USA •GRAND PRIX 2008: FORSMAN & BODENFORS GOTHENBURG SWEDEN AMF PENSION “MMS”
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CANNES LIONS 2009 • A Sampling of Asia's Gold Lions 56th International Advertising Festival
PRESS GOLD LION "Shark", "Calf" WWF JWT Singapore
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The Philippines’ Official Cannes Festival Representative
DESIGN GOLD LION "2008 One Show Exhibition" Yoshida Hideo Memorial Foundation DENTSU Tokyo
FILM GOLD LION "Love Distance" Sagami Condoms GT Tokyo
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CANNES LIONS 2009 • A Sampling of Asia's Gold Lions 56th International Advertising Festival
FILM GOLD LION "A Day in the Life of Chennai" The Times of India JWT Mumbai India
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DESIGN GOLD LION "Street to School" Maharashta Janavikaw Kenora (Balwadi Night School) JWT Mumbai India
OUTDOOR GOLD LION "Melody Road" Dunlop Falken Tyres DENTSU RAZORFISH Tokyo For the safety awareness of DUNLOP, a Japanese tire manufacturer, a road plays a melody when the car runs. By making a groove on a road, a melody will run out by friction. The reason why this turns out to be safety awareness is that the melody won’t turn out if the car is not running at 40km/h.
DESIGN GOLD LION "Coming Moon" Mitsubishi Estate Co. & IDEE Co. (Haiku Event) DENTSU KANSAI Osaka
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CANNES LIONS 2009
56th International Advertising Festival
THE JURY ROARS was lost in translation. Realizing the great execution and the compelling idea behind the poster, the jurors immediately loved it. Akira [Kagami, Outdoor Executive Creative Director Jury president] and I brought it out of shortlist, then to Euro RSCG Singapore Bronze. I took the final step to bring it up to Silver. More than techniques, Asian competitors For Cannes to recognize San Shui, to me, is in Outdoor have to be really mindful about perfect. what the rest of the world is up to. The world I’m quite happy to be part of the [Nikon has changed beyond the traditional poster or S60 campaign, a Bronze winner for Eurotraditional ad shot. It is about being out of the RSCG Singapore]. Traditional ideas are about box and being mindful of the idea integrated in a dramatizing the positive, the oldest technique campaign. “Melody Road” of Dentsu Razorfish Tokyo is in advertising. With [the S60’s] special facedetection feature, you actually detect faces one of the purest pieces of Outdoor advertising. that you don’t usually see. To dramatize the For a road safety message, it abstained from negative and the benefit, we use humor executed billboard and bus stop poster. Instead, an idea with charm. That creates a sense of likability, turned into action: If you drive at about 40 which I think, is underrated when it comes to kilometers per hour you hear a beautiful piece ad-making. You need people, consumers to of melody. Whether you are Outdoor jury, like your ads such that they can be open to your Integrated, or Direct, you gravitate to that idea. message. Asians have to look out for ourselves, The Outdoor Lions Grand Prix Campaign simply because a powerful piece of work should for The Zimbabwean, of TBWA\HuntLascaris transcend cultural and language boundaries. Johannesburg, was really a very simple idea. Outdoor had San Shui (“Industrial This newspaper was thrown to exile because Pollution”, “Global Warming” and “Automotive of the tyranny. To subsidize [it], they ran Pollution” of JWT Shanghai). Initially, it did not a campaign outside Zimbabwe by turning make the shortlist because the cultural context worthless trillion dollar bank notes—that cost
less than the printing paper of poster—into an advertising media. With that as the impetus, it completely captured our imagination. Every one of us thought that was brilliant. The Zimbabwean campaign was the favorite to win Grand Prix, and there were a lot of strong contenders—James Ready, Melody Road and Oasis. But at the end of the day, we realized it was not only breakthrough; it was in the confines of what is traditional Outdoor, with a twist of how integrated you can become with a very strong idea. Outdoor has since developed varieties. You now have guerilla, and live stands.
Perhaps this time, from a 23-year old junior writerfirst timer, or even from the 50-year old creative director. “Seek them out and reward them for Executive Creative Director the great work they’ve come up with” was the JWT Manila message. We were briefed very CANLUBANG TO CANNES—This was quickly. Without much ado, the group my Facebook status on my first day at was divided into two, to tackle more than Cannes. I stated it that way to indicate 1,200 entries. Each judge was assigned the distance anyone from The Philippines a desk—and provided, an HP Ipaq, must travel to get to the south of France. headphones, and a fat binder of more No pretentions, but it is a serious and than 600 scripts (See Exhibit A) to review expensive endeavor. And anyone who the work and cast their votes. Nine hours has trekked all the way here knows that and three cups of coffee later, I made every minute must be used wisely. good progress, finishing more than 350 Fortunately, this time around, I had scripts. the chance to be a jury member of the Eyes sore from reading loads Radio Lions. of scripts and ears bleeding from First day. The jury president, Matt deciphering the variety of accents, I Bull, gave a very inspiring little speech, returned to my hotel. encouraging us to search hard for great The following day was relatively ideas. Not from the usual suspects. easier. There were less ads to go through, and we got the hang of it by this time. Exhibit A Although at times we wanted to skip some, it just wasn’t possible or allowed. If I made mistakes in the first day, replaying the spots too many times, this time I didn’t. We were moving like well-oiled machines. Having said that, amongst all the judges, I still finished last! This day was capped with the whole jury going out for a drink at the Grey Albion bar to get to know each
other better, and more importantly to exchange great ideas they heard in the course of judging. The third marked the day we all saw the list of finalists from the first two days of judging. And this was the first time the two groups met as one jury to listen to all the finalists. We decided on the “final” list of which spots made it. At this point, we were all given a chance to bring in a spot for reconsideration. At the end, the official list of finalists were announced. There were three from The Philippines that got in. Phew! Considering how tough it was becoming to get anything through, I’d say it was a great achievement just getting this far.
Outdoor Lions
Victor Ng
Radio Lions
Dave Ferrer
UNA Sweden "Dress"
As we kept repeating on our final round of judging,”a good jury is a tough jury.” Yes, it was tough, but I think it can only lead to great ideas. On the last day, we convened to decide the metals. The list shrank to six pages. Another eight hours and much constructive discussion, we decided on the one Grand Prix. The one Gold. The two Silvers. And the several Bronzes. A result far less than last year and the previous years. The one thing that we unanimously agreed on was the Grand Prix, Virgin Atlantic’s “Upper Class Travel” campaign. Every time we listened to it, it just got better and better. The writing was
The Philippines’ Official Cannes Festival Representative
One day, we will see one Grand Prix win Titanium, Outdoor, Direct, Promo, PR and what else is out there. One worldchanging idea, a mind map right at the very center of the page. The Oasis album launch, with consumers standing in front of street buskers just to have a sneak peak of the album, is brilliant. I’m going to make a bold prediction that one day, we will see one Grand Prix win Titanium, Outdoor, Direct, Promo, PR and what else is out there. One world-changing idea, a mind map right at the very center of the page, manifested in different media execution and different channels complementary to the big idea. The Outdoor Jury had no cutthroat tussles that happen behind close doors. Everyone was listening and expressing their point of view. It was an honor to serve this jury representing Singapore and Asia. Cannes needs quality jurors representing the world. It is the most universal award show in the world. It’s the United Nations of advertising.
Design Lions
Ali Shabaz
Executive Creative Director JWT Singapore DAY 1
I meet all my fellow jury members for the first time in a large room. Judges representing over twelve countries—feels like I’m inside the United Nations. The Chairman sets the agenda. Everyone chips in and tries to set different agendas. Even sounds like the United Nations. An hour later, everyone agrees and sets off to look at the work. There’s lots of it. On tables, on the walls and even on the floor. I’m told that Design is the only category where the number of entries has gone up this year. Glancing through some pieces of Corporate Identity, I can tell it ’s going to be a strong year for design. BMW "Kinetic Sculpture"
intelligent, and the production quality was superb. As for the Gold for National Thoroughbred “Horse Racing” Campaign, it genuinely entertained us, again and again. Considering it ’s part of a long running campaign, this year’s spots were better than the previous. The collective sentiment was that the work wasn’t as good as the previous years. If we forced ourselves to reward good ideas, then we would not strive to produce even better and greater ideas. As we kept repeating on our final round of judging,”a good jury is a tough jury.” Yes, it was tough, but I think it can only lead to great ideas. So far, the experience may have sounded very mechanical and routine. But it is the well-oiled efficient machinery and system under which the Cannes festival operates that allows the juries to focus on the work, and only on the work. As it should be. Like a dream, that ’s how it was. Now, it ’s back to the grind. If only I could have the same focus on the work.
The first day is all about weeding. Anything that ’s boring or clichéd is axed without mercy. DAY 2
Groundhog Day. Except, I’m looking at different categories. Spot some gems from Asia. India and Japan in particular. Very intrigued by Environmental Design. It ’s a category that ’s truly inspiring. Can’t get the “Kinetic Sculpture” for BMW and “Balwadi Night School” from India out of my mind. The former is like techno-poetry—714 steel balls suspended in the air forming the shape of every BMW model produced. The latter uses a basic
Have we awarded too many Lions? Looks that way. It’s heartbreaking to cut down some of the work but the jury is tough. projector and slides and creates a piece of magic for a night school; that ’s truly moving. By the end of day, I’m yawning a lot. It ’s not the work. It ’s the jet lag. DAY 3
There’s new energy in the room. The jury has spent time together and now feels more like a team. We view our first cut together. We’re shocked at the amount of mediocre work that ’s made it. The axes come out again. By late afternoon, after many jokes and coffees, it feels like we have a shortlist. I’m happy to see most of the work I thought was great has made it. Asia and Europe are the strongest regions. The Nike posters from Hong Kong are as good as
winner. “Broken Windows”, stationery for a cricket coach in India makes me smile. For Europe, it ’s Germany that dominates with stellar work in almost all categories. We start to vote for metal. The arguments begin. DAY 4
I’m surprised to see the impact digital has made on something as traditional as design. It ’s new. It ’s exciting. And very hard to judge. The big learning for me…digital needs to be presented well. A video helps. Overall, the selection of work for awards looks very positive. Innovation, execution and that element of surprise that only great design can deliver…these were the things we were looking for. We found them in almost every piece that was awarded. The Grand Prix has a few serious contenders. Very pleased with ourselves we settle down to make the hardest decision for the day— where to go for dinner. DAY 5
Have we awarded too many Lions? Looks that way. It ’s heartbreaking to cut down some of the work but the jury is tough. It ’s finally time to decide the biggie. Everyone huddles in small groups lobbying for their favourite. Chairman makes another speech. Everyone gets focused. Havaianas "Havaianas Identity"
art. “ Cota Tama” from Japan stands out in Digital Design. An engaging application to promote digital art that feels like it could be the big
It goes down to the wire. More discussion. In the end, it ’s Nike. It ’s the only piece of work that feels worth taking home. july-august '09
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THE JURY ROARS Titanium & Integrated Lions
Prasoon Joshi
Executive Chairman, Regional ECD Asia Pacific McCann Erickson Mumbai, India To begin with, Integrated and Titanium is unlike any other award. It doesn’t have different categories to award. You have entries, and you select the best. I think this is very natural. This being the way in which the consumer consumes Advertising. They do not watch advertising as automobile or FMCG. So to begin with, there was a respite in that we were judging the entries for what they were, irrespective of any category. Integrated celebrated how an idea can envelop a consumer through various touch points and the manner in which different media can embrace the power of an idea. We, as a jury, were not looking for “matching luggage” but how different ideas have been enhanced through different channels. It was not mere 360 degrees that we were looking for. We believed that every medium has a different strength, and a true Integrated should be able to exploit that medium to the optimum. Initially, we had a combined shortlist for Titanium and Integrated because it was becoming difficult to segregate clinically. The debate, whether Integrated could also win a Titanium, ensued for a long time in the room. But as we revisited our shortlist, the difference became very clear. Titanium ideas stared at us. They were the ideas which expanded the boundaries of advertising; they were
Oasis "Dig Out Your Soul"
changing the ways we look at communication…they were ideas which, as co-juror Susan Hoffman of Wieden + Kennedy put it, “created movement.” In terms of work, certain things left an impact on me. Definitely the Obama campaign. We debated whether it was a social or brand campaign but we finally agreed that it was the latter. For me, it was an example of a brand that for the first time has been so clearly co-created by the consumer and brand owners. It was interactive, honest and made you feel good that advertising can contribute to such a significant social change.
[Obama campaign] was interactive, honest and made you feel good that advertising can contribute to such a significant social change.
The Zimbabwean "The Trillion Dollar Campaign"
“The Great Schlep” campaign, again for Obama, was a great one too—what a strategy–getting the youth to convince their grandparents to vote for Obama. “Whopper Sacrifice” for Burger King was unbelievably good. Oasis “Dig out your soul” has been a favorite of mine. What an idea, to popularize the music album; start from where it will end up. Using street musicians to popularize something yet to be launched. The Zimbabwean’s “Trillion dollar” campaign was a good piece of work too. It was tight call, as I loved most of above-mentioned pieces of work. It was an exceptional jury. Brutally honest and fearless. Since we were only ten people, we bonded very well and understood each other’s points of view. David Droga created a very intellectually stimulating environment. I must say, to be able to discuss advertising and communication and the future of it for three intense days was a great learning experience.
As a jury, we agreed at the outset that we wanted the winning work to be from the real world and not the made-foradvertising-jury world. Too much of what has been entered in the past—particularly from Asia and Latin America—has been designed to increase the number of awards on agency shelves, not the number of sales of the product itself. It ’s childish. It ’s pointless. And until it stops, we’re all tarred by the misguided silliness.
Sasch "Girl"
Were we successful? To a large degree I think we were. (At least I’m naïve enough to think so. Since I’ve returned, it ’s been pointed out that two of the campaigns awarded Gold had not seen the light of day as I had the good fortune to be a film juror at Cannes this year, and I can honestly say the above statement is true. The TV spot, which once roamed supreme across the Croisette, is, while not dead, very, very diminished. Everyone talks about Titanium awards and seek to grab one of those on the final night more than any other. This is great for agency creatives and their ways of thinking, not so great for the audience (nothing could be more boring than watching five case studies in a row). But let ’s take a closer [Phillips look at this year’s film "Carousel"] category. In was one of my my opinion, it favorite Grands renewed itself rose to Prix ever, and and the challenge I was proud to of maintaining relevance in see it win. a fragmented year. While certainly, some stand out TV ads still showed they could be great (James Boag’s wonderful “Magic Waters” spot and Taxi’s hilarious 15-second Viagra campaign, being personal favorites) the best pieces that won film weren’t just TV spots. They were fluid video pieces, with life in many forms on different screens.
The Philippines’ Official Cannes Festival Representative
Press Lions
John Merrifield Creative-at-Large TBWA\Asia Pacific
Overall, I think we kept the category as tight, honest and bullshit-less as possible.
Alka Seltzer "Bear"
Take for example “Love Distance”, a great piece of film, made all the more greater because of the marvelous backstory to Executive Creative Director the whole project. An online event watched by Droga 5, New York, USA millions, a soap opera that tugged your heart, all encapsulated in the beautiful film that won. No, you didn’t need to see the whole project to love the ad, but if you did, it was that much better. Hard to fit into any existing category. As is, the Grand Prix winner, Phillips “Carousel” was many things, a viral piece, an instructional video, a product demonstration, and a great, entertaining, gripping film. It was one of my favorite Grands Prix ever, and I was proud to see it win. As someone pointed out, the piece acts as a magnet, pulling you toward the content, instead of pushing you away like a traditional ad does. This year, the jury gave out a special prize to a viral piece that had no real client. It was a political endorsement of Barack Obama by Charles Stone, the director of the “ Wassup” spots, years back. It didn’t win an award because it didn’t strictly play by the rules: it ’s not an ad if it doesn’t have a client. Obama was the product, not the client. BUT, the film was extremely effective, very viral, and played so beautifully Waters"
Film Lions
Ted Royer
James Boag Draught "Pure
legitimate client-actually-briefed-it-andpaid-for-it campaigns. Where from? You guessed it. Asia and Latin America. (Doh!) I do know that there were some 690 adverts on last year’s press shortlist. This year, there were around 280. Much of the dross that has tended to slip through at Cannes didn’t have a chance. Better still, the winning work was for large brands with high profile media spends: Miller High Life, IKEA, Harvey Nichols, Sony, Wrangler, Alka Seltzer, Siemens and the like. Asia was thinner on the ground then usual, but that ’s simply because so much of what hails from this region has a certain smell. Thailand was pretty much invisible, even in terms of the number of entries sent in, and this undoubtedly is due to the fact that the country has been in a semi-permanent state of upheaval. Overall, I think we kept the category as tight, honest and bullshit-less as possible. Hope springs eternal. off of an existing ad campaign that it deserved to be Best in Show. Frankly, if we hadn’t acknowledged it, we would have been seen as sticking too closely to the rules. Again, everything is in flux. Public Service categories were thriving and put up some of the most beautiful and compelling films. The Motorcycle Safety campaign from England, and the Breast Cancer Awareness spot both were gorgeous and moving. One of the problems I had with the category of Internet films is that just making a documentary isn’t enough, yet some judges were still dazzled by something that ’s long form. The Oasis album project is a great idea, but did it work as a great film? If you’re an Oasis fan, yes; if you’re not, then no. Maybe there should be a marketing documentary category. Overall, it was a year that showed that this business is not standing still. Cannes will be vastly different in five years. I, for one, can’t wait to see.
It was a year that showed that this business is not standing still. Cannes will be vastly different in five years. I, for one, can’t wait to see.
july-august '09
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CANNES LIONS 2009
56th International Advertising Festival
THE JURY ROARS
Cyber Lions Lars Bastholm Iain Tait Mark Ashley-Wilson Greg Wood
What does a Cyber Lions juror do between downloads? Twitter, of course. This brief sample of actual tweets more than says what some jurors liked, what they hated and what they thought of a medium with such potential, that Cannes Lions must award it three Grands Prix. MARK ASHLEY-WILSON Head of Digital, Three Drunk Monkeys, Australia First entry of the day started with “we wanted to create a breakthrough execution”—it ’s gonna be a loooong day. 12:11 AM Jun 19th from web LARS BASTHOLM Chief Digital Creative Officer, Ogilvy USA; President, Cyber Lions Jury
There are projects where the biggest question of all is: How did they sell that to the client??? 6:04 PM Jun 18th from web
LARS BASTHOLM
Surprisingly, surrealism seems to be big this year. Maybe people have been struggling to find good ideas, but found odd ones instead? 8:44 PM Jun 18th from web MARK ASHLEY-WILSON
If I see another “upload your face” app within a microsite, I’m gonna shoot my screen! 2:38 AM Jun 19th from web IAIN TAIT Creative Director, Poke, UK I just laughed out loud 5 times during one video. That ’s more than in 30 others combined. I smell metal! 4:59 PM Jun 19th from web MARK ASHLEY-WILSON
The charity online advertising is pretty good—shows what you can do when a client lets you show off. 7:44 PM Jun 19th from web GREG WOOD Creative Director, Publicis Digital, NZ Iceberg principle applied to entries: 90% are really good, 9% great, and there are one or two insanely cool penguins right on the top. 8:07 PM Jun 19th from web GREG WOOD
Some gems in the web ads, but a lot of us need to remember to please pull our heads out and look at who the ad is meant to be for...11:11 PM Jun 19th from web LARS BASTHOLM
We’ve seen a handful of augmented reality implementations this year. I pity next year’s jury, who surely will be plowing thru hundreds 4:01 PM Jun 20th from web GREG WOOD
Grinding through the Interactive Tools section...controversy, discussion, raised eyebrows and ahaaaa’s — NOW we’re getting into it! 5:41 PM Jun 20th from web MARK ASHLEY-WILSON
The work today was really awesome—many contenders and lots of discussion tomorrow on metal handouts. 9:33 AM Jun 21st from Seesmic Desktop GREG WOOD
Concerned that the Iceberg Theory is about to be sunk by the number of penguins congregating on the peak. [Coffee > recalibrate > review] 4:25 PM Jun 21st from web
GREG WOOD
@bastholm Recalibration can cause the iceberg to tilt. Having said that, I think I just saw a very handsome, tall penguin wearing a tuxedo. 5:03 PM Jun 21st from web in reply to bastholm IAIN TAIT
YES! Finally, something good. That real actual non-flash-designer human people might enjoy. Will spill all later. 5:22 PM Jun 21st from web LARS BASTHOLM
Done shortlist judging for the day. Tomorrow, we hand out Lions. I’ll ask for twitter silence. And no one, including myself, will listen.12:24 AM Jun 22nd from web Three days later, Bastholm’s jury awarded Grands Prix to Tourism Queensland “The Best Job In The World” (Interactive Campaign), FIAT “Eco-Drive” (Interactive Tools) and Warner Bros. “Why so Serious” (Viral Marketing).
The Philippines’ Official Cannes Festival Representative
Glowing at the Carlton Terrace: JEH's Judee and Public Mojo's Craig Davis
World's leading digital imaging master Anuchai
The Uniqlo Cannes Lions t-shirt collection Pinoy greats David Guerrero and Melvin Mangada
BBH Shanghai's Carol Ong with her shortlist
Ad legend Neil French treat Angel Guerrero to lunch at the Colombe d'Or Velocity South Africa's Martine and Ange at dinner in Pastis
Clio, D& AD, ADFEST, Cannes winners from Malaysia: Mun, Ronald, Pebbles and Gary
Merrifield doesn't let up when Andy Blood missed his golden moment on stage due to jetlag
Mrs. and Mr. Dave Ferrer after the Cannes Radio awards ceremony
Creative Juice's Thirasak shows off his plans for a training camp in Thailand on his phone
Miss Merrifield with Ogilv y Asia's Eugene Cheong
Outdoor jury Jimmy from BBDO Bangkok and Film juror Sompat of Leo Burnett Bangkok
CANNES LIONS 2009
56th International Advertising Festival
ADVERTISING FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE Bob Geldof and Kofi Annan reminds us the clock is tck-tck-tck-ing In one of the festival’s most attended events, two leaders implored the ad men of the world to use their creative powers for the good of the planet. One was once literally the world’s leader, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan; the other, nearly unrecognizable in a bespoke suit, was rock legend Bob Geldof. Brought in by ACT Responsible/Euro RSCG and accompanied by David Jones, global CEO of Euro RSCG and Havas Worldwide, the pair galvanized the Cannes delegates in a way that hasn’t been seen since Al Gore addressed the festival in 2007.
“The next six months are critical, and we need a huge collective effort to get our leaders to accept their responsibility, because the threat of catastrophic climate change is the biggest challenge that humankind has ever faced.” While Annan took the backseat, Geldof addressed the audience, “The bald facts about the state of the planet are utterly terrifying. Poverty and climate change are one and the same, but if we carry on like we are now, all development will stop and we will all be poor. “The planet can no longer absorb the amount of CO2 being discharged into the atmosphere and, even if we stopped all emissions right now, the overall world temperature would still rise by 0.5 degrees centigrade—and that only leaves us a further 0.5 degrees centigrade before we have ecological catastrophe.” Geldof surprised delegates with his passion and eloquence. In return, they greeted him with a standing ovation, perhaps the only one seen at this Cannes festival. For his part, Annan, who is now president of the Global Humanitarian Forum, challenged ad people. “The next six months are critical, and we need a huge collective effort to get our leaders to accept their responsibility, because the threat of catastrophic climate change is the biggest challenge that humankind has ever faced.”
As a means to this end, Jones introduced Havas’ open-source campaign called “Tck, tck, tck.” Geldof, Annan and he asked delegates to download their own personal “Tck” toolkit and upload their personal “Tck” message to the world’s largest video petition for climate justice. On the dedicated site, people can also order campaign dogtags (just like “Ako Mismo” but in more fashionable colors), download the campaign song, and send a special message directly to your national leader urging them to agree to a just and binding deal at the Copenhagen Conference. Annan believes a concerted effort by advertising communities around the world can ensure success at the Copenhagen Conference. All they need to do is use the materials on their own sites and urge clients to put the “Tck, tck, tck” symbol and timeforclimatejustice.com on all their advertising and websites.
The genius of this campaign is in its utter simplicity. In the time it takes you to read this article, you can visit www. timeforclimatejustice.com, download the toolkit, primp yourself, record a webcam video of you saying “tck”, and upload it on the site. Let’s try, shall we? Time starts now. Tck.
The Philippines’ Official Cannes Festival Representative
The first thing to know about David Plouffe is that his name is pronounced “pluff” not “ploof”. It ’s a sign of how much he stayed in the background that “ the man who made Obama” (as Esquire calls him) didn’t have a higher profile in the campaign. Obama’s campaign has become a symbol not just of a new form of political savvy but a landmark in the marketing community. The campaign has also become an icon of the effectiveness of Internet fundraising. It ’s the new cliché in meetings: “Let ’s raise money
AUDACITY OF SUCCESSFUL BRANDS
Obama’s campaign man gives the rest of us hope by David Guerrero online. Like the Obama campaign.” Right. According to Plouffe (who is also writing the book on the campaign that wrote the book), the cornerstone of the whole effort was “old school” email. It was these—sent by the billion—that did the most to raise awareness, money and respond to crises throughout the campaign.
DDB's Bob Scarpelli with Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe
“It was when we were trying to do things conventionally that we got things wrong.” David Plouffe Of course, it was all underpinned by massively clever and disciplined use of data. Which meant that a TV message running in one place linked seamlessly with an email telling you to go out and explain it to someone you knew personally who might be doubtful. I particularly liked the statement he made that “it was when we were trying to do things conventionally that we got things wrong.” The campaign thrived on the uniqueness of its challenge. It scared and focused the team. “By keeping it unconventional we reminded ourselves that we were special.” Of course, the reward that the campaign got at the end of the week with the Titanium
spending and the prioritization of budgets. “New media” is a prime consideration, even as McDonald’s marketing head admitted that “old media” like television still gets the biggest slice of the budget, apparently because it still provides the best opportunity for consumer engagement. For the panelists, key to a more effective media usage is the integration of digital with the rest of the mix. The officers of McDonald’s and Procter & Gamble revealed that their spending in digital media varied from country to country, but on average, was at seven percent of total budget. In the case of Kraft and Johnson & Johnson, SIR MARTIN REINFORCES THE OBVIOUS on the other hand, spending was a bit more. by Harry Mosquera Another This year’s heavyweight panelists included interesting discussion in the panel focused on Mary Beth West, chief marketing officer of the relationship between marketers and their Kraft Foods; Marc Pritchard, global marketing agencies. For Procter & Gamble’s top marketing officer and chief brand officer of Procter & honcho, the direction is to integrate their brandGamble; Mary Dillon, global marketing officer building activities, not only as an internal of McDonald’s; and Brian Perkins, global head of effort, but externally with their various agencies corporate communications, Johnson & Johnson. worldwide as well. The general agreement: it all All together, the panelists control and manage boils down to people. Kraft’s panelist pointed advertising and marketing budgets worth about out the irony that the “personal relationship” US$20-B. which brands try to develop with their target A general consensus that immediately consumers would often been missing between surfaced is the re-thinking of the mix of agencies and clients.
and Integrated Grand Prix has been ridiculed as “winning the Olympic Gold at swimming then claiming your 100m Butterfly Cub Scout badge.” It ’s probably not even that. However for the people behind the campaign, it still seems to be a big deal—someone flew from Washington to pick it up on stage. And getting this prize rectified the ludicrous situation at The One Show where the same campaign languished uncomfortably among the Bronzes. The thing that, as an industry, we can take some pride from is that nothing really gets done these days without a good communications idea, fanatically executed. So, I will argue, our place at the top table is more assured than ever. We can thank digital media for that. Seeing Plouffe on stage at Cannes, then seeing the campaign that elected the first black US President getting its just reward later in the week was a nice recognition of these new, exciting realities.
One of the much-awaited forums in the recent Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival was The Cannes Debate, hosted for the second year in a row by the WPP Group’s Sir Martin Sorrell. “Life is not easy at the moment, to put it mildly,” noted Sir Martin. “2009 is a tough year.” With that context, The Cannes Debate covered how the ongoing global recession is affecting companies, products and services, and how it will shape their futures.
The Cannes Debate
In terms of a coherent corporate strategy during recessionary times, almost all the panelists highlighted the importance of the search for new markets, and the fresh possibilities offered by new media. At the same time, an enlightened mindset seems to be driving corporate social responsibility programs among all four companies—to paraphrase one of the panelists, by engaging “brands to save the world.” This year’s Cannes Debate produced no heated controversies, or earth-shaking revelations. If at all, it simply reinforced the stock knowledge and long-standing beliefs held by marketing practitioners around the world. The biggest value of the forum lies in providing an insider’s peek at how multinational companies cope with the challenges brought about by a global recession. july-august '09
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CANNES LIONS 2009
56th International Advertising Festival
Name: Biz Stone Location: Berkeley, CA Web: www.bizstone.com Bio: Co-founder of Twitter, Inc
CANNES LIONS TWEET-UP
A free communication platform and micro-blogging service, Twitter has generated billions of words in coverage, millions of users and thousands of influential evangelists. All without any advertising or traditional paid media. Twitter itself has organically become a vital and addictive source of eyewitness news. Here are a few choice thoughts from the first official Cannes Lions Tweet-Up, with Biz Stone.
231 Following
Updates
835,108 Followers
3,395
RSS Feed of Biz's updates
Information can take a very simple form—Twitter delivers it to a network of others in a timely fashion and this can have a profound impact. We have seen multiple instances of Twitter where it ’s used as breaking news platform and getting information out of the Mumbai attacks and the recent developments in Iran. An earthquake happened at 11:42 a.m. Nine minutes later, AP issued a wire. In those nine minutes, how many Twitter updates did we see? There were 3,600 tweets with the word “quake” in it. That's 50,000 words from first-hand accounts of the earthquake, while AP put out 57 words. Here’s this 175-year-old news line business, and here’s this 2-year-old company called Twitter. How are they going to fit together? There’s a lot to be explored. Creativity is a renewable resource.
An entire ecosystem has grown around Twitter. There are at least 300 backtrack in all the apps, over 11,000 registered applications that you use to update or receive tweets and many more that distributes us. That ’s an entire ecosystem that delivers value. There are over 4 billion mobile phones, all essentially Twitter-ready devices. I think that ’s very transformative as we bring more countries online. So you take the 4.4 billion, the 1.5 billion Internet users, then you open the entire system for developers to build on top of it. Who knows what will happen? We anticipated a simple form of social networking, but a new form of communication would continue to amaze us as Twitter gained adoption worldwide. The way we’re seeing [brands] use Twitter is as a hybrid between customer service and marketing. People can have these interesting connections to their brands with a simple text message. And it ’s not just the big brands. You have a chalk board, a mobile phone and you’re in business with Twitter. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to stay in touch with your customers. Are the problems of tomorrow bigger than the entrepreneurs of today? The biggest problems we’re facing today are caused by many of us working in concert to produce phenomenon greater than some of its parts, also known as emergence in nature, a super organism. Companies can—with the right culture and the right attitude—work together to produce phenomenon greater than the sum of their parts. Ultimately, Twitter is not the triumph of technology; it’s the triumph of humanity.
MAD ABOUT
Recession Marketing
Recession A difficulty in every opportunity? Or an opportunity in every difficulty?
T
3. Flight to frugality If frugal is the new chic, India is the master of outstanding frugal advertising creativity. In a country that prides itself on self-sufficiency, an electric bike company shows American GIs with nothing to do anymore, claiming “no fuel, no war”.
o answer the question—and to help clients maximize the effectiveness of their reduced spend—LONDON and Textappeal released their Recession Marketing Report. Accessing local insight and best practices from across the world, they found examples of exceptional brand resilience and inventiveness, which can possibly be exported or imported back in a different form, to help other brands cope and grow when under pressure. Textappeal’s network of strategic planners scoured the world markets for the best (and worst) examples of how companies had used marketing or advertising to respond to the recession. Depending on one’s worldview, some were laughable, while others were brilliant in their simplicity. Nevertheless, all fell neatly in seven categories: 1. Denial In some parts of South America, the recession is something that Walmart
happens elsewhere, in the Western world, and declared not applicable. In Argentina, Walmart cleverly uses the desire not to worry about the future, by telling consumers not to save. “Don’t hold back” (on the good things in life), thanks to savings you get at Walmart. 2. Blame In France, a country with lingering suspicion of bankers, a low-cost
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airline says, “Hurry up to buy tickets or the bankers will take them all”—it being understood that bankers are all crooks and need to flee. But in contrast, the French government-owned TGV highspeed train company takes this anti-establishment sentiment in stride and humorously proposes that travellers take advantage of their new link to Geneva to evade French taxes.
4. Patriotism The United States has always had a strong grassroots patriotic tradition. Being proud of the stars and stripes is nothing to be ashamed of, as Trojan condoms shows with a commercial that proposes to “ride the recession out together”. This also demonstrates
how fun, low cost activities are on the upturn everywhere! 5, Jujitsu Jujitsu requires the ability to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. A Chinese ad for a new LG phone packed with luxurious features and
It is clear that the scale of the recession has had a big impact of the psychology of consumers across the world, especially after an unprecedented period of economic growth for many countries. This has changed people’s attitudes and behaviour. For brands attuned to these changes, LONDON and Textappeal say it’s possible to create opportunities to improve their fortunes.
LG
Carrefour’s softeners and detergents. This highly amusing approach resulted in several fan clubs on Facebook and generated significant coverage in the blogosphere. 4. Market in one country to sell in another The web gives any company a global retail channel. Given that this is the first global recession in the age of the Internet perhaps it is not surprising that a number of brands have taken advantage of this. eBay in Europe saw the opportunity of the devaluation of Sterling to promote its UK site in the rest of the Continent. Brilliant. (Although we are not sure how the local eBay business units felt about it.)
Strategies for recession marketers
two GSM cards is not apologetic. It proposes to help turn its owners into two-armed “warriors against the recession”, by allowing them to manage their family “with their left hand” and their business “with their hand”. 6. Innovation Innovation is often the result of exceptional response to exceptional pressure. In a flat property market in Vietnam, an individual used the argument of resident swallow nests—an expensive local delicacy—to attract buyers. Established local real estate companies soon followed suit. 7. Optimism After a barrage of bad news, sometimes a dose of hope is all that’s needed. Even then, optimism comes in many forms. There’s American optimism that assumes the universal right to be happy right now, and is wonderfully expressed by Coca-Cola’s happiness factory commercials. In Asia, it’s based on the belief that if we work hard and are responsible, the future will be bright. Why buy insurance during a recession? An Indian company has developed a highly successful and iconic campaign based on the uplifting reminder Jeetey Raho!, which means “Life is long!” European optimism recognizes that there is little to be optimistic about, and needs to use hard facts to remind us things are not as bad as they seem. The Italian financial services provider Fineco reminds people that only 23 percent of them are happy with Italy’s TV programmes, but a whopping 91 percent are happy with Fineco’s service.
1. Identify with the Zeitgeist Recession or not, people buy emotionally and justify their decision rationally. Identify with people’s emotional needs, and you won’t need a price drop to generate sales.
• •
•
Less is more. A great example by De Beers of confident marketing that reflects that the age of excess is over: “Fewer, better things.” Inconspicuous consumption. There are still people buying luxury goods as Harry Winston jewellers can confirm. However, more customers request “home shopping” as they don’t wish to be seen buying such items. Perhaps this could be a new take on the Tuperware Party? Emotional comfort. When people feel uncertain about their personal financial situation there is a huge desire to curl up both emotionally and physically. “The Snuggie” introduced in the US was the perfect response—a fleece blanket with arms and a legendary ad campaign that became an icon of its time.
2. Turn Green into Greenbacks Was it only 8 months ago when every brand was jumping on the carbon neutral bandwagon? The change is that many brands in the automotive and energy sectors now lead on the financial savings that environmentally friendly products generate. Hopefully, this shift will ultimately change consumer behaviour and reduce carbon emissions.
The recession is not going to be here to stay, so the really successful brands of the future are those that are already positioning themselves for the next upturn. 5. Reach new customers As Thomas Nagle recently wrote in Ad Age “What makes recessions such good times to leverage existing advantages is that cash-strapped, or at least savingmotivated, customers are open to making changes they would not have made before.” A great demonstration of this sentiment was McDonald’s with its timely launch of McCafe in the US when there was a downshifting going on with the Starbucks of this world.
One of the best tactics is to take from what is being done elsewhere, and adjust it for one’s own needs.
6. Steal ideas from other countries/sectors One of the best tactics is to take from what is being done elsewhere, and adjust it for one’s own needs, as with the revolutionary introduction of Mother’s Day in Vietnam by Dutch Lady , to sell powder milk by giving away tulips.
3. Empathize with your customers Given people have less money to buy new clothes, supermarket chain Carrefour in Spain thought that it would make sense to lower the price of their fabric softeners and detergents, and in general, anything required to take care of clothes and make them last longer. So they created an ad where women who want to look great during difficult economic times recommend
7. Think ahead The recession is not going to be here to stay, so the really successful brands of the future are those that are already positioning themselves for the next upturn. A good example of this approach is Mike Lynch, the Founder of Autonomy, Europe’s second largest software developer. In words straight out of the film “Being There” he said, “Software is like farming. After summer there will be winter.” What he did was to focus the company’s efforts during the boom on a product that would sell well in recession. As a result , last year they were able to market a piece of software that helps financial services companies identify fraud. Result? Profit up 112 percent in Q1 2009. july-august '09
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MAD ABOUT
Reading China
The Recession Feng Shui 1. Business as Usual Highend Consumers. Not too concerned with the crises, whose shopping habits have not been affected, continuing to patronize high-end products; 2. Cautious Regulars. Consumers in limbo, patronizing everyday basics, but hesitant with high-end products; 3. Ultimate Cutters. Drastically affected shopping behaviors, with significant cut-backs;
When power shifted East, the West was clueless. From backwater to economic barometer, China’s attitudes may be the perfect feng shui for the recession. The Publicis Groupe recently unveiled a study covering Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Qingdao; as well as Taiwan and Hong Kong. Called ‘”Good Life on Good Ground”, the survey produced numbers from online forums, blogs and social network sites. Conducted between December 2008 and March 2009, it yielded quantitative and qualitative numbers from 1,500 consumers, on 20 product categories. Data identified four major shopper types:
4. Ultimate Indulgers. Indulging in small but high-end gratification purchases, shopping based on opportunity.
The numbers-intensive, areaextensive survey points that personal financial confidence does not go hand-in-hand with personal financial assets or economic indicators. Consumers obviously want to sustain the Good Life. But in China (as in other parts of the world), the economic downturn is bringing back old-fashioned values like financial prudence, family and community, and a modest approach to consumption. But this time around, these values are regaining relevance as the Good Grounds for financial security.
8. Unleash a big idea In 1990, after the first Gulf War when the entire world was petrified of flying, British Airways launched ‘The World’s Biggest Offer” in 68 countries and neutralized the issue overnight as everyone became more concerned about which destination they wanted to fly free to. 9. Be true to your brand This tip is to avoid long-term disaster. It takes years to develop a strong brand and moments of ill-advised marketing activity to potentially destroy it. The French luxury brand Mauboussin decided to make a
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Illustration by Jed-Angelo Q. Segovia
splash by running a campaign focusing on price. But luxury is not a question of price; it is a question of taste and lifestyle. This approach jeopardized the reputation of Mauboussin and its positioning as a luxury brand and to get back to where it was will take a long haul. 10. Be the first brand to own optimism globally An individual was applying for an important job. Convention dictated he would never be appointed. He had just failed his first interview. He did not give up but reapplied with grit and determination. That was, of course, Barack Obama and the brilliant speech he gave after losing the New Hampshire Primary in his bid to secure the Democratic nomination for President of the United States of America. Watching that speech was a musician, Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas. He was inspired to create a song and video around that speech which is the most powerful piece of communication in the last decade and which
was credited by Al Gore as being instrumental in a black man securing the Presidency. LONDON and Textappeal believe there is an opportunity for a brand to develop a piece of communication that can achieve a similar level of positive emotion for the world. Yes we can.
Recession Marketing RECESSION OR PERCEPTION? Nielsen, Synovate and BBDO/Proximity Probe the Optimism of the Filipino Consumer
BEEN THERE, SKIPPED THAT What purchases are the first to go in a recession? Synovate found that Filipinos discarded or delayed the following purchases. 38% High-tech gadgets
Global corporate giants collapse; thousands of OFWs lose their jobs; the price of oil goes on a roller coaster ride. Yet to Filipinos consumers, it’s just business as usual.
27% Branded items 26% Eating out
25% Vacations
Down But Hardly Out
A biannual Nielsen internet survey of 26,000 respondents, on the consumer sentiment and economic confidence in 50 markets worldwide, revealed that in the first half of 2009, there was a continuing trend of a decline in consumer confidence. The Philippines was among those that registered a decline in consumer confidence. However, figures showed Filipinos hopeful of job prospects, with 43 percent expecting improvements in the next 12 months. A high 63 percent believed their personal finances were in good condition. A moderate 34 percent agreed that “now is still a good time to spend,” in consideration of cost against personal finances. Meanwhile, according to market research company Synovate, close to half (44 percent) of 2,000 Filipinos living in Metro Manila, North and South Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao also believe that the current of the economy was weak but will improve soon, while 43 percent said that they had earned more in the last six months. From this survey of over 2,000 Filipinos from selected urban areas nationwide, Synovate’s Managing Director Carole Sarthou disclosed that “Filipinos across the Philippines generally share a sentiment of renewed optimism and this is a good thing as it leads to greater consumer confidence.”
23% Big-ticket items (plasma TVs and electrical appliances)
THE 7 UNIVERSAL DRIVERS IN RECESSION MARKETING According to BBDO Proximity, marketers need to address the recessionista’s basic needs. Do that and you may convince your tight-fisted consumer that your product is a worthy investment. 1 A sense of control over one’s circumstances, to help the consumer weather any crisis 2 Support for the value system, essential to the preservation of family and society 3 A sense of normalcy, to buoy one’s family in a sea of instability
photograph downloaded from: uk.biz.yahoo.com
4 Pleasure, because the occasional indulgence provides physical and psychological relief 5 Relationships, which, in the absence of material wealth, become infinitely more valuable 6 Appearances to help the breadwinner get ahead at work, which, in turn, helps him keep his family away from financial ruin 7 Good health, to avoid illness and costly medical care
Crisis Is The New Normal
Filipino consumers are
The key may well be in the not only more resilient, Filipinos’ resilient character. After all, in the Philippines, but they adapt their crisis is the status quo. As behavior more quickly Paul Roebuck, CEO of BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines, to deal with changing says, decades of political and conditions. economic instability have made Filipinos “better prepared for weathering the financial crisis than consumers from other countries.” BBDO/Proximity surveyed several markets around the world and learned that Filipino consumers are not only more resilient, but they adapt their behavior more quickly to deal with changing conditions. To illustrate, 36 percent of Singaporeans decreased spending on social outings and meals with friends when the crisis hit, versus 61 percent of Filipinos, or almost double the number of Singaporean consumers. Since news of the crisis broke, 72 percent of respondents began looking for other means to augment their income while 71 percent spent more time looking for the best deals before making a purchase. More consumers were holding leisure activities at home today instead of going
Chris Thomas, Chairman & CEO of BBDO/Proximity Asia, with BBDO Guerrero/ Proximity CCO David Guerrero and CEO Paul Roebuck present their "Trading Up, Trading Down" report.
out versus six months ago. Nevertheless, 75 percent of consumers resisted compromising quality for price, and they adopted behaviors to cope with the current financial crisis. Synovate’s Sarthou shared a similar observation. “It’s evident that the current economic situation has impacted the lives of everyday Filipinos but in spite of this worrying trend, the people…were generally determined and upbeat with over three quarters (86 percent) agreeing that they will always find a way to afford some items that make them feel good.” july-august '09
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non-traditional ad medium
production houses
ELECTROMEDIA PRODUCTION 3rd Floor Maripola Bldg. 109 Perea Street Legaspi Village, Makati CIty Phone: (632) 840-5858 Fax: (632) 840-5015 mail@electromedia.com.ph contact persons: Amar M. Gambol Malou I. Domingo www.electromedia.com.ph
T: 5287-136
customerservice@2GO.com.ph
advertising photographer design studio outdoor media advertising
food / restaurants
MacGraphics Carranz International Corp. #80 Service Road, Francisville Subdivision, Mambugan, Antipolo City, Philippines 1870 Phone: 02.681.42.80 / 02.681.32.94 / 02.250.12.09 Fax: 02.681.79.44
Ground Floor, Net 2 Center, 3rd Ave. Corner 28th Street Crescent Park West Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Tel.: (02) 856 0541 Telefax: (02) 856 0634 0917 800CHEF (2433) Email cheflaudico@yahoo.com Website www.cheflaudico.com.ph
2663 Honduras Street, Makati City, 1200 Phils Phone: (632) 844-9360 Fax: (632) 844-9744 Email: gerry.deguia@filmex.ph call: Gerry de Guia Jun Garra
post production
Bahag-Richard Atrero de Guzman Photographer / Filmmaker Bahaghari World Photography bahaghari.deguzman@gmail.com www.lightstalkers.org/bwp + 63 917 8000299 + 632 9261992
285 Brgy. Sta. Cruz Putol, San Pablo City 4000 Laguna Cell: 0921 772 6985 Laguna: 049 246 6878 Manila: 02 699 5035 Telefax: 02 699 5036 Email: kusinasalud@gmail.com Website: www.kusinasalud.com
Advertise in our classified ads section! Call +632 843 9989 or email sales@adobomagazine.com
sound production
0917 8930689 9022 8930689 aldel121@yahoo.com www.aldeleon.multiply.com
Unit V, The Gallery Building, Amorsolo Street, Makati City 1229 Tel: +632 844 1091 to 94 Fax: +632 892 5575 Contact Person: Vic Icasas
technical sevice & equipment rental Lourd Ramos Hair & Make-up/Stylist Ground Floor, Joya at Rockwell Plaza Drive cor. Joya Drive Tel: 403 0117 / 403 0119 Fax: 403 0120 Mobile: 0918-935603809209004959 Email emphasis@skyinet.net
1196 Pablo Ocampo Ext., cor. Zapote St., Makati City Phone: (632) 896 2023 (632) 896 2049 Fax: (632) 895 5134 marketing@unitel.ph Contact Person: Maricel Royo
Services: Recording, Audio Posting, Sound Design, Radio Production, Jingles, Scores, Songs Unit 241 2/f Milelong Building, Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City, Philippines 1200 Tel nos: 8447546, 8447549, 8439357 Telefax: 8448280 website: www.noisyneighborsinc.com
63 917 8141000 Unit 3J, LEL Building 1075 J.P. Rizal St cor Camia Guadalupe Viejo Makati City
special events
salon / stylist MILLET ARZAGA Fashion Stylist 0917.8388020
milletarzaga.multiply.com/
EVENTS POOL (CEL) 09189171232 (FAX) 09189321267 eventspool_asv@yahoo.com
Argon Animation Inc.
UG 32 Cityland 8 Condominium, 9 Sen Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City Ph: (632) 813-0496 Fax: (632) 893-1734 Mobile: (632) 920-913-4670 Contact: Tim Bennet / President