Adobo Magazine | November - December 2009

Neil French

A long hard talk with the godfather of advertising SPIKES ASIA, SUPERSIZED The Filipinos’ best year ever CREATIVE RECAP 2009

WE WANT MORE DROGA AWARD SHOWS SAY NO TO SCAM

THE 21ST ADCON PRIMER

THE VERY BEST 0F 2009

ADOBO WINS AT PHILIPPINE QUILL AWARDS

BANG FOR THE BUCK “THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD”

AFTER ONDOY A flood of compassion and creativity WHO’S THE MOST CREDIBLE ENDORSER IN TOWN? It’s not who you think TEAM TEENY EXITS DDB

Issue #24 Nov-Dec 2009 Philippines P180 Indonesia IDR 100k Malaysia MYR 15 Singapore SGD 10 Hong Kong Thailand

Issue #24 Nov-Dec 2009 P180

The Word on Advertising

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TOP STORIES

04 High on Droga 05 Droga in My Mind 06 Boysen flowers and Chilhope cans

40 ADCON SUBIC PRIMER DIGITALSCAPE 78 ad:tech Tokyo

reach AWARD awards finals

Innovation in the Digital Age

17 2009 Creative Recap

MAD ABOUT

EXCLUSIVE 56 Neil French:

From the outside, looking in

101 2009 Spikes Asia

REGIONAL

70 Juggi Ramakrishnan

takes regional role in Ogilvy AP Gavin Simpson returns

as Ogilvy & Mather Malaysia group ECD 72 Ronald Ng rides the Jeep

to New York 74 Two key agencies pull out

of Malaysia's Kancils

70

GLOBAL 54 International artists

collaborate for Tck-tck-tck

like an award show stung

60 Scam Ads: Hell hath no fury

84 Celebrity Endorsers

89

ENTERTAINMENT REVIEWS

ALBUM REVIEW: Johnny Alegre 3

CREATIVE REVIEW 96 by Ronald Ng

BBDO Malaysia, Proximity

PRIVATE VIEW 88 Logic & Magic by Bong Osorio 86 The Bigger Picture by Cid Reyes

REGULAR FEATURES

Ads of the Month Ad Alike Ambush Bang for the Buck Cloned R3 New Business Scoreboard Truth in Advertising

TBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Gold feels so good EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ANGEL GUERRERO

EDITOR

CYNTHIA

DAYCO

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

HARRY MOSQUERA

SENIOR WRITER

AYE UBALDO

COLUMNISTS

CID REYES BONG OSORIO

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

IRMA MUTUC

ART DIRECTOR

LECH VELASCO EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

NICA SERRANO

CONTRIBUTING ARTIST

JED-ANGELO SEGOVIA

BUSINESS MANAGER

MAFEL HEBULAN

MARKETING & SALES EXECUTIVES

PHILIPP BALBUENA LIEZL MONTEMAYOR

FRONT COVER PHOTO EDITOR: Manny Vailoces

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Letter from the Editor-in-Chief The Year of Working Dangerously

T

his year saw the advertising industry rise above the external challenges that could have channeled us into a depressive state. The panic of the global economic downturn, which thankfully left us in the Philippines and Asia still standing; the lackluster creative output from traditional media gave space for brilliant digital and integrated ideas that put the creative temperature back on the boil; the dent in ad spending turned media networks, publications, ad agencies and marketers into a resilient and enterprising lot.

We weren’t spared from Mother Nature’s lash, with typhoons and their aftermath changing the tone of survival from commerce to one of compassion and literally the passing of the hat. The whole nation moved. The power of communication through Facebook, SMS, live news, video feeds from mobile phones, saw swift responses to disaster management that saved many lives. Many heroes emerged from the advertising community. It was a reflective moment where advertising stood still and people were giving.

The year will be capped by the biennial Philippine Advertising Congress where 3,000 admen (of both sexes) are expected to flock to Subic instead of Baguio City. The damaged passage to the northern mountain terrain of beautiful Baguio, just weeks before this massive event, forced organizers to turn to ever-ready Subic. Expect an egalitarian shift from a reputed expense-paid junket to a more purposeful gathering.

As an enthusiast of the business for over 15 years and serving the latest and greatest advertising through adobo magazine the past three, 2009 was a year of plenty for me. Aside from personal highs of skiing in Mt. Hotham, diving in Apo Reef, seeing my daughter go off to University in the UK, having lunch with Sir John Hegarty, spending a week at the Spikes with David Droga, listening to the impassioned speech of Bob Geldof in support of Climate Change for the forthcoming meeting in Copenhagen, and enjoying an enriching week in Cannes, I observed a deep shift in the way the ad engine worked.

Traditional ad agencies grappled to be more relevant to clients in the divergent communication landscape. Public service and causeoriented campaigns have become mainstream, as observed from this year’s Cannes Grand Prix winners like the Obama campaign and the “Trillion Dollar” Zimbabwean campaign. Digital and activation agencies are spinning the wheels. Shortfalls in award entries, attendance and big parties have not discouraged organizers from putting out more awards shows and new award categories. There is more work out there, but not the in the traditional ad sense. The Spikes Asia advertising festival, held for the first time in Singapore, was a worthy experiment that should get more out of Asia next year.

Worth noting was how the two-year Emmy Award winner for Best Drama Series “Mad Men,” has put the glamour and excitement of the advertising business back into mainstream consciousness of regular people.

This yearend issue of adobo magazine captures the retrospective views of leading creative directors, a primer to the Philippine Advertising Congress, a full feature on the first Spikes Asia with a showcase of the winning work, and exclusive interview with ad legend Neil French and much more.

Next year will feature elections, a predicted economic upturn and many things we can’t predict. One thing is for sure; it won’t be boring.

And we’ll be here to give you a ringside seat into all the action.

Angel Guerrero Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

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Connecting with the Digital Natives of Asia An Animax Case Study Attention deficient, hyper connected, multi-tasking, opinionated, informed and vocal. The elusive but highly desirable demographic of youth and young adults 15 – 24 years old is a tough nut to crack for many a marketer.

platforms. Not only did this enable well-connected youth and young adult viewers to discover LaMB in a manner of their choosing, Animax offered an immersive 360-degree entertainment experience.

Coupled with a dash of star power in its voice cast, soundtrack and even animated costumes, LaMB had all the right ingredients to catch and hold attention, to allow the story to work its magic.

To succeed, one needs to be a part of their world, and to provide them with tools that help fulfil their inner needs - be it recognition, individuality, acceptance, the opportunity to make their own choices or affirmation of their decisions / actions by the community.

Multi-media content Original, rich and compelling content including online and mobile games, web manga, mobile graphic novel, music videos and a highly interactive website, painted the LaMB universe for viewers, leading up to the grand finale – an Asia-wide TV premiere of the hour-long LaMB animation TV feature.

Creative expressions brought to life The Animax Awards, a pan regional script writing competition, taps into a huge anime fan base (estimated at 100 million – of which 40 million are watching Animax – in 23 million homes and 20 countries across Asia) which has made it the fastest growing entertainment genre - a genre and audience one would be foolish to ignore.

Offering a unique opportunity for self expression, the real appeal of the awards was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to have one’s creative expression brought to life in an animated feature seen by millions - the ultimate form of recognition.

Multi-platform engagement From the script, Animax grew the story into an entire universe of characters, relationships, mystery and drama that its imaginative viewers could easily relate to and identify with.

From more than 3,000 entries submitted, a Filipino Animax viewer’s script ‘Laminated Woman’ was selected as the winning entry.

Entitled LaMB, the universe was brought to life in an original animation production that went beyond TV onto mobile and online

Adding to the interactive multimedia content roll-outs, preview screening events in key cities across the region were opportunities to further reach out to youth and young adults. As they meet with other like-minded members of their communities, they got to share in the excitement of a first look at LaMB, the realisation of their peer’s imagination and dream.

With LaMB, Animax went beyond entertainment to engage and connect with its youth and young adult viewers in their world – A World Less Ordinary.

Multi-platform Engagement +

Online • Interactive website • Web manga (prequel) • Online games

TV • HD animation TV feature • 2 x animated music videos • 1/2Hr Special “Making Of”

Featured the Voices of: Van Ness Wu

Josie Ho

+

Rocked With: Tanaka Chie

For advertising enquiries, call ACCESS at 706 2845.

Mobile • Mobile graphic novel (prequel) • Mobile games • Mobisodes

Dressed By:

topstories

HIGH ON DROGA Cannes Lion’s most awarded creative comes to Manila

by Kat Limchoc

In the Philippine vernacular, the name is synonymous to mind-bending substances, so when The Creative Guild’s invitational poster, to his much awaited talk last September 11, said “Expand your mind with Droga,” that’s exactly what happened.

Taking in all the great work and simple wisdom of advertising’s rock star, 400 creatives (plus a few clients and accounts people) walked away on a palpable high. Here are just some of the things they tripped out on: Seeing the world in a different light

Droga’s approach to advertising wasn’t about creating the stuff usually listed in a brief, not about coming up with a TVC or a website, but thinking up “the right solution first.” Never mind that it has never been done, you can “work out how the hell you’ll do it later on.”

When his agency, Droga5, first presented its Million idea, they were scared they’d be laughed out of the room by the clients. To the New York City Department of Education, they presented a plan to inspire kids to stay and do well in school via a program that worked with the world’s first communication device for students—a gadget that had not yet been invented.

But the compelling idea won the account, the device came into being and now is in the hands of students performing much better in their classes.

Shedding inhibitions

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Many of the case studies that Droga presented were the stuff of producers’ nightmares. From a viral film for Guitar Hero that involved laying down two and half miles of dots that a guy on a bike would have to ride over to a beat and the Marc Ecko viral hoax that had a 747 plane made november-december '09

From a viral film for Guitar Hero to the Marc Ecko/Air Force One viral hoax, the work was all about bringing an idea to life no matter how impossible it seemed.

over to look like Air Force One so that a graffiti artist could tag it, the work was all about bringing an idea to life no matter how impossible it seemed.

“I am dying to do a straightforward print campaign,” Droga joked.

Being one with the universe

If there was one thing Droga kept reiterating throughout his talk, it was that what we do should always be based on an indisputable truth.

When he looked at a strat document, he said, “The human truth-- that’s the part that turns me on.”

This may be the key secret to why so much of his work resonates with millions around the world.

One of his most famous works was inspired by the insight that “people are inherently good, but are also inherently lazy.”

The solution to the Unicef brief to help raise funds for children deprived of clean water was not another charity ad campaign but the creation of Tap Project.

Now implemented by different ad agencies in cities all over the world, this movement inspires people to donate a small amount for the glass of clean tap water that is already served to them for free in restaurants.

Experiencing the love

“I still can’t believe I get paid for my imagination.”

Droga made no bones about his love for what he does, even as he shared, it meant getting teased by his banker brothers.

He reminded the audience that when you start work on a brief, “you stare at the same blank page as everyone else in the world,” that every place in the world has the same stresses but also the same opportunities, that “this is such an exciting time in our industry because the playing field is even”, that it was really up to you to “try to be great… it’s so much more fun!”

Later overheard was an art director who said that the talk gave him a headache because he was so high from it.

Here’s to hoping that the Droga hangover lingers and inspires for a long time to come.

K at LIMCHOC is a creative director at PC&V Communications

Donning a Team Manila t-shirt.

As if his ideas weren't mind blowing enough

When there’s work, let them perform.

When it’s not busy, a bit of chaos, stupidity and laziness is fantastic.

The most unforgettable experience for me was when he disapproved all the ideas I presented for a complicated juice drink. Given the tight deadlines and my early morning flight home, he came up with the fastest brainstorming session ever. He called Ted Royer (then a CD working on Pampers) and a senior writer and got a beer bottle. He asked us to sit around a table and made it spin, a la Russian roulette. His rule was simple. When the bottle points to you, you’d better have an idea to share. And, that was the most stressful, competitive and fun afternoon I’ve ever had in my entire advertising life.

4. I don’t have favorites. I’d like to believe that everyone has at least one opportunity on his or her desk.

If you share the glory briefs around, everyone is happier to share the painful ones as well.

In the world of advertising, David Droga is loved, adored, envied and emulated.

Photography by Bob Guerrero

DROGA IN MY MIND

by Merlee Cruz-Jayme “You have a very big responsibility.”

These were the first words I heard from David Droga when I first introduced myself to him in 1997. I was a creative director in Ace Saatchi & Saatchi and David was Saatchi’s regional creative director for Asia. His line seemed strange to me at that time, thinking that the responsibility for the department mostly falls on the ECD. Soon enough, I understood that statement.

Having David as my boss taught me the most important lesson in being a creative leader.

Never take this role lightly.

It’s been more than 10 years since I worked with him. To this day, I’ve never forgotten the insights into creative leadership that I learned from David Droga.

1. I never planned to or wanted to be anyone’s boss. I just love great ideas. And if being a leader means I get to enjoy more ideas, then perfect.

He doesn’t mind excluding his name from the credits of the group’s work. He used to say that when he was a writer, he was always obsessed with his own ideas. That he had to crack it himself—write it himself. But this stopped when he discovered that he got more enjoyment out of building the agency and not just a single ad.

2. I don’t think you can push people to work hard, unless you work hard yourself.

As the head of the Singapore office, he comes in at 9 am and shuns tardiness. He always made it a point to be first in the office every

morning and the last to leave. He knew that creativity wasn’t about the hours you put in, but to motivate his people he needed to set a good example to them. During his Manila visit, I was embarrassed to see him relaxing on my couch so early in the morning.

He had a very positive attitude towards difficult clients and never lost his cool. I witnessed him enthusiastically present an idea to the local P&G client and got rejected. Well, he moved on, worked on a new idea and simply went back. No tantrums, no diva moments.

He doesn’t mind working on a small brand, or even with a crappy brief. “Every brief is an opportunity to show great work” was his everyday mantra.

His team then was Ted Royer and Andy Clark. Both popular, award-winning big names in the industry. What amazed me was the fact that these two would simply attend long Olay and Pampers meetings, without complaints.

They would not make demands to be given “special briefs”. Well, not on David’s watch.

In Singapore, I saw him go through a teleconference with a client who was demanding for the impossible: a change of costume and props after the shoot. David was sweetly explaining to her why this couldn’t be done at this stage; then he would make funny faces to me while the client talks. That scene was hilarious.

5. When it comes to awards, I don’t judge myself on the number of awards the agency has won.

I judge myself on the number of different teams that have won.

When he was in Singapore or in London, every team won a Cannes Lion. I’m sure it’s pretty much the same in Droga5. He believed that this made the creative department bigger than any individual.

When I saw him in Cannes last year, I proudly told him that DM9-JS won a Bronze Lion. Moreover, I reported that all my creative teams had at least one shortlisted work in the competition. It felt really great (almost like winning another Lion) when he said, “Well done.”

So much has been said about David and his work. For me, however, there’s one thing that puts him on top my list of the most respected creative leaders in the world. He is unbelievably humble! It amazes me how someone nicknamed “King David” by Campaign Brief Asia and dubbed as the “Best Creative Director in the World” can be so down-to-earth and simple.

In the world of advertising, David Droga is loved, adored, envied and emulated. But when you ask him what makes a great creative leader, his answer is simple: “It’s all about respect, and nothing to do with fear and intimidation.

3. Have a fun environment. That doesn’t mean turning the office into an amusement park.

But rather giving people the freedom to be themselves.

Merlee Cruz-Jayme is the chairman and chief creative officer of DM9 JaymeSyfu.

David Droga and the author

november-december '09

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newsline IMMAP elects 2010 Board of Directors

The Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) appointed its 2010 Board of Directors. The newly elected directors are: Norman Agatep of Euro RSCG 4D Manila, Cookie Bartolome of Carat Philippines, Hans Roxas Chua of Ayala Java Wireless, Nix Nolledo of Xurpas, Mike Palacios of Havoc Digital, Roy Platon of MyAyala.com, Janette Toral of Digital Filipino, and Elaine Uy of Yehey.com They will join seven other current directors who hold one more year of tenure.

IMMAP President Arthur Policarpio of Snapworx Digital will serve as Ex-Officio in 2010.

Quill Awards: adobo’s foray into digital arena, most “excellent”

Campaigns Cebu wins 2 CAMMA, 11 finalists

Campaigns Cebu bagged two top awards at the Cebu Archdiocesan Mass Media Awards (CAMMA): Julie’s Bakeshop “Barkada” won Best Billboard and CCI/DepEd Adopt-aSchool “Preparedness” won Best TV ad.

The agency also won 11 finalist citations. Four TV advertising: “Field Demo” & “Patience” for Adopt-A-School and “Wet Hair” & “Dim Light” for ACES. Four print advertising: “Julie’s Town” for Julie’s Bakeshop, “Down and Dirty” for PAREF Southcrest, “Basketball” for ACES, and “Lyrics” for Crossover. Three billboard advertising: “Basketball” and “Badminton” for ACES and “Trip” for G-Mix 5-in-1 Snacks.

The CAMMA honors media works reflecting family values, friendship and environment care.

Filipino Efren Peñaflorida makes it to Top 10 CNN Heroes

Efren Peñaflorida, founder of Dynamic Teen Company, is one of the Top Ten CNN Heroes and is in the running to be CNN’s Hero of the Year.

Earlier this year, CNN recognized Peñaflorida’s classroom-on-wheels program that offers education to children in depressed areas as an alternative to involvement in gang-related activities.

Unique to this is the use of its pushcarts, which serve as mobile classrooms stocked with learning materials.

Peñaflorida is one of the endorsers of DDB Philippines’ “Ako Mismo” campaign.

Bates 141 is helping Peñaflorida to promote his cause to a more adamant youth market.

Vote for Peñaflorida at cnn.heroes.com

The Philippine chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) honored adobo magazine’s adspace with the Award of Excellence at the Philippine Quill Awards last October 22 at the PICC. The magazine also received Merit Awards in the writing and photography categories.

Adobo adspace, conceived by publisher and Editor-in-chief Angel Guerrero, encompasses the digital channels of www.adobomagazine.com, ado-

Boysen flowers and ChildHope cans reach AWARD awards finals

DoT launches new campaign with Black Eyed Peas’ Apl.de.ap

The Department of Tourism (DoT) has enlisted Fil-Am celebrity Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas to be the face of its current campaign “Take me to the Philippines”.

Apl.de.ap’s new single “Take U to the Philippines” and its accompanying video give Philippine tourism initiative a fresh and upbeat tone. The campaign is a collaborative effort between the DoT and MTV Asia, making use of music video to target global youth audience.

Other campaign components will include a graphic art-clad jeepney/bus caravan to tour around the country and an interactive website.

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bo Newsblasts by email and SMS, adobo magazine on Facebook and Twitter.

Initially created to raise awareness for the in-print version, adobo adspace has since become a way to engage advertising practitioners and students in the channel of their choice. In one year, it has exceeded all targets: Website traffic is up by 243 percent. Adobo Newblast reaches over 10,000 subscribers by email and nearly 1,000 Philippine mobile users by SMS. Its Facebook community is over 5,000 strong, and its Twitter followers climbed to over 800, within four months of its first tweet.

Of the win, Guerrero says, “I am delighted that adobo magazine won the Excellence Award at the Quill Awards for our digital product. We took the opportunity to keep our community up-tospeed with the latest industry news through the online medium and at the same time build a solid social network in the cyber space. I would like to thank the adobo online community for supporting us.”

Out of 103 award-winning entries, only 25 received the Award of Excellence at the Philippine Quill Awards. adobo was also recognized for outstanding original writing, as well as photography, especially in its adobo Centerfolds, character portraits of influential ad men and women. For demonstrating outstanding examples in these communication skills, the magazine received Awards of Merit.

On its ninth year, the Philippine Quill Awards honors programs and projects that brought value and measurable benefits to an organization or company with the use of a creative and effective communication effort.

TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno and BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines are the only Manila agencies to get their work through to the final round of the 31st Australasian Writers and Art Directors (AWARD) Association’s Awards.

TBWA\SMP’s “Flower Power” for Boysen Paints—otherwise known as “Hibiscus”, “Lily” et al—already has a number of metals from other shows. The agency hopes to win a few more in two categories: Print and Poster/ Outdoor.

ChildHope’s can campaign, by BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines, is competing in the Direct Marketing category.

AWARD Awards accepts entries from members, who are from New Zealand, South East Asia and the the states of Australia.

It attracts approximately 3,000 entries in the following categories: Television and Cinema, Craft in Television, Online and Cinema, Print, Integrated, Posters and Outdoor, Ambient, Print Craft, Radio, Direct Marketing, Design, Interactive and that aptly named None of The Above.

Winners will be announced in Sydney on November 12th.

TYPHOON ONDOY A FLOOD OF COMPASSION Last September 26, Typhoon Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) brought the island of Luzon a record 13 inches of rain in eight hours, and with it, death and destruction.

On Twitter and Facebook—where over 5,000 of adobo’s community congregate —there was a non-stop barrage of reports, pleas and most importantly, offers for help.

Within 24 hours, several advertising and media groups mobilized to help fill the gaps in the government’s relief efforts. TV networks raised millions with telethons. Graphic designers churned out posters for benefit events and volunteer centers. Agencies and production houses produced viral calls for donations. Countless individuals organized rescue missions, packed relief goods, cooked and served food to victims.

To this day, the work continues.

If you want to help, here are a few places to start: www.redcross.org.ph www.unicef.org/philippines www.akomismo.org www.sagipkapamilya.com www.kapusofoundation.com teammanila.multiply.com rainloveonmanila.blogspot.com

The ASC aids Red Cross

Heima Cubao Expo

McDonalds' "Beg Typhoon" T VC, DDB Phils

Jason and Maui Drilon work the assembly line at Whitespace

Phil. Red Cross "Optimism" T VC, BBDO Guerrero

ABS-CBN telethon raises PhP66M

UNITEL staff plans relief efforts with the Nav y Herbert Hernandez

Mark Peckson: 2-MOO-2-LONG

Ali Moloy

Dale Lopez

adobo by day, volunteers by night

Bolas petite, homemade Filipino dishes wrapped in cooked rice and rolled into balls.

Red Cross cookies DM9 JaymeSyfu mounts their own relief effort

rainlovemanila.blogspot.com Team Manila

"Corruption" Makati Business Club BBDO Guerrero

Five Philippine agencies make it to The Work 09 In the eight edition of Campaign Brief’s The Work 09, a total of 395 ads from Asia, Australia and New Zealand were recognized as the best in the region, including 23 from the Philippines.

For the Philippines, acceptances to The Work 09 doubled this year. From last year’s 11 ads, the country managed to score 23 ads into the annual. BBDO Guerrero led with seven acceptances; TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno and DM9 JaymeSyfu with six each; Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, three; Leo Burnett, one.

In the overall regional ranking, BBDO Guerrero sits at the 13th position; TBWA\SMP and DM9 JaymeSyfu tied in the 14th spot.

Of the 117 agencies included in The Work 09, Colenso BBDO Auckland ranks on top with 18 acceptances, up from third last year. Ogilvy

& Mather Bangkok and DDB Auckland have 11 each, tying for second place.

The Network of the Year title is given to BBDO and Ogilvy & Mather for having 55 acceptances respectively. DDB and Saatchi & Saatchi follow, with 33 each.

Started in 2002, The Work 09 has provided an annual record of the region’s most celebrated works. It awards no gold, silver or bronze, rather a collection of world-class ads and campaign as compiled by Campaign Brief.

The hardbound annual "Blue" has over 400 Vespa pages featuring Ace Saatchi & Saatchi the best ads and

campaigns and includes two DVDs of all TV, TV Craft, Integrated, and Radio acceptances. It is set to publish early 2010.

The Work ‘09 will be available in the Philippines through adobo books.

PLDT group adds ABC TV5 blocktimer to its media network

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a minority interest in CATV and operates 360media (formerly GV

PLDT's Manny Pangilinan: Media mogul in the making

Broadcasting System). It is also still negotiating to purchase 87.5 percent of The Philippine Star for over PhP4 billion.

The PLDT group has been looking for new acquisitions, particularly content providers for the group’s various outlets such as Internet, mobile phones, directto-home (DTH) satellite television service, mobile television, among others.

Last October 15, Media Prima announced it were divesting from MPB Primedia. In an interview with Malaysian newspaper The Star, Media Prima said it had booked losses of up to PhP1.248 bn from fiscal year 2008 www.philstar.com

Mediaquest Holdings, Inc., a company owned by Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) Beneficial Trust Fund, is set to acquire a majority stake in the blocktimer of the Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC) TV5.

According to The Manila Times, Ray Espinosa, director of MediaQuest Holdings Inc., said, “MediaQuest is in the final stages of discussions with respect to acquiring a majority stake in Primedia.”

Espinosa said MediaQuest plans to acquire 75 percent of the Malaysian-led MPB Primedia Inc., which has a block time agreement with ABC Channel 5.

Once complete, Primedia will be the latest in series of acquisitions by MediaQuest.

To date, it owns 29 percent of Business World, majority shares of National Broadcasting Corp.,

to the first half of 2009, largely because of Primedia.

A few days later, Media Prima announced it was buying into The New Strait Times.

In a related development, Antonio Cojaungco, Jr. was reportedly pulling out of ABC as well.

Media Prima is the largest integrated media investment group in Malaysia with a diversified interest in both the electronic (TV and radio) and print media besides content development, event management and outdoor advertising.

Soon after it gained control of ABC TV5 programming, both Primedia and ABC 5 found themselves defendants in a lawsuit filed by GMA Network Inc., Citynet, and ZOE Broadcasting, for violating the law on foreign ownership and management of mass media.

movers EDG SAMSON joins Ace Saatchi & Saatchi from Ogilvy & Mather to lead the agency’s prestigious Mead Johnson account, replacing BENG CONFERIDO who will be leaving the agency after 14 years.

Samson is known for his ability to build strong client relationships and driving breakthrough creative work.

CARMEN ANTUNEZ also joins Ace Saatchi & Saatchi as Head of Strategic Planning, replacing industry veteran JING VILLACORTA who is moving on to explore a new opportunity.

Antunez began her career in strategic planning eight years ago and will lead the planning team at Ace Saatchi on clients including Mead Johnson, Procter & Gamble, PLDT, Kraft, & Roche.

Deploy Digital hires EMMANUEL TONOGBANUA as country head of its Philippine operations. Tonogbanua will report to Deploy Digital's CEO Thorsten Nolte who is based in Singapore.

Previously, he was with Mediaforce Vizeum, where he was president and COO. Adding to its force, Raymond Dizon, from MediaCom, and Hanna Javier come in as account executives.

Universal McCann Philippines appointed ALVIN BANGAY as assistant vice president, taking on two concurrent roles: as Globe Telecom AOR director and UM Investment director, exercising management oversight over media buying operations.

He began his career in account management at Saatchi before shifting towards media specialization at Basic Advertising and moving on to JWT, where he was part of the team that launched WPP Mindshare Philippines.

In 2003, Bangay moved to Zenith Optimedia to lead the Nestle account.

Prior to joining Universal McCann, Bangay took a detour for a year to become General Manager of Euro Asia Media Group, the production company behind branded content shows "Camera Café" and "U Women", aired in GMA 7 and QTV 11.

Seventeen-year media industry veteran, ALEC PANG signed up with 2/11 Promoworks Marketing, Inc. as director for Business Development and head of Strategic Planning. He was formerly director for Strategic Planning at OMD Philippines.

Pang started as a media assistant at the then Advertising and Marketing Associates Consolidated (AMACon). While at the AMA-DDB-OMD network, Pang had local and international exposure, handling accounts such as Budweiser, Manila Hotel, Compaq, Hershey's, Pascual Laboratories/Pharex Corporation, Kawasaki, M-Lhuillier, AMSPEC (Mongol, Crayola), Reckitt Benckiser, Kopiko, McCormick and Gatsby.

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Don’t get too comfortable, they say, especially when you’re good at what you do.

Nestlé Philippines Chairman and CEO Nandu Nandkishore has been promoted to senior vice president and global business head of Infant Nutrition.

Nandkishore has headed Nestlé Philippines for nearly five years, during which the Nestle intensified consumer focus and honed business excellence best practices in all disciplines. Under his leadership, it sustained continuous growth amidst the recession, gaining market shares across categories, launching product innovations and winning awards. The company’s annual turnover, which stood at PhP 63.8 billion in 2005, had increased to PhP 82.3 billion in 2008.

The Philippines is Nestlé’s 10th largest market worldwide.

Nandkishore joined Nestlé in 1989 in India, where over seven years he developed his early career in marketing. His international career started in 1996 when he transferred to Nestlé Indonesia to head the Confectionary Unit.

After a short period as marketing advisor in the Confectionary SBU in Vevey, Switzerland between 1999 and 2000, he returned to Nestlé Indonesia first as marketing and sales director before his promotion to CEO in March 2003. He transferred to Nestlé Philippines as Chairman and CEO in April 2005.

Nandkishore assumed his new position in Vevey, Switzerland effective 1 October, 2009. He said the long-term mission of Nestlé Philippines is “to nurture generations of Filipino families for the next 100 years, and we do this by

Unitel and Jun Reyes

Release Ninoy Aquino biopic

Better late than never. Meant to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the death of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., the movie “The Last Journey of Ninoy” was ideally slated for release in 2008. Due to the unexpected illness (and demise) of the main source of the narrative, the subject’s widow and former Philippine president Corazon “Cory” Aquino, work on the project was sporadic, and the premiere last August 13, bittersweet.

According to Atty. Rafa Lopa, Benigno S. Aquino Foundation (BSAF) head, completion of the movie depended on Cory’s health, which rapidly declined this year. Add to that, director Jun Reyes’ perfectionism.

“Unfortunately, Auntie Cory was not able to watch (the movie), but I know she is here with us,” commented Lopa on the movie’s delayed premiere.

Responding to the mood of the moment, Unitel Chief Tony Gloria said, “It is an honor for Unitel to do this project. If you’re game with Part 2, we’re game.”

There are things history books do not tell you about Benigno S. Aquino Jr., whose assassination triggered a public outcry that propelled his widow to the presidency. Jun Reyes’s movie “The Last Journey of Ninoy,” employs known and

transforming ourselves into a Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company.”

Taking over as Nestle Philippines chairman and CEO is John Miller, currently CEO of Nestlé Indochina and previously of Nestlé Singapore.

And just as we were getting to know you, Nandu

Nestle Philippine CEO promoted to head Global Infant Nutrition

new records, plus memories and insights from the last interview of Cory.

At best, the movie is journey beyond transcontinental flights and lay-overs from Boston to Manila. In the course of 52 minutes, it allows moviegoers to discover Ninoy’s truest ideals against his deepest struggles, his indomitable spirit and faith, exposed by the hardship in his final years.

Aside from screenings hosted by ABS-CBN and ANC last August 23, the movie enjoyed two public premieres in Powerplant Cinemas on August 21, 2009, the 26th anniversary of the Senator’s assassination. The movie was also screened for three days at the Glorietta. Plans to hold school screenings are underway.

Already, the movie is on DVD and available in major retails outlets. Raul Blay of SounDesign, producer of “all the sounds heard in the movie,” revealed that the production was due to public demand. Sales proceeds go to support the benefit projects of the BSAF. “The Last Journey of Ninoy” is in fact, the same epic journey traversed by the late Cory Aquino. Not a mere narrator, but the protagonist in her own right, her own words ring, “Ninoy and I were one.”

For those who can recall that moment of history, the movie affords a sentimental journey recalling youthful idealism. At its brightest, it reveals Cory with a sense of humour, a woman with foresight and strength.

Her last request of director Jun Reyes: “Gandahan mo ‘yan.” And the director tried.

movers SMS. The magazine also received Merit Awards in the writing and photography categories.

While most of the winning entries were below-the-line, PR and internal communication projects, one Excellence awardee should be recognizable to Filipino habitués of YouTube—the Jollibee flash mob dance at the Mall of Asia, entered by Stratworks.

The 2009 Philippine Quill Awards were handed out at the Philippine International Convention Center last October 22 and was organized by the

Winning photo at Art Petron

"Art Petron" and other notable bizcom campaigns win at 2009 Philippine Quill Awards The Philippine chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) honored 103 works of business communication in the recent 2009 Philippine Quill Awards, held last October 22. Of these, only 25 received Excellence Awards, while the rest received Merit Awards.

This year, Petron Corporation won the most with four Excellence Awards for “Art Petron”. Globe Telecoms Inc., Smart Communications, and Campaigns PR Inc. followed with three each. Philippines

Long Distance Telephone Company, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, and United Laboratories with two each; Dela Salle University, GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications Inc., GMA Marketing & Productions, Inc., Manila Electric Company (Meralco), and Strategic Works (Stratworks), Inc., with one apiece.

On its maiden entry, adobo magazine brought home an Excellence Award for “ADSPACE”, which comprises of the magazine’s website, social media, “newsblasts” by email and by

In a move that surprised the industry, Executive Creative Director Teeny Gonzales and Deputy ECD Russell Molina resigned from DDB Philippines last October. Three more creatives and two suits servicing McDonald’s account are reported to have left at the same time.

When asked about the mini-exodus soon after Media Asia first broke the news, the agency’s Group President & CEO Gil Chua Chua told adobo that the agency was currently “negotiating with the team, so nothing is final yet.”

IABC. It honors programs and projects that brought value and measurable benefits to an organization or company with the use of a creative and effective communication effort.

The Philippine Quill Awards is open to all professional communicators, including communication strategists, managers and practitioners; corporate, government and NGO communicators; agency executives, creatives, HR and marketing managers.

Teeny Gonzales and team make the break

DDB Philippines ECD and six others leave However in the weeks that followed, it became apparent the negotiations fell through.

DDB’s HR department confirmed that Molina left October 30, while Gonzales would stay on till November 5. Observers said the rest of the breakaway group dropped out of sight much earlier.

No reason was publicly offered for their actions, although all seven employees were recruited from Harrison Communications.

Sources from within the Creative Guild, where Gonzales is treasurer, and the 21st Philippine Advertising committees, for which she led the ad campaign, said that she has notified both groups of her resignation. But DDB Chief Marketing Officer and AdCon Program Chairman Susan Dimacali assured that "Teeny and her team will continue to provide Opening Night creative leadership."

Margot Torres, who is both the overall chairman for the AdCon and DDB’s client on McDonalds. said, she sees nothing wrong with Gonzales working on the AdCon, post-DDB, “as it is for the industry anyway.”

As for the team’s servicing of McDonald’s, Torres added that it would not be an immediate problem, because “we are working on next year’s plans already.”

Singapore – The Philippines will now be under Euro RSCG Southeast Asia as the agency creates new position for former Singapore ECD, VICTOR NG. Ng heads regional operations, taking on full creative responsibility for Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, overseeing creative output, profile and talent across this sub-region.

Ng, though, will continue base operations in Singapore, the network's SEA hub and will continue to serve as the SEA member on Euro RSCG's Creative Council to help shape the regional creative direction.

Singapore - Following the departure of KURT VIERTEL at Leo Burnett to become managing director of Clemenger Harvie Edge Brisbane; TAN KIEN ENG, managing director of Leo Burnett Malaysia, takes over the agency’s Singapore operations.

Tan’s newly created role as CEO of Malaysia and Singapore, seeks to enhance synergy between the two country operations.

On the other hand, Nick Handel, regional director of digital, Leo Burnett Group, and managing director of Arc Worldwide Singapore, focuses on boosting growth of the digital business in Asia-Pacific.

Bangkok – Media network OMD appointed PAUL SPENCER as managing director of its Thailand office where he will report directly to Maggie Choi, OMD Asia Pacific CEO. Spender has two decades of experience in media, joining the OMD network from Group M in Thailand where he was partner for Client Leadership, running the Nestle AOR account. He started his career in London with McCann Erickson in 1992. He was transferred to Thailand in 1995 where he worked for nine years. In addition to his post as general manager for Universal McCann in Thailand, Spencer was also director of Integration responsible for strengthening IMC practices among marketing companies operating under McCann-WorldGroup.

Singapore – JIM GOH, Omnicom Media Group’s executive director of business development for Asia-Pacific, has resigned from his post. His departure ends a decade of his career with Omnicom.

Goh founded OMD Malaysia and became regional managing director for Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Describing his career with the network as a "terrific experience," Goh expressed delight with the progress made in Asia by OMD and PHD. He held his last post for just over a year.

november-december '09

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Save up with

McSaver Moves

Who knew workouts could help you resist impulsive buying?

McDonald’s latest television campaign teaches you just that.

Though ads on stretching budgets are nothing new, DDB and McDonald’s took it up a notch by veering from 50-percent offerings and reaching for “McSaver Moves”.

Ramon Bautista, former Strange Brew alumnus, DJ, MTV presentor and film director, takes on the role of the psychedelic aerobic instructor. Dressed in a Jane Fondaesque outfit, he teaches three McSaver Moves not just for shredding pounds but also for unnecessary purchasing.

“McDo commercials have always been fun, light and youthful.

Although we pushed the humor in ‘McSaver Moves’, the campaign still shows the personality of McDonald’s,” says Maki Maquiling, copywriter of DDB Philippines.

From behind the scenes, she shares, “The greatest challenge is shooting the TVCs on live sound. It was hard not to laugh while Ramon Bautista is struggling with some of the moves.”

In this installment, with funny Ramon Bautista as the lead,

The Creative Guild of the Philippines reopens its RAW School with a new series of lectures. The first session, held last October 22 at welovepost, featured Cannes Filmfest Best Director Brillante Mendoza as guest lecturer.

Formerly a production designer, Mendoza shared how

RAW School reopens with Brillante Mendoza

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the worlds of advertising and of his films differs.

Compared to producing ads, which involved meticulously plotted storyboards and thorough preparation, Mendoza shoots his film with only a script at hand and a concept in mind.

Once he instructs the actors and positioned them in the scene, he rolls the camera.

The one important rule on his set is “only the director cuts the scene.”

To an amazed audience of young creatives, he revealed behind-the-scene stories from his films. Once he instructed his actors separately and put them together in a scene, with november-december '09

McDonald’s lets you fight off high prices, high-cost of living with belly laughs.

Executive Creative Director: Teeny Gonzales / Art Director: Argem Vinuya Copywriter: Maki Maquiling Client Service Director: Tey San Diego Account Director: Wella Balagtas Senior Account Executive: Lester Obice

To watch “McSaver Moves”, visit Hotspots at: www.adobomagazine.com

the actors not knowing what the others would do. He let them act and respond according to their characters.

The spontaneity allowed him to capture raw emotions, even the actors’ fatigue and exhaustion.

Another example was from his award-winning film “Kinatay”. In the scene where a man climbed a billboard post to commit suicide, Mendoza plotted the situation, but only a few know his plan. The rest were curious bystanders. Even the MMDA and the police rushed to the scene.

Asked on how he develops his story, Mendoza eagerly responds, “My stories are inspired by real-life experiences and facts.”

He immerses himself with the people and their environment, until they are comfortable enough to share their stories to him.

Raw School is a program of The Creative Guild of the Philippines for training young creatives to be globally competitive. Ompong Remigio, executive director of Campaigns & Grey leads this year's sessions, and is currently completing the syllabus.

A LOOK AT BUSINESS IN 2009 New norms and new demands 2009 started with a lot of fear and uncertainty, with many agencies bracing for a recession year, taking the cue from the global economic meltdown. It wasn’t any more reassuring to hear at that time, that Philippines was in a highly volatile situation with naysayers predicting the collapse of our economy and optimists painting a rosier picture than the global situation.

It seemed that one person’s guess was as good as the next guy’s— economic expert or not.

Now that three quarters have passed, the feeling is like being spared from super typhoon Pepeng. The Philippine economy breathes a big sigh of relief as OFW remittances continue to grow, with income coming from less vulnerable workers like nurses.

In the advertising sector, media spending has been healthy for the past three quarters.

NANDY VILLAR The combination of “enlightened” recessionManaging Director, McCann Erickson marketing spending and election-related selfChairman, the Association of Accredited promotions seemed to keep the airwaves busy Advertising Agencies of the Philippines and the media cash registers ringing.

Agencies are expected to negotiate better, manage costs better, and provide better service for the same amount or less.

It’s been a good 10 months since the doomsayers predicted fire and brimstone due to the economic slump.

Earthquakes, Ondoy, Pepeng, political black comedies, and acts of nature brought about by human negligence compounded the challenges that we had to face. Although it was

the bulk of total spend.

Airing of quasi-political ads has started and also contributed to the growth.

I have always believed that creativity need not be expensive.

Thus was the case this year when clients, brand and media agencies came together to stretch ROI of every

We will see more hardworking ads in more creative, more intrusive media next year, as business ads wrestle with political ads for space and time. tough to be on “business as usual” mode, the industr y not only sur vived; it even thrived despite the adverse conditions.

Our media agency, Starcom Mediavest, reported a four-fold increase in industry spend over inflation, with FMCG’s accounting for

investment, without compromising creative content and production value. We saw the inclusion of more new media in the mix. Social networking went from being purely personal to being a real societal medium capable of shaping perception and mobilizing support.

Ad agencies, in general, seemed to have weathered 2009 fairly well, too. Based on an informal survey of large, mid-size, and small agencies, many expect to finish the year slightly better than 2008— at the top line and the bottom line.

Consistent with the early economic forecasts, many ad agencies braced themselves for the worst and therefore resorted to protecting their bottom lines in the first half of the year. In anticipation of tough times, many sharpened their game and went more aggressively for new business and working doubly hard for existing accounts.

These measures seem to be paying off because many agree that client-spending picked up in Q3, continuing into Q4.

Most seem optimistic about 2010. Some believe it will be the same as 2009.

The real challenges facing ad agencies however aren’t recession-related but have more to do with clients’ new demands. Simply put, the “new demand” is called “achieving more with less.” If the value equation is defined as benefit over price, clients today demand more benefit without necessarily spending more. Or if they do decide to spend more, the benefit becomes a greater exponent.

Agencies are expected to negotiate better, manage costs better, and provide better service for the same amount or less.

The price for agencies to stay in the game has gone higher in terms of providing better ideas to clients, developing new capabilities beyond traditional advertising, and generally more efficient operations.

So while being spared from the big 09 storm has been a blessing, navigating through the new norms is a longer and fiercer battle to fight.

Business as unusual Real-time messaging has come of age.

We will see more hardworking ads in more creative, more intrusive media next year, as business ads wrestle with political ads for space and time. It will be interesting to see which ads will rise above the expected clutter. The industry will continue to seek ways for greater advertising effectiveness, which is really critical for its growth especially when there is less money to spend.

Fuel Success.

Charmaine Vaflor-Canillas Advertising & Promotions Director, Petron President, PANA Adboard Chairwoman

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This year, what stunned or inspired you creatively? And why?

I just discovered Astrojax for my sons that’s simply fascinating. Three light-up balls with special metal weight connected thru a string that allows you to perform amazing tricks.

Pretty inspiring ways to create shapes and textures in the dark.

Unfortunately, I’m still trying to untangle the mess around my arm.

How did the economic downturn affect ad agencies and their response to the needs of clients?

The big clients are spending, but as time passes, more and more we’re feeling the effects of recession. The main thing is we’re not being pulled down, but taking the direction up and for the better.

I think TV is still at the top of the work.

Especially for mass markets like India and China. Print is still being used, but probably

not in the right way. Digital is picking up, and Outdoor. As opposed to Japanese agencies, we are much more integrated.

Obviously Integrated is the buzzword. The problem we have with integration is that the clients have all these different partners. For Unilever, O&M does digital; another one does

T TAY GUAN HIN

REGIONAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR JWT ASIA EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR JWT SINGAPORE

the media; another one does direct. If we come up with a totally integrated idea, and if other agencies don’t fully want it, it just disappears.

So with the recession, the most important thing is going back to the idea. For me personally, it’s sort of a human insight. It can touch you. It’s more about being more emotional rather than being logical.

What are your thoughts on awards shows and the current creative output of ad agencies?

Even though in the awards shows, the entries are down, I think people are just spending less but putting better work.

Just to give you an idea, before the Spikes we went though all the Asia-Pacific entries and just sent the winning work. We just focused on that. We covered all the categories. Now, we have one brilliant piece of work winning five or six medals. Having less money really worked better for us.

The amazing thing is the wide spread of countries winning. There isn’t a major country that is picking up the awards. It’s a really good sign because everybody has his own special look and feel—very Indian work, very Chinese work, very Thai work.

Unfortunately, I think Singapore is still finding itself. We still do good print, but as you know, print is dying.

What are the highlights of your year as a creative?

For JWT Singapore. this year has really been great with WWF, and we also have some work coming from Nokia, like the cinema takeover we’ve done.

Sometimes, we need madness…a bit of madness, a bit of fun.

Because of the recession, we don’t have enough fun.

I think we need to bring a lot of fun back into the work.

What are you looking forward to in the coming year?

Sometimes, we need madness. For example, the Cadbury gorilla… a bit of madness, a bit of fun.

Because of the recession, we don’t have enough fun. I think we need to bring a lot of fun back into the work.

I think we are starting to explore things that are quite interesting, rather than just linking it back to the concept. I know it’s consumer-generated, but it’s just trying to find something that actually relates back to the consumers or something that triggers their interest.

W WF "Shark"

Tay Guan Hin started his career by winning the Best of Show in LA Creative Club Student Competition.

In 1998, his work helped Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore become AdAge International Agency of the Year. Campaign Brief Asia ranked him as one of the region’s top ten creatives for the past four years and seventh in The Work 2004. Guan joined JWT in 2005 and was the first Southeast Asia creative director to be elected to the JWT Worldwide Creative Council.

His awards include Golds at Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, the Clio Awards, AdFest, AWARD and Spikes. In fact, three campaigns are included in Gunn Report ’s top ten.

He is only the second Asian to chair the Clio Awards for print, poster, innovative media and integrated campaigns. He was appointed as Jury President for Outdoor at AdFest 2008, and he’s also the first Asian to serve as D&AD’s Foreman in the poster category 2009.

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november-december '09

@ CREATIVE RECAP 2009 This year, what stunned or inspired you creatively? And why?

A book called Crowdsourcing, written by Jeff Howe.

How did the economic downturn affect ad agencies and their response to the needs of clients?

When most agencies suffer in a recession, the first thing they cut is the creative. They cut the award budget; they cut the staff.

Creative has become a luxury.

As both managing director and executive creative director, my instinct is to protect Creative, because we should package ourselves, including Creative, into a valuable commodity. Creative is our product, and our business is like a restaurant. You come for the food, the dessert—not the waitress. That’s my philosophy. So even if they say that the economy is not that good this year, I still maintain that my contribution is to protect the creative.

F

SPENCER WONG

MANAGING DIRECTOR, HK EXEC. CREATIVE DIRECTOR, CHINA MCCANN ERICKSON

What are your thoughts on awards shows and the current creative output of ad agencies?

This year, there is less and less creative work around the world. In award shows this year,

entries are down by 30 to 40 percent.

In terms of quality, there was some interesting work, such as the Obama campaign. But these are not normal, traditional advertising. And I found that in this kind of work, the influence of the campaign has much to do with its success.

When we talk about the regional work, I’m quite disappointed. Thailand used to come out with lots of great TV commercials. This year, they got less.

Japan has always been good in advertising, new technology, new media and digital. They still do, but the way they present and package it is very incomplete. They have very interesting stuff, but they don’t know how to make it apply to the real communications.

For the other regions like Singapore, this year had really, really good print campaigns from Singapore. China had one or two campaigns that made it jump out, like Shan Shui.

But overall, we are being left behind. We are still working on the execution. We are not working on improving the idea and influence of the whole campaign. are the highlights This year, we did so well What of your year as a that we are under more creative? pressure to do somethingWe got a Grand Prix for Nike Cannes and many Lions. more interesting. We are in Some of them, Gold. Despite no longer satisfied with the recession, this year has been good for us. getting a Bronze or a Our strategy was not Silver. We must set our to compete in print against Singapore or the world, goal higher.

because we didn’t have time.

And TV? Of course, we are good at that, but we thought what Hong Kong is famous for? Fast? Integrated? Everything all together?

So we did more of integrated, interactive and cross media. That’s why most of our entries over the last two years were very difficult to classify. At the same time they challenged the category. We have shown something that the rest of the world cannot do.

What are you looking forward to in the coming year?

We are launching something on the first day of 2010 that could challenge Print.

This year, we did so well that we are under more pressure to do something more interesting. We are no longer satisfied with getting a Bronze or a Silver. We must set our goal higher.

Nike "Paper Battlefield"

Spencer Wong has been in the industry for more than 22 years, including stints at Leo Burnett, Ogilv y & Mather, M&C Saatchi, Euro RSCG and Bates. Spencer has also worked as a film director on more than 50 T V commercials for the Hong Kong, China and Singapore markets.

He has won multiple Grand Prixes and Golds in local and Asian creative awards. He has led McCann to become the top creative agency in Hong Kong for the past three years.

Spencer’s personal honors include serving as the first Chinese D&AD judge in 2005 and winning the Design Grand Prix at Cannes Lions in 2009. november-december '09

19

This year, what stunned or inspired you creatively? And why?

It can only be Tropical Storm Ondoy. It’s a horrendous tragedy and of course, we all wish it had not happened. But it has brought out an unexpected and very necessary change in the way we, as betteroff survivors, think about things. People are donating what they don’t need. Doing what they never thought of doing. And caring when they really didn’t seem to. If there’s a silver lining, that is it.

Perhaps it will change the way we think about our country.

And perhaps it will make us less tolerant of the abuse of the common resources we are supposed to share.

Drainage and city planning is just part of it. The air, the food chain, health and safety standards, road traffic—all of these should be revealed as accidents wating

to happen, just as Ondoy now seems to be the tragedy that would inevitably happen one day.

How did the economic downturn affect ad agencies and their response to the needs of clients?

Strictly speaking, the Philippine economy did not go into recession this year.

It grew at between one percent and two percent.

What did happen, as our survey “Trading Up, Trading Down” showed, was that we went into a psychological recession. Where our mindsets as both consumers, advertisers and agencies grew sharply more cautious. Consumers saved more money; advertisers trimmed budgets and agencies, in many cases, let people go.

However, digital continues to grow and international opportunities continue to grow.

Outsourcing is of course a massive success story for the country. But now agencies are quietly winning business from the US, and around the world.

In our case, it came from our appointment as the international agency partner of Krispy Kreme. And in winning a global assignment from FedEx. Locally, more clients are demanding integrated solutions that deliver where it counts—and not just being present in every medium.

We’re fortunate that clients such as Bayan, Pepsi and Pizza Hut are leading the way in this.

What are your thoughts on awards shows and the current creative output of ad agencies?

Agencies need to evolve. And if you haven’t already started you

What are the highlights of your year as a creative?

Cannes was an exceptional learning experience and a lot of fun. And BBDO picked up the Network of the Year prize again.

I enjoyed AdFest because we won a Silver for a campaign about running. And I enjoyed Spikes because it was all-new; they took exceptional care of us as judges, and we won even more Silvers.

But if I had to pick a highlight it would be the Kidlat awards in Boracay. The new hotel worked out really well. Stefan Sagmeister blew everyone away with his talk. Old friends Judee and John Merrifield were there. There was swimming.

And there was drama. And of course there was BB, who very briefly got me a spot in the tabloids.

Hilarious.

S DAVID

GUERRERO

CHAIRMAN EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR BBDO GUERRERO / PROXIMITY

may be too late. The critical thing is to keep ruthlessly focused on the quality of the work, no matter what the medium. Some argue that the quality of ideas in these nontraditional areas isn’t as high as in the established disciplines of Press, Outdoor and TV. There’s some evidence for this at the finalist level but the best work in Media, Cyber, Direct and Promo was worthy of recognition in any show.

David gets his 15 minutes as BB's masseuse

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november-december '09

What are you looking forward to in the coming year?

I’m optimistic. I feel we’ve got some interesting work coming through now. It seems like more and more integrated opportunities are coming up. And I actually got a call from a client wanting to give us some business this morning. So that feels like a good sign.

Anything else?

I’m working on anthology of new Filipino fiction. Watch out for it.

David Guerrero believes the best work can come from anywhere, and founded BBDO Guerrero in Manila with the intention of proving it.

Since 1998, the agency has picked up more Cannes Lions than any other local shop, as well as the first ones for T V, Radio, Press and Outdoor. BBDO Guerrero has also won Advertiser of the Year awards for clients in both regional and local shows, as well as multiple Gold, Silver and Bronze Effie Awards and Media’s Effectiveness Awards in Asia.

In 2007, he became the first Cannes Lions jury president from Southeast Asia. David has also won the country ’s only Grand Prix (at the London International Awards), Golds at Cannes Lions and the Clio Awards and Silvers, Bronzes and in-book work at The One Show and D&AD. David was recently reelected as President of the Creative Guild and has been inducted into its Hall of Fame.

@ CREATIVE RECAP 2009

e MELVIN MANGADA

MANAGING PARTNER EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR TBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO

This year, what stunned or inspired you creatively? And why?

“Daft Hands Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” on YouTube. The 21 year-old author is not your ad agency type of a creative, but his brand of creativity gets noticed 35 million times. The scary truth is out there.

Cai-Guo Quiang and his pyrotechnic art.

Ondoy and Pepeng, and how illprepared we are.

How did the economic downturn affect ad agencies and their response to the needs of clients?

Here are my random thoughts: Advertisers have become more and more open to activation, mobile and digital advertising. But I suspect that some clients are more anxious rather than excited about the prospects of new media. I also suspect that agencies are not doing a good job in understanding clients’ fears and lack of knowledge.

There are still too many creatives in love with TV and print, and the need right now is for creatives to cross media platforms with great ease.

Having said that, BTL agencies are making a killing.

Creative freelancing is more popular (not necessarily more secure) than ever.

The average production budget of a TV ad has either gone down or has remained the same as that of ten years ago.

The word “viral” is so overused but misunderstood the most.

What are your thoughts on awards shows and the current creative output of ad agencies?

The positive thing coming out of growing categories such as direct, promotions, integrated campaigns and activation is that the idea is measured by its effectiveness, either through actual numbers, brand

Melvin is the first-ever member of the Creative Guild of the Philippines’ Hall of Fame for winning several Ads of the Year and numerous international awards.

He has sat as jury member in Media Spikes in Bali, Adfest in Pattaya, London International Ad Fest, and the New York Festivals. He was once President of the Creative Guild of the Philippines and Overall Chairperson for Creative in the Ad Congress in Cebu.

Melvin started his career in Ace Saatchi & Saatchi. He rose to become Board Member and VP/Executive Creative Director a few years later. Through his leadership, the agency won the local 4As’ Agency of the Year and Best in Creative. In 2001, He left Saatchi to set up TBWA in Manila. He led the fledgling agency to win Agency of the Year and Best in Creative awards three years in a row (2004, 2005, 2006). This year TBWA won Best in Creative once more.

awareness or media mileage. All of a sudden, we are not looking for just a pretty and clever ad to award; we’re now also interested in results-oriented ideas created beautifully.

This can be redemption from jaded clients who have become disillusioned with creativity being recognized for sheer creativity. Here’s an opportunity that just might bring back the prestige that award shows deserve.

Boysen "Hibiscus

However—I’ve said this before and I shall say this again—there are just too many award shows. Given the evolving compensation schemes and lower revenues and profits, the advertising community should seriously look into this matter. Agency networks, publications, and perhaps even the local 4As should come to an agreement on which shows are worth entering. This year, the Spikes have evolved into another Asian Adfest, similar to the one in Pattaya. Can Asia afford two major regional shows?

What are the highlights of your year as a creative?

We were fortunate to bring home metals from regional shows like the AdFest and the Spikes, and international festivals like the Cannes Lions and Clios.

Locally, we did quite well at the Kidlat Awards and we were proclaimed Best in Creative by the 4As’ Agency of the Year.

The agency also reaped praises from within the network, winning internal competitions that involved actual briefs for Absolut and Pedigree.

Indeed, we’ve been very blessed this year.

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I read an article in Media early this year that said, “When times are tough, the tough still like to go shopping.”

In the wake of a financial crisis, you’d naturally think people would hold on to their money, stop spending and pray that everything goes back to “normal”. Well, I don’t agree with that at all. People simply shift priorities when a crisis happens. You undergo a little change—that’s all.

Dining is still a priority.

However, offers like the recent Peninsula Manila’s 30th Anniversary PhP 30 halo-halo and bibingka and the PhP 1 Brothers’ Burger now top everybody’s list.

Keeping fit with expensive gym packages has turned into a running craze. Designer shopping has become the “looks for less” with H&M, Uniqlo, Zara and Muji. Still aspirational but very affordable.

This holds true with our industry. I believe that beyond reaching consumers, integrated campaigns are also born out of clients’ shrinking budgets.

Take for example Tourism Queensland’s “Best Job in the World”. Developed by the Brisbane-based agency called Nitro, the campaign started with an ad seeking applicants for an island caretaker and ended up as the world’s greatest PR stunt.

This simple idea has attracted tens of thousands of applicants with their videos, generating more than US$80M of equivalent media advertising space.

What about Burger King’s “Whopper Sacrifice”? I must admit it’s pretty funny. I can’t imagine ditching 10 friends from my Facebook account just to get a Whopper. And mind you, it doesn’t stop there. It will actually notify the friends I ditched!

There are a lot more examples out there that can prove that “the budget” doesn’t really restrict us.

It gives us an opportunity to force ourselves to get rid of our old ways and to seek unexplored routes. But one thing’s for sure; creativity is at its best during “hard times”.

w MERLEE CRUZ-JAYME

People simply shift priorities when a crisis happens. You undergo a little change— that’s all.

CHAIRMAN EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR DM9 JAYMESYFU

Since leaving BBDO Guerrero and starting her small shop almost four years ago, DM9 JaymeSyfu, an affiliate of DDB Worldwide, has been blessed with the country ’s very first Media Lion and the most number of shortlisted work in Cannes this year.

Dm9 JaymeSyfu is currently ranked no. 4 in the latest Campaign Brief Asia Ranking and poised to take the no.1 slot next year, given its current points.

2009 has been good to her. She was awarded with two major citations: The Hall of Fame Award from the Creative Guild of the Philippines and the New York Festivals Creative Achievement Award.

Her works have also won major citations including a Bronze and a national diploma in Cannes, a UNICEF Gold Medal for Gabriela, two Bronzes in the Media Spikes, finalists in D&AD and CLIO, Silver in MEDIA for Outdoor, Bronze in Adfest, a Silver in LIA A, two Silvers and a Bronze in New York Festivals, Platinum in the Philippine Advertising congress and seven Golds in the Kidlat: Creative Guild of the Philippines.

@ CREATIVE RECAP 2009 This year, what stunned or inspired you creatively?

And why?

I discovered that Haile Selassie and Haile Gebrselassie are not one and the same. The former I vaguely remember from history books as a kid. The latter was the better inspiration—the greatest distance runner of all time and a compulsive world record-breaker.

On the creative front, my favorites are “The Best Job in The World” and Malaysia’s Jeep ads. Common denominator: Come up with a great idea, execute to perfection and you’ll go places.

How did the economic downturn affect ad agencies and their response to the needs of clients?

I don’t think the changes are anything dramatic. Crises just serve to magnify capabilities.

The better agencies have always shown resilience and innovation. Quick turnaround.

Overarching service. Value-formoney ideas that sometimes defy logic.

Advertising is an inexact science, no matter what the research says. At some point, marketers have to trust their agencies and take a leap of faith.

Because, as somebody once reminded us, logic kills magic.

What are your thoughts on awards shows and the current creative output of ad agencies?

Definitely, the blurring of the media lines is happening everyday. But the truism still remains: It’s all about the idea.

Then you figure out how to best make it come alive.

It’s encouraging to see more agencies winning internationally. I particularly like how Spikes has evolved into the Asian Cannes.

Locally, we’re seeing award shows mushrooming and the worry of devaluation sets in.

We need to put some sense into this. Some will fall by the wayside. I still believe the premiere local shows are Araw and Kidlat.

What are the highlights of your year as a creative?

We did better than the previous year. Recognition from D&AD, Spikes, The Work.

We’re back in the hunt for AOY Best in Creative. We won several new businesses with our brand of creativity. These are still modest gains though. We definitely have to work harder and do better. Internationally, Leo Burnett is doing very well—rising to 2nd in the Gunn Report and Mark Tutssel leading Campaign magazine’s top 10 global CCOs. What are you looking forward to in the coming year?

An even better year for Philippine creatives. Spikes was good. Now we have to aim beyond Asia.

In our office, I’m eager to see more ideas coming to fruition and helping build business for our current and new clients. We’ve always believed that there should be no conflict between businessbuilding and creative awards.

We also have momentum from the efficiencies we’ve created by streamlining our creative resources. Next year, we hope to gain more from these.

Anything else?

Self-advertising is our curse.

It’s interesting that we hate politicians blowing their own trumpets, yet we all fall into the same trap: Ondoy inundated Facebook and Twitter with the most trivial self-advertising.

Praise be you who has sore arms from lifting a few boxes of bottled water and who’s now resting peacefully in your warm bed.

Q RAOUL PANES

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR LEO BURNETT & BLACKPENCIL

Raoul started his advertising career in account management.

After a year, he shifted to copy writing at JWT where he became the youngest creative director. He then moved to JimenezBasic. Prior to joining Leo Burnett in 2007, he was executive creative director at BBDO Guerrero Ortega.

He has won at Cannes, One Show, D&AD, Adfest, Media Spikes, New York Festivals, LIA A and Clio. His work has also been recognized by Campaign Brief’s The Work. A multi-term director of the Creative Guild of the Philippines, he is currently Creative Committee co-chair of the forthcoming 21st Philippine Advertising Congress. When he’s not doing ads, he dreams of winning Wimbledon and writing the Great Filipino Screenplay. november-december '09

25

This year, what stunned or inspired you creatively? And why?

1. This was the year @aplusk

went head to head with

@cnnbrk to be the first with one million followers. Twitter went mainstream. Hardly anyone knew about it in 2006. Today, @shitmydadsays became an Internet star in under 20 tweets.

That’s 800 characters or less.

2. Posterous is a noteworthy attempt at “blogging for the rest of us.”

Sweet, startlingly simple UI. 3. Plants Vs. Zombies out of PopCap is the runaway casual game hit of the year. Vegetation against the undead—how simple, how unexpected.

4. Fraulein Revoltech figures out of Kaiyodo.

5. From the bookshelf: Neal Stephenson’s Anathem, which is either a rip-roaring scifi opera or a philosophy treatise; Connected by Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, PhD and James H. Fowler, PhD, an in-depth study of social networks; Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert; Emergence: Labeled Autistic, by Temple Grandin.

digital solutions, attracted to flexibility, scalability and accountability.

What are your thoughts on awards shows and the current creative output of ad agencies?

I get my news first on Twitter and Facebook. I spend more screen time on my N97 than on TV. We’re seeing more integrated campaigns because I’m not unusual—the audience continues to fragment and recompose itself.

One idea executed in one traditional medium hardly works anymore.

Regardless of which platform, though, the ideas that win awards and win over people are insightful and original.

What are the highlights of your year as a creative?

I get to answer this question twice, as this year I worked for two agencies! Both of them enjoyed good metal mileage at this year’s shows.

Manikako’s Bronze in Integrated at the Spikes was well-deserved; its authenticity touched not just the kids and teens who love their Manikakos, but also the judges.

+

I like ideas that start fringe and explode into mainstream. “Now why didn’t I find the venture capital for that?” I used to own oom.ph—and thought, hey, why can’t I use that for a site where I can introduce friends to friends to friends?

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR That was in 1999. A pity LOWE WORLDWIDE PHILIPPINES I wasn’t in Harvard in 2003 instead. Nowadays I am known to say, with irritating regularity, the difference Lowe’s “Weeds” for Video City between a good idea and a great idea is continues to bring in the metal: a venture capital. clear example that the combination of simplicity and originality wins.

How did the economic downturn I also got to play with holophonic affect ad agencies and their sound at Hit for iProtect’s radio response to the needs of clients? commercials, and Media Magnet’s Marketers expressed more interest in mirror mirage for the same brand.

Manikako That’s another aspect of the work that I am enjoying more and more—finding intersection points between traditional media and fresh technology.

LEIGH REYES

What are you looking forward to in the coming year?

I look forward to doing less of the same and more of the different.

Leigh Reyes is the Executive Creative Director of Lowe. She won the country's first Gold Clio for her Soroptomist ads. She was also a judge in the Radio Lions in 2008, the third and the youngest from the Philippines to have been given the honor. She is this year's co-chair of the Philippine Ad Congress Creative Committee.

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???

I like questions.

In fact, the writing of this article started with a few: “Tony, can we ask you to write a Creative Recap for 2009?”

“Can you send it before Oct. 1?”

“Are you doing the work or just drinking again, Sarmiento?!”

Further more, I like asking questions.

Not only does it confirm my utter ignorance of a lot of things in life, but doing so also pushes me to constantly seek better answers. And they can come from anywhere—books and films, from friends, family and colleagues. The more I ask, the more I know. And hopefully, the more I grow.

Two of my three favorite questions always begin with “what if” and “why not”. These two questions challenge the status quo, the accepted beliefs and sometimes, common sense. They also lead to better ideas and beg for even more amazing executions.

Of sacrifice, online nationalism and the world’s best job This year has seen a bumper crop of amazing ideas in and out of our industry. But even before these great ideas and solutions could come into consciousness and be rewarded, there were more questions than answers.

What if people sacrificed their Facebook friends and get rewarded with burgers?

Why not push a holiday destination by putting out a “help wanted” ad for the best job in the world?

What if we used a social networking site to unite Filipinos during times of devastation and natural calamities?

@ CREATIVE RECAP 2009 Indeed, the impact from questions like these have been stunning, creative and very inspiring.

Hard times, harder questions 2009 had confirmed what we were simply speculating 12 months ago: smaller budgets, more work.

And while many agencies blamed their nervous clients for the sudden fear of spending, some embraced the challenge and asked more difficult questions.

What if we had a hand at personalizing our Hondas instead of listening to a boring car salesman? Why not use shirts instead of streamers to promote nationalism? What if bloggers, and not endorsers, became the best source of my product information?

These groups understood the problems, looked beyond the usual and have reaped astounding results.

“Is he the new VP for Interrogation?”

I laughed out loud when I overheard this on my first week in Saatchi. But at the start of this year, our guys were left speechless at award-winning integrated work from around the world. These were from agencies that questioned the singlemedium, one-off ad and asked about other possibilities.

After asking all the “what ifs” and “why nots” to create ideas, winning teams started asking my third favorite question—“How?” How else can I spread the idea? How do I differentiate print from posters? How can this idea come alive online?

Interrogation does lead to integration. Apparently, the security guard in the old Feliza building was on to something.

So where the hell are we?!

How was our 2009?

Good question.

I think the answer lies in a series of other questions.

The Mark Peckson Project

Can anyone be really satisfied with just two Cannes finalists? Is an Araw Values platinum or Creative Guild bronze enough reason to take it easy? Do acceptances in Archive, bestadsontv. com and The Work Annual 09, mean we’ve arrived?

What if we said there’s so much more to be done? Why not see 2009 as just the start of things to come? With the right people, the positive attitude and our “One Team, One Dream” battlecry, I think it isn’t a question of “what if”, but only a question of “when”.

How else can I spread the idea?

How do I differentiate print from posters? How can this idea come alive online?

Tony started his career in 1998 as a direct marketing copy writer at BCD Pinpoint. After 10 years in Ogilvy One, Publicis, BBDO/Guerrero Ortega, Grey Worldwide and Proximity, he joined Matt Seddon at Ace Saatchi to help revitalize its 60 year-old Manila office.

Tony has been a member of Campaign Brief Asia’s Regional Creative Rankings List for the past four years. His work has been recognized at international shows such as the Clios and The One Show, Cannes, The Asian Direct Marketing Awards, Asia Pacific Advertising Festival, The Asian Advertising Awards and the Malaysian Kancils. In 2004, he was ranked #88 in Media Magazine’s Asia’s Hottest Young Creatives.

?

TONYPET SARMIENTO

VP FOR CREATIVE INTEGRATION SAATCHI & SAATCHI

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Was that your commercial I saw?

Mom calls almost everyday at exactly 7:30 am to check on me and ask if we at PJB are still busy.

These days, being busy is a good thing.

Our talks go something like this: Kumusta?

Ok naman po.

Ano’ng bago mong commercial?

Yung Greenwich.

Alin yung kay John Lloyd? Yung cheesy?

Yun nga po.Nagpa-picture ka?

Yes. I had my picture taken with John Lloyd Cruz. Things like that make my mom happy.

And that makes me happy, too. But knowing she’s seen and can replay our ads is a more than pleasant bonus. Greenwich’s “Sobrang Cheesy” has been one of the agency’s most popular campaigns this year. The Pinoy penchant for going overboard with their emotions is a contagious story. Not only was it spoofed a lot, it even made it to a mainstream film. It captured people’s imaginations as well as their appetites.

Not bad, really.

PHONE RINGS. Bakit nandyan ka pa?

I’m leaving in a while for a shoot.

Ano’ng shoot mo?

UFC Catsup.

May artista?

Uhuh. Sila Carmina and Zoren.

Magpa-picture ka ha.

Yes. I also had my picture taken with Carmina and Zoren. Mom, happy again. And by the way, she added, did I have one taken with the kids?

Hmm, no.

UFC’s “Lunch Box Office Hits” started out as a one-shot TV requirement. The clients saw the potential of the idea and one shot became a volley. A spot-on brief + a healthy client/ agency relationship + a beautiful celebrity couple living out the drama of their lives (in three genres: action, romance, and horror) = fun for all concerned. And yes, another photo op.

PHONE RINGS. Papasok ka na?

In a while.

Mom’s calls remind me that consumers will remember the ad and not the author.

Busy pa din?

Opo. Ano’ng bago mong commercial?

Yung Globe Tattoo with this guy jumping from planet to planet…

Ahhh.

Obviously, she’s not the market.

Globe Tattoo’s “Youniverse” is what we call a virgin campaign. That means the actual pitch material was produced. Elements of the campaign are interactive and underscores the convergence of digital and mobile technologies.

It had enough oomph to make the use of a celebrity superfluous. But did it work? Well, with the ImmortalTxt offer actually achieving 9X of forecast, I’d have to say yes. Fortune favors the brave, it’s said.

PHONE RINGS. Uhmm…Don Ma, musta?

Ok kami. Inyo ba yung Kris na Gynepro?

Yup. E di ba yung pHCare, inyo din?

Opo. Magpa-picture ka ha.

Meron na ako di ba?

E luma na yun. pHCare “GossipHer” is a story about a fictional couple—Sophia and Joseph. It was told via Sophia’s blog, and moments were featured in TVCs. The campaign integrated the strengths of various media into a coherent, persuasive, and entertaining whole.

Back to my mom. Somehow, her calls pull me back to reality. A reality where consumers judge the advertising. She makes me feel we’re on the right track. That we aren’t digressing from the role that advertising should play.

Mom’s calls remind me that consumers will remember the ad and not the author. (One time my nephew started chanting ‘bra-ba-li-bintawan’ out of the blue. Made me smile.) That you are only as good as your last ad.

That in spite of tools and research and metrics, advertising is still an art.

An art of persuasion. The agency’s recent successes make the future look exciting.

Well, for me at least. I love advertising enough to know it doesn’t have to love me back.

But of this I’m certain—I will always look forward to those calls knowing that love is just on the other side of the line.

Sobrang cheesy ba?

c DON SEVILLA

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR PUBLICIS JIMENEZBASIC

A graduate of U.P. Fine Arts, Don joined Jimenez/DMB&B as art director. By the time the Agency became Jimenez D’Arcy, he had become its head creative. A short while after, he was named a member of the Senior Executive Committee of the merged JimenezBasic Advertising. A former director of the Creative Guild, he has also served in industry affairs like the Philippine Advertising in various capacities.

It’s typical of the British.

We invent something, then everyone else starts beating us at it.

It’s happened with football.

It’s happened with cricket.

It’s happened with rugby.

And now it’s happening with ����.

Who won the most pencils at last year’s glittering awards ceremony, here in the ��?

Not the ��.

The United States came out on top.

Japan, Australia and Germany all did well too.

Once again, Britain is being beaten at its own game.

But you know what? We’re fine with that. ���� is about recognising the best work, not playing favourites.

For the ��, it means we’ll just have to try harder next year.

And for the rest of the world, it’s reassuring to know that ���� is a level playing field.

The best stuff wins, no matter where it comes from.

Entries for next year’s awards are open now.

The closing date is Wednesday ��th January ����.

So, wherever you are in the world, if you have work you’re proud of, enter it.

Give us Brits something else to beat ourselves up about.

That’s one thing we still lead the world at. dandad.org/awards

Awards 2010

L AKIRA

Agency of the Year at AdFest and Media Agency of the Year at Cannes. As for myself, I got to be Outdoor Jury President at Cannes.

What are you looking forward to in the coming year?

What we see happening now is that the general EXECUTIVE OFFICER public is no longer the GLOBAL EXECUTVE CREATIVE DIR. receiver of messages, but DENTSU, INC. they themselves have become the senders of messages. Until now we have focused This year, what stunned or mass communications inspired you creatively? And on the target or consumers but why? individuals have begun to have The death of Yasmin Ahmad. strong communication power.

As for creativity, it is nothing As a result, they are more special, just something born from effective at getting their messages ordinary daily life. It’s time for across than we are. It will be me to rethink how I live my life. necessary for us to improve our This year, although sad, Yasmin’s skills and knowledge in response death has provided me with the to our rivals, or we won’t be able to opportunity to do so. survive.

KAGAMI

How did the economic downturn affect ad agencies and their response to the needs of clients?

Over the past several years, we have been faced with advertisers requesting integrated solutions.

The financial crisis accelerated the speed of change, and it’s questionable if we can keep up with the speed of change.

What we see happening now is that the general public is no longer the receiver of messages, but they themselves have become the senders of messages.

What are your thoughts on awards shows and the current creative output of ad agencies?

Looking at the results of the 2009 advertising awards shows, two words clearly come to mind: interactive and social. It may appear that the former is the framework and the latter is the idea, but I think they both represent the same thing. We don’t need to conclude things in our work through only marketing, but must always be aware of what is on the outside. That is something revolutionary.

What are the highlights of your year as a creative?

From a purely industry standpoint, Dentsu Tokyo won Interactive

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Anything else?

I would like to tell you about some areas that I have been interested in for many years. They are media theory, including the reevaluation of Marshall McLuhan’s theory, ethical philosophy, and quantum mechanics and similar fields (observer theory, anthropic, principles, etc.).

Akira Kagami joined Dentsu immediately after college to begin his career, now in its 30th year. After starting as a strategist, within a few years, he joined the creative field as a copy writer and then moved on to be a one-of-a-kind creative professional with a forte in T VC. Currently, he focuses on one of the hottest markets, Asia, to strengthen Dentsu’s creative network and its client work.

His awards include ACCs, including a Grand Prix, Clio, IBA Sweepstakes, ADC, Cannes Lions, Asia Pacific, One Show, and D&AD. He has chaired at AdFest in 2002 and was the first foreign judge in the China Advertising Great Wall Awards in 2007.

Akira Kagami has spoken at international awards and seminars about Asian advertising, calling on global attention to its diversity and dynamism, including most recently the IA A seminar in Washington D.C., and the Cannes Lions 2008 Dentsu Seminar “Beyond The Great Wall”.

@ CREATIVE RECAP 2009 This year, what stunned or inspired you creatively? And why?

Books. Everyone says books are dying, but they’re still easily the best source of inspiration for me. Several published pieces this year amazed me: The first is God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens. It’s a brutal, challenging, fearless piece of work that detonates the world of religion. Its bravery should be an inspiration to thinking people everywhere.

McSweeny’s Quarterly publications are always among the best print publications of any year. The writing and design are both absolutely gorgeous, and the editorial ingenuity behind each volume is unparalleled.

Human Smoke by Nicholson Baker. A chronology of the tiny, sometimes seemingly inconsequential moments that lead to the horrors of World War II. A triumph of form.

Closer to home, the “In Almost Every Picture” series by Eric Kessels of Kessels/ Kramer Advertising in Amsterdam.

Wordless, wonderful collections of found photos that tell haunting and hilarious stories.

“Carousel”, the Grand Prix winner at Cannes, was ground breaking on many levels.

From Asia, the “Wish I Could be True To Myself” phone piece where the movie won’t play unless your phone is close to another phone is very cool.

Oh, and the Viagra campaign from Taxi was awesome. A 15-second campaign that nailed a great insight and a brilliant joke.

Philips "Carousel"

How did the economic downturn affect ad agencies and their response to the needs of clients?

It was a messy year in the industry, but overall, we’ve been pretty lucky. We haven’t had to lay anyone off, and actually, we’re still hiring. Agencies have more opportunities with clients now because more than ever before, clients need help. More than ever, everyone wants that next big thing. The value an agency can bring in helping to understand a market has never been higher.

What are your thoughts on awards shows and the current creative output of ad agencies?

It’s obvious that existing categories will merge, change, or disappear.

Cannes was an excellent example of that.

The best worked was difficult to categorize.

That’s why it was so exciting; it blazed new paths.

Don’t get me wrong, print and TV and the like will still be around, and just because a form is new doesn’t mean the creative content is new, but it is very apparent the ways to talk to the

I TED

ROYER

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR DROGA5, NEW YORK

market are evolving and changing at a fantastic rate.

Award shows are what they are. To place too much emphasis on them is silly. We could all use a bit of perspective and say that they are very nice to win, and a great showcase to see work and be inspired, but anyone who lays their career solely on their award wins is asking for trouble.

What are the highlights of your year as a creative?

We had a really good year. Winning two black D&AD pencils for “The Great Schlep” and “The Million” was a real honor. And a Cannes Titanium for the third year in a row was also a real thrill for us. We’re happy that our most adventurous work is making waves.

What are you looking forward to in the coming year?

I’m looking forward to next year being as crazy as the last few years. You know that feeling you had when you were a kid on your bike on top of a steep hill, and you started down the hill peddling really fast, and you weren’t sure if you’d fly like a rocket or wipe out completely? That’s a great feeling.

That’s how I feel.

In his first year as an art director at Leonard/ Monahan, Ted won more The One Show Pencils than anyone in history.

While at Saatchi Singapore, he was ranked the number eight, and then the number four creative in Asia by Campaign Brief. Saatchi was voted the Ad Age International Agency of the Year in the same period.

While regional creative director in Latin America, he became the youngest person ever to be on the Ogilvy & Mather Creative Council.

He ran the Publicis Sydney office for a year and then went to New York to make ads for Heineken.

Among his nearly 100 international awards are 16 Cannes Lions (including two Titanium Lions), 18 The One Show Pencils, two Gold Clio Awards and two Gold Andy Awards.

This year, what stunned or inspired you creatively? And why?

There were a number of things that stood out.

Obama’s inauguration was the first. What a fabulous way to start the year. How cool is the man? How charming is his family? How unbelievably sad is it that the woman assigned to push Dick Cheney in a wheelchair missed the opportunity of a lifetime?

Imagine: a thirty-metre run in to the redcarpeted staircase that overlooked the dignarati.

Two separate landings would have ensured that this spineless incarnate of evil would have bounced magnificently down the marble steps.

Had she only had the presence of mind to gather momentum immediately upon entering the foyer, she could have launched them both into eternity.

O JOHN

MERRIFIELD CREATIVE-AT-LARGE TBWA\ASIA PACIFIC

How did the economic downturn affect ad agencies and their response to the needs of clients?

Right from the get go, it seemed that a number of agencies started circling the wagons. A bit of a reflex mechanism I guess. Then again, the year was unprecedented. The problem is, it soon becomes a sort of self-fulfilling vicious circle. The more you shear, the more you end up cutting off your own foot. Some industries were particularly savaged.

As if the economic meltdown wasn’t enough, the airline industry had to cope with the Swine flu panic in the early part of the year.

Nothing like being kicked in the groin after you’ve been punched in the gut.

What are your thoughts on awards shows and the current creative output of ad agencies?

It truly felt like there was a step change, particularly at Cannes. I think I was one of the last of the lucky ones.

Traditionally at Cannes, the Press and television juries are put up at the Carlton, with many of the other juries accommodated in some of the “lesser” hotels along the Croisette.

I kind of doubt that this will ever happen again, because it was in the Design, Media, Interactive, Direct, Titanium and Cyber categories that a depth of truly innovative work could be found.

I think it might be time for the choice of accommodation to reflect the new realities.

Press, in particular, felt strangely prehistoric.

What are the highlights of your year as a creative?

Travelling in a little outrigger around the island of Boracay with Stefan Sagmeister, David Guerrero (and his angel), Khun Judee and one or two others was a particularly fond memory.

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Snorkelling, swimming, a delightful lunch on Puka Beach, a bit more snorkeling...it doesn’t really get much better than that. And this after basking in the warmth of Filipino hospitality for the previous several days during the judging of the Kidlat awards.

It was an off year for TBWA\Asia Pacific as far as I’m concerned, apart from our offices in the Philippines and New Zealand. Melvin and his teams have done some stellar work.

I remember Stefan commenting that the recyclable bag that he saw in the Philippines was one of the most outstanding pieces of design work he had come across in a while. High praise indeed. Andy Blood and the work he and his Snorkelling, teams have created in New Zealand continued swimming, to impress the judges, a delightful his nano-technology project for adidas chief lunch on among them.

Puka Beach, a bit more snorkeling...it doesn’t really get much better than that.

What are you looking forward to in the coming year?

The global meltdown is too good of an opportunity to pass up. We’ve taken advantage of the upheaval by making a number of key investments. In our Singapore office alone, we’ve hired three new teams in the past three weeks.

We’ve managed to persuade one of the finest art directors Singapore has ever produced to join

us: Maurice Wee. He’s partnering a wonderfully talented writer from Finland, Antti Toivonen.

A gentle twist of Melvin’s arm allowed Reggie Ocampo—a hugely talented young Pinoy art director—to join us, together with a young Australian writer who was most recently in our Dubai office.

Rounding out the three is Clara Tehrani and Nuno Pestana Teixeira, the young Portugese team that walked off with the Gold Lion at Cannes this year in the Young Lions (Press) competition.

Anything else?

Hanging out with Stefan Sagmeister on his “gap” year in Bali made me realise how far behind the curve we are. Designers rock. Great designers humble.

Failing to make his surfing pay for an enviable lifestyle, John Merrifield emerged in Singapore, where he worked at Batey Ads for six years .

Stints as ECD of Saatchi’s Jakarta, Hong Kong and Tokyo offices followed, the latter marked his ability to get the entire agency arrested.

As TBWA\Tokyo’s Chief Creative Officer, his “Vertical Football” billboard for adidas earned worldwide acclaim. He became Creative-atLarge of TBWA\Asia Pacific in September 2006.

He was named Asia’s Creative of the Year in 2004 and 2008 and topped the Creative Rankings in Asia/Pacific in 2004. He was Chairman of the Print, Innovative and Integrated jury at the 2006 Clio Awards and was a member of the 2007 D&AD jury. In fact, John has judgment on work across Asia, America and Europe.

But he would give it all back for more time in the water.

@ CREATIVE RECAP 2009 This year, what stunned or inspired you creatively? And why?

The T-mobile flash mob out of Saatchi UK was definitely one of the campaigns of the year.

It’s a landmark piece for the UK advertising industry and for Saatchi itself.

Our world has changed, and this type of campaign is the future. It taps into the mindset of social networks and instigates participation. The “Best job in the world” was the other campaign that gave a glimpse of where our industry is heading.

I spent a week in Barcelona earlier in the year.

I was immensely impressed by the architecture of Gaudi.

He was as nutty as a fruitcake. But inspiring, nonetheless.

How did the economic downturn affect ad agencies and their response to the needs of clients?

A lot of expensive

It is a dying art form and has no place in the digital future. Big community type ideas that connect on deeper levels with people are now king.

framework that helps bring them into the digital future.

As such, it is changing our creative culture and empowering new ideas that are relevant to the 21st Century.

Not all people will get it. And there will be cynics out there. But I don’t care.

It’s an approach that is reinventing our business, inspiring bigger ideas and delivering business results for our clients.

What are you looking forward to in the coming year?

Saatchi has had a good year. We did all the hard stuff in early 2009 (cutting costs, reinventing, clearing out unprofitable clients and winning profitable ones).

We have built a strong platform which will reap benefits for us in 2010. Next year, we will do well (as will some other agencies). I think a lot of networks will struggle. Especially REGIONAL EXECUTIVE the advertising CREATIVE DIRECTOR agencies that are still SAATCHI & SAATCHI ASIA rooted in TV and print.

Anything else?

I’m gone off the beer for a month. change. Things will never go back to what they were. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the next two years at least one of the big global network agencies goes under—or is merged with a sibling company. talent being let go. A lot of cheap mediocre people being kept. I think the industry has dumbed down.

And clients have sensed it. I believe the rise of the independents will continue. And the large networks will struggle. They serve up average ideas at a high cost, which deliver low impact. The problem is, clients aren’t buying it anymore.

It’s no wonder some networks are down by 40 percent this year.

The Internet era has finally arrived. Social networks have changed everything. And agencies are struggling to adapt (even the so called hot digital agencies, many of whom are frauds, in my mind).

This is the year of tumultuous

v ANDY

GREENAWAY

What are your thoughts on awards shows and the current creative output of ad agencies?

We’re pulling out of all of them except Cannes and the local show.

(We feel it is important to support the local industry in each market.)

Award shows have lost their way and have largely become irrelevant to the new world.

In the past, it was about how many awards you win.

Now, it is about the right award and with the right work.

Winning with print ideas for us is now meaningless. It is a dying art form and has no place in the digital future. Big community type ideas that connect on deeper levels with people are now king.

What are the highlights of your year as a creative?

We have been proselytizing an approach to clients called Lovemarks Community Marketing. It has resonated well with them and has become a major new business winner for us. It has also provided our own people a

Andy Greenaway started as a junior art director. In 1991, he moved to Asia where he has had stints in Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand.

In 1999, he propelled Ogilvy Singapore to the top of the Campaign Brief Asia Rankings and helped keep them there for four years. He was promoted to group chairman, but he left in 2004 to start his own mobile content business (which is still chugging along today).

Andy joined Saatchi & Saatchi as regional creative director in 2004.

He believes in the next decade print will be dead, the 30-second spot will be extinct, and five major agencies will have gone bankrupt. He thinks it ’s a promising future.

november-december '09

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Z CHRIS CHIU

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR LEO BURNETT SINGAPORE

What a year it’s been.

It started when the global economy decided to play roller coaster, which in turn made clients and (sadly) agencies behave very timidly for the better part of the year and more recently, the sudden loss of an industry icon that made us realize just how precious every moment we have truly is.

And we’ve still got a few months to go yet.

So with all this going on, perhaps that’s why I started looking for work that I thought would make a difference to the people watching it or society at large.

Advertising that would make us feel better having interacted with the work, or better yet leave a smile on our face.

MCYS "Funeral"

Which is why if I had to pick a single piece that made me feel all this and more, it would have to be the Liverpool St. Station film for T-Mobile’s ‘Life’s for sharing’ campaign out of the UK. ‘Magical’ is how I can best describe it. Hate to state the obvious by now, but it got to where one couldn’t tell who was a part of the cast and who was just a bystander caught up in the moment!

I wonder how many could resist watching the ‘Making of’ video on YouTube thereafter and really appreciated the massive effort behind this ‘spontaneity’.

Simply brilliant!

As far as award shows in 2009, I think it was getting much clearer that agencies from this part of the world have definitely taken a shine to the integrated bits more and more. Outside of the Grand Prix obviously, the prestige of winning a Titanium Lion or a Jade Spike (more recently) illustrates how agencies are

T Mobile "Dance"

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realizing that this category most accurately awards the strength (and breadth) of an agency’s thinking. I most certainly look forward to seeing how this evolves. I figure for most shows, the winner of this category could well be the work that wins the Gong, Best of the Best or what have you.

With regards to how the Leo Burnett Singapore office fared creatively in 2009, I would say our report card started off moderately but ended positively.

A handful of I think it Finalists at the major was getting shows like One Show and Cannes were much topped off with a Gold clearer that Spike for our ‘Funeral’ agencies spot directed by the late Yasmin Ahmad from this for the Ministry part of the of Community Youth world have Development, and Sport. It earlier definitely picked up Singapore’s only Film shortlist taken a Cannes and made shine to the at an entry in the 2009 integrated Communication Arts bits more Annual.

On the print and more. side, work we did for the Singapore Architecture Society that picked up a finalist for Design at the One Show also picked up three Golds for Craft at the New York Festivals.

And finally in radio, where our work for JollyCare Vision picked up a Silver World Medal at the New York Festivals as well as a Bronze for Copywriting.

Looking ahead, we’re excited about work that’s in the pipeline for clients like MCYS and the Singapore Sports Council amongst others. Nation-building, integrated campaigns that we’re quietly hoping might be considered for a pencil, lion or a spike; titanium, jade or otherwise.

Fingers crossed.

Chris Chiu’s first job was writing radio commercials for a local station in central California. Since then, he has had stints with JWT, DYR, Batey Ads, Impiric and of course, Leo Burnett where over the last eight years, he’s been executive creative director of the Jakarta, Bangkok and now, Singapore offices. He’s currently the regional creative director for FNN. A member of the Leo Burnett Global Creative Board, Chris has had work published in Archive, Graphis, Contagious, Advertising Age and “Shots” among others and has been awarded by D&AD, Cannes, One Show, Clio’s, New York Art Directors Club, AWARD, AdFest, Spikes, London International Advertising Awards and New York Festivals.

Chris has sat on several juries regionally and internationally including Cannes Lions and was Chairman of the Singapore Creative Circle Awards.

PERSPE EVITC 21ST PHILIPPINE ADVERTISING CONGRESS

Suddenly, a change of perspective

S 40

ince the 21st Philippine Ad Congress’s initial launch, much ado has been made over its theme of Perspectives. It offered Spectrum, the biggest trade exhibit in AdCon history. It would also give marketing, advertising and media practitioners a chance to view and discuss the economic downturn and recovery from all sides.

Alas, Mother Nature decided it could not wait for the AdCon. It changed everyone’s perspectives, overnight.

Last September 26, typhoon Ondoy flooded Mega Manila with 13 inches of rain.

North Luzon soon followed, drowning under typhoons Pepeng’s and Ramil. Although Baguio City was barely affected, Pepeng devastated Pangasinan, through which roads to Baguio passed.

Road rehabilitation would take months.

With threat of approaching storms, the safety and wellbeing of thousands delegates and exhibitors became the prime concern.

Less than two months to go before the

november-december '09

congress, the AdBoard voted to relocate to ratification of Brand Aid. The brainchild Subic. of David Guerrero, BBDO Guerrero/ “Action leads to change, to something Proximity’s chairman, it asks clients, ad productive. No action just leads to nothing. agencies and media networks to unite in The point was to pulling the nation back show a strong, united onto its cold, soaked feet. industry that can make "Action leads to There are proposals for change, to something meaningful short- and a difference, and can move forward,” Overall productive. No action long-term action, to Chairperson Margot encourage participation just leads to nothing. from the small- to globalTorres said.

So while scale companies. The The point was to “Perspectives: Ano sa industry has show a strong, united Philippine Tingin Mo?” remains, never seen anything like industry that can delegates to the 21st this before, but they may just buy into it, because AdCon will see their make a difference, nothing like Ondoy, et al work with eyes clear as and can move has ever happened to us the morning sky after before. a storm. While still forward."

When the 21st AdCon grounded in marketing, media and advertising, was launched, organizers they’ll discuss topics relevant to new promised a refreshed, multi-faceted concerns: reconstruction, corporate social incarnation of itself. responsibility, global warming and other By looking adversity squarely in the environmental issues. eye, it now offers the industry something If Torres has her way, this AdCon greater than new perspectives—a shot at may well be a summit that ends with the reinvention, and perhaps redemption.

ECTIVES PSRE How to mount an AdCon in 5 weeks or less

There’s a reason why the Philippine Ad Congress— perhaps the biggest advertising festival in Southeast Asia—is held every two years. It takes a herculean effort to house and hold the attention of 3,000 ad people. Yet this year’s AdCon committees, led by Overall Chairman Margot Torres, are doing it in less than a month and a half.

“It was a tough decision to give up Baguio. We had our minds set on it. We had everything planned.

Nobody wanted to harass everyone five weeks before the event and say ‘Hey, let’s change venue.’”

But typhoon Pepeng made Baguio all but unfeasible. On the day that dawned on the organizers, Torres was in Macao for McDonald’s regional meeting.

In Manila was her deputy, J. Romero Chairman Andre Kahn, a veteran of many AdCons.

When the typhoon destroyed the bridge in Sison, Pangasinan and landslides blocked other roads to Baguio, Torres coordinated with Kahn by phone and dispatched two parties: one to gauge the detour routes to Baguio and another, to assess Subic as a fallback venue. The first team took a gruelling nine hours to reach AdCon’s host city.

"We are very humbled by Subic making their facilities available to the Ad Congress, in spite of the fact that they had lost the bid."

Thankfully, the second had much better luck.

Amazing luck, in fact.

Kahn, who took an active role in both the Subic Adcon of 1993 (as overall chairman) and 2007, said that by sheer coincidence, not only was the freeport available on November 18 to 21; the Subic’s AdCon team from 2007 was still intact. The day after Meals and Accommodations Co-chair Tessie Howard reached out to them, Subic’s Armand Arrezza and 15 of his committee members came to Manila, to discuss AdCon’s predicament.

Kahn added, “We are very humbled by Subic making their facilities available to the Ad Congress, in spite of the fact that they had lost the bid.”

Torres could not believe her luck. “It happened to be a venue everyone was familiar with. All we did was pull out the templates from the 20th Philippine Ad Congress and lay it out.”

The organizers quickly figured out how to shoehorn their plans into the new venue. Regrets and egos were set aside; budgets were reallocated; and new objectives and targets, drawn up.

Even the Mayor Reinaldo Bautista, Jr of Baguio City got into the act. After he recovered from the shock of losing the AdCon, he and a number of Baguio-based businesses joined the Spectrum exhibit.

Asked how Torres felt about the year that went into planning the Baguio AdCon, the work that would never bear fruit, she paused to think. “Actually, I thought that planning for it early would be an advantage…. Come to think of it, it is.”

“If we didn’t plan it well with such an experienced and dedicated committee, we probably couldn’t turn it around in five weeks,” she said.

“It was so clear in everyone’s minds what they would do without and what the implication of the venue change would be to them. I think the committees have been really great in finding how to scale down expenses and removing the unnecessary.”

Torres also gives much of the credit to her team for bringing delegates and sponsors alike to their way of thinking.

While the transfer meant serious rethinking for the special events, sports and staging committees, it solved a few problems for Margot Torres others. Accommodations were more plentiful in Subic. So was the space for Spectrum trade exhibition.

“My biggest dream was a grand exhibit. I wanted an exhibit where people would they’d all huddle there and I wanted it to be like a mall. I actually think we might achieve that because of the venue.”

Unfortunately. one of Torres’s bigger ideas—the three-track breakout sessions for the program of speakers— has been shelved, but she feels that its objectives will still be fulfilled.

“I wanted relevant learning, which was why we were planning the breakout sessions. We will still fulfill the part on relevant learning, relevant to the times because of the expanded session on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and global warming.”

For someone who just went through a storm—in all senses of the word—Torres sounded very positive and very confident about her repurposed and repackaged Ad Congress.

She looked at her trusty mobile phone and said she had only one regret.

“When all the changes were happening, I was in a regional McDonald’s meeting in Macau. I realized I need a Blackberry. You can’t live on text alone.”

DÉJÀ VU, SUBIC? What’s new?

Travel time, for one. The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) effectively cuts an hour from Manila to the venue. Wide, threelane thoroughfares, the convenience of SCTEx is instrumental to the increase of domestic tourism to Subic and Clark.

Accessibility brings a demand for accommodations and service. New B&Bs, a Balinese-inspired group of villas, and a modern executive-type condominium complex, a few restaurants and luxury goods outlets, have since sprung.

Perhaps in anticipation of AdCon, even the row of dutyfree shops looks refurbished, almost festive, in fact.

Transportation is still a necessity, with nature attractions uphill or down Subic Bay. Nonetheless, Jungle Joe’s Amusement Park, Ocean Adventure, the Tree Top adventure, and Zoobic Safari have developed additional attractions that may be worth the drive.

While the Subic Bay Freeport suffers a dearth of internet cafes, the hotels offer WiFi. The desperate can chill with their devices at the AdCon venues, or fight it out with the local young gamers off the base.

A few steps from the freeport, is Olongapo City.

Celebrating 50 years as a municipality, the City offers its own beachfront resorts and watering holes extending to Barretto and Subic towns.

Local jeepneys plying the route are a plus.

Whatever the purpose, and whatever the means, the AdCon knows how to rock their own little shindig. And that may just be what the Subic Bay Freeport needs. november-december '09

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oceanadventure.com.ph

In Subic, tell us what ’s on your mind. Tweet and tag it #adcon.

Relevance, Recreation & Reinvention “The endgame is to rally the Global warming, digital media, industry in sustaining support kids, a leap of faith and Baguio for the relief and recovery efforts strawberries by Subic Bay make and launching a cohesive the 21st AdCon a most unusual "We still have a campaign to educate the advertising great program. public on environment issues have exacerbated the congress.

We’re retaining that impact of typhoons,” said Aside from the digital Program Chairperson Susan introducing the initiative speakers; it is Dimacali.

For delegates looking for Brand Aid, the still a hot topic, more conventional learning, AdCon adds Overall Chairperson Margot another layer typhoon or no Torres says, “We still have to the program. typhoon." a great program. We’re It now includes retaining the digital speakers; an expanded it is still a hot topic, typhoon or no session on CSR and a new session typhoon. We have Marketing to on environmental issues with Children and more topics.”

WWF Philippines Vice Chairman To catch all speakers, delegates Lorenzo Tan. Not many people can claim the title of Futurist. Thanks mainly to his first book “Megatrends” that sold more than nine million copies, AdCon Plenary speaker John Naisbitt’s sharp details on strategic power shifts, have acknowledged him the world’s leading Futurist.

And he is spot on. Years before cyberspace, Naisbitt lectured that economists rooted in traditional industrial order missed the opportunities presented by the emerging, revolutionary information economy. Evidenced by the decline of labor unions, the rise of women executives, and a general burst in business, the new economy would challenge order.

“As the information economy unfolds, expect greater success for those who can select, condense and manage information.

Simply put, the task of the age is to convert information and data into intelligence and knowledge,” Naisbitt said.

Ivy league-educated, a former IBM and Kodak executive, and civil servant to two US Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, John Naisbitt is expected to present global insights and developments for the next decades and bring to light geo-political trends.

While the world’s eyes are trained on China, Naisbitt may also offer a different perspective. His China is an emerging superpower still looking for stable foothold.

He portrays China as assertive in foreign policy, sending troops out, obtaining infrastructure contracts with Africa and natural resources partnerships with South America.

As the former Assistant Department Secretary of Education under JFK, Naisbitt stresses that China needs to lead the world in education reform, the kind that would groom its youth as future leaders.

Naisbitt nonetheless states, “Change is a great hype. It’s the currency of the media. Children and kin, religion, even business tenets, are all grounded.” Calling the mantra “The only constancy is change” as absurd, Naisbitt is treading new ground.

But he has a good track record of contrarian thinking.

Naisbitt’s readings of the next half-century—about China, change and communication—should prove worthy of scrutiny.

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must attend the sessions from 9am to 7pm for two straight days. For those fearing withdrawal from Facebook, Twitter and other cyber addictions, Globe, SMART and Bayan promise to cover the adjoining Spectrum trade exhibit with WiFi. The exhibit itself is quite a draw on its own. On top of the being the biggest display of new technology, media, and products in the country, Spectrum features Baguio City sweets and souvenirs— making the 21st AdCon the only one to showcase two host cities.

From the Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club, the AdBoard Cup plays its fourth leg at the Mimosa Golf Club in Clark. All other sports events happen in Subic, including

badminton, and a three-point shootout in lieu of bowling. The 5k fun run, renamed “Itakbo MoItulong Mo”, is open to the public and is dedicated to raising funds for typhoon victims.

Aside from these athletic events, delegates can take the Leap of Faith, with its high aerial slide at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center, and the Photo Walk exhibit and contest.

Standing by its decision to fulfill the event as scheduled, the AdCon is determined to accomplish what took over a year to prepare.

What is has scaled down in show, it attempts to regain with a higher purpose, good sense and significance.

John Naisbitt is the plenary speaker for "Predictions for the Future Post-global Meltdown and the Impact of China's New Economic Model on Asia and the Rest of the World", November 19

Spotlight

John Naisbitt

The Futurist brings megatrends closer to Manila

21st Philippine Advertising Congress BJ Cunningham, the brand marketing guru, speaks of love, life and passionate marketing.

Cunningham is irrepressible, and admits to Spotlight being “rather dumb” about being brave with his brand Learning about love, life, of marketing. He advocates people’s right to choose.

“I’m a big believer in being a libertarian, in freedom of choice. We should be allowed to do what we choose as long as it does not infringe on the personal property of anyone else,” he revealed in an interview on Brand Strategy with Ruth Mortimer.

And that joie de vivre extends to his practice.

The Enlightened Tobacco Company, Cunningham’s company, manufactured Death cigarettes in 1991, whose branding epitomized truth in advertising. Packaged in black, a skull and crossbones logo a beacon to the government health warning beneath it, Death cigarette was a killer brand. Chemical additives-free and rolled in hemp paper, Death was pure tobacco and nicotine.

“Cigarette smoking does not make you sexy, sophisticated or stylish. It kills you. We are not selling a pack of lies. We are selling a pack of cigarettes,” read its copy.

The high-end brand sold in shops, hotel, restaurants and tobacco salons, and was a standout—until its competitors (allegedly) killed it.

Death was obstinately truthful and openly provocative, rival products refused to be displayed with the brand. Death sales dropped, and in 1999, The Enlightened Tobacco Company stubbed it out.

“No matter how good your brand’s marketing or strategy, if your product isn’t on the shelf for sale, you can’t sell it,” Cunningham points out.

Understanding, empathy, truth and love are Cunningham’s personal champions. But any hidden agenda, crises and outright lies have potential for profit, because problems are opportunities for change.

Cunningham’s key message is simple: The biggest antidote is love.

“Love your business, your customer and the person you are. With the right thought, right word and right action, you cannot lose.”

and Death cigarettes

Mike Schalit

Making “goodvertising” work for everyone

Rarely does an ad benefit clients, agency and the consumers equally, but Mike Schalit, Net#work BBDO South Africa chief creative officer, has done it at least once — and plans to do it frequently. His is the brain behind the Nedbank solar panel billboard that brought home the Cannes Lions Outdoor Grand Prix in 2007.

The solar panel billboard actually works, saving a school in Alexandra thousands in electric bills Mike Schalit every month. The campaign gained the agency a Gold Bullet and the first Jury Chairman’s Choice Award at the 2006 Annual Young Guns International Advertising Awards, also bagging the 2006 Silver Loerie for Outdoor & Ambient Advertising. It also has the coveted Grand Prix for Outdoor in 2007, the first for the agency and for South Africa.

Clearly, “goodvertising” is what makes Mike Schalit’s heart tick. In his article “Power for Good,” he writes, “I’ve always been happy to nag at the conscience of the advertising industry to use creativity as a way of generating a symbiotic relationship between its clients’ brands and society. But actually, given the times we’re living through… I genuinely believe

flickr.com / moochin photoman

BJ Cunningham

BJ Cunningham is the plenary speaker on "Brand Differentiation on the New Market Paradigm", November 20

Describing the partnership as “ridiculously optimistic” the duo weathered the crisis.

“We were committed to making it work.

That is why we succeeded,” he is quoted as saying.

A requirement of the trade, Schalit is a master of positive energy no matter the situation.

Schalit joins the Marketing Breakout Session with this topic “The role for CSR in today's world” on November 20 at the Subic Bay Exhibition & Convention Center.

The marketing sessions also include Andrew Kingham, The Marketing Store managing director with “Marketing to Kids”; Linda Kovarik, Coca-Cola regional creative director for an engaging talk on “Emotional Storytelling”; and Jeremy Carr, Cartoon Network VP on “Stay Cool: Cartoon Network’s Creative Solutions to Connect to Kids.”

it would be wise for all companies to adopt the outlook ‘creativity for good’, if they want to remain relevant to their customers.”

When he writes “In a country like ours,” he may as well referring to the Philippines and not South Africa, because he adds, “…creativity has the power to change things. With outrageous imagination, we can put something back.

Ideas are our most enduring Nedbank solar powered billboard and stable currency right now and this is one affordable way to add value, if you harness it responsibly.”

Starting his advertising career as a copywriter in TBWA /Hunt/Lascaris, the enterprising Schalit turned agency owner. Partnered with longtime associate Keith Shipley, the two set up Net#work BBDO in May 1994.

Borne of what Schalit terms “naïve optimism”, the agency launched amidst the country’s fledgling state, of financial status quo.

In 1992, Kentaro Kimura first joined Hakuhodo as strategic planner, moving on to creative, then media development. Kimura literally navigated his way through advertising. Fourteen years later, he founded Hakuhodo Kettle, and as the name suggests, the creative agency brings to a boil innovative new campaigns and serving the brew to clients.

Kimura’s accolades are impressive: Yellow Pencils at D&AD 2008 in Mobile How to boil the world, November 19 Marketing for “World’s Worse War!” for a web-game for Tohato Inc.’s Habanero snack brand; and in Online Advertising for “Color Tokyo!” for Sony Marketing brand BRAVIA. The Yellow Pencil for Habanero is a grand win with Mobile Marketing.

Perhaps one of Kimura’s most innovative as Hakuhodo Kettle’s creative director is the Cannes Lions Direct Silver award winner, Shiseido Skincare’s “Peace Mirror”. Called on to address women’s skincare problems caused by stress, the agency created an ingenious way wherein the woman’s image in 3D appeared on their monitors like a mirror’s reflection when downloading tips from the Shiseido website or by dialing a hotline. (The women’s images were captured while they registered.) The interactive play resulted in the women opening up to themselves. In effect, achieving peace within themselves.

Kentaro Kimura

TRIVIAL PURSUIT the Araw Awards Edition As the culminating activity of the AdCon, the Araw Awards is traditionally the ad agency’s big night (no pun intended). But with major shifts in the thrust and judging criteria, it’s going to be a whole new ball game — or will it? As we wait and see, let’s play a game —to see how much you know about the Araw Awards, and why the industry thinks there’s nothing trivial about its pursuit.

1. When adman Tony Cantero named the Araw Award, what was he thinking? a. That like Kodak, it didn’t have to mean a thing. b. That creatives should reach high for the sun (or araw, in the vernacular) c. That it was a great acronym for Adboard Recognition Award.

2. What was the Araw Award called before Tony’s brainstorm? a. The Kidlat Award b. The AdCon Award c. It was never called anything else.

3. When was the AdCon creative show dubbed the Araw Awards? a. In 1997, when the Ad Asia merged with the AdCon b. In 1969, the first AdCon c. In 2001, the first AdCon of the new century 4. Who designed the Araw trophy? a. TBWA’s Jimmy Santiago b. TBWA’s Melvin Mangada c. Creative Partners’ Mario Monteagudo

BERNARD GLOCK

Media strat planning, November 19 It’s hard to say what P&G’s vice-president of Global Media and Communication, Bernard Glock, was more famous for, being on top of US$8.5 billion media spend for more than 40 brands worldwide, or arriving at the 2004 Cannes Lions on a motorcycle.

He proceeded to make waves at Cannes by saying, “The default position of the 30-second TV commercial, that’s what I’m fighting against. In 2004, it still feels like 1984, with Big Brother still trying to influence our thinking.”

Glock sped off with three Media Lions that year.

That the same year, Glock introduced to the $4 billion US market a strategy that placed the planners in the marketing and media mix, a move only previously tried in two markets, the Philipipnes and Australia.

The move restructured planning for a number of brands, giving planners wide oversight beyond media.

In early 2009, he prescribed a response to the economic crisis consisting of six Cs: talk to Consumers, build Confidence, embrace Competition, forge Collaboration and Consolidation, and sustainable development for the future, the Children.

Having retired from his post at the end of September, Glock is now focused on the World Federation of Advertisers as President. He first joined the WFA in 1998.

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5. Who was the most recent winner of the Araw Agency Award? a. BBDO Guerrero b. JWT c. It was a tie.

6. What does a client have to do to be Araw Advertiser of the Year? a. To get the highest score based on points for each trophy won b. To be the most popular client among agency creatives c. To have the highest adspend from 2007 to 2009 7. What won the first Araw Production House Award? a. Provill, a film production outfit b. Hit, a sound production company c. Femar, a print production house 8. Which Araw Awards had the longest ceremony on record, starting at 8pm and ending at 2am? a. Cebu, 2003. b. Baguio, 2005. c. Cebu, 2001.

9. The buck stops at the desk of the Araw Awards Chairman.

And this year, who is that? a. Alex Castro b. Leigh Reyes c. The two Raouls (Floresca and Panes)

TRIVIAL PURSUIT the Araw Awards Edition 10. How much of the Araw Awards ticket sales will go to the calamity victims? a. 50 percent b. 25 percent c. 100 percent

PETE HESKETT

Creative strat planning, November 19 agency requires all staff to be a producer at some point.

Heskett has seen the demise of a number good communications and marketing ideas from planners. “If planners could learn to become producers, then the sky is the limit. We wouldn’t have to call it Planning anymore,” he adds.

12. What is the latest addition to the Araw Award categories? a. Digital b. Media c. Design

a. Media b. Design c. Campaign 14. How does an entry get from finalist to Bronze, and from Bronze to Silver or Gold? a. By getting 50 percent of the jury’s votes, plus one b. By getting 75 percent of the votes c. On a wing and a prayer 15. When did the Araw Awards first include foreign creative directors in its jury?

VISHNU MOHAN

New digital creative and media strategies that work, November 19

of the rebirth of Word-of-Mouth, the basis of the new age in media, and the importance of online conversations necessary to the success of any digital campaign.

“There is a science and vision in buzz programs,” he says of the medium.

Mohan has advertising in his blood. As account manager for Colgate Palmolive at DY&R Bombay, he often strayed into media duties, eventually playing dual roles. He brought his two-faceted expertise to Saatchi & Saatchi India as New Business director, Strategic Planning for P&G. november-december '09

a. 2,159 b. 1,820 c. 4,013

13. Which category does not award a Best of Medium?

“The Philippine market is accelerating at a great pace. It is probably in the top 20 markets in the world in terms of potential spending,” says Vishnu Mohan, CEO of Havas Digital Asia Pacific.

Having set up Media Contact Philippines as part of Media Planning Group (MPG), the media division of French company Havas, Mohan sees the country as a hotbed of digital creativity.

The local company focus is digital advertising services for web and mobile.

In one of his addresses at the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) Summit, Mohan spoke

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11. How many entries did the Araw Awards receive this year?

a. The 18th AdCon in 2003 b. The Ad Asia/AdCon merge in 1997 c. What foreign judges?

16. Which group of ad people is joining the Araw juries for the first time this year? a. Clients b. Strategic planners c. Media specialists 17. Which of these are foreign judges in the 2009 Araw Awards? a. b. c. d.

Darren McColl, Sapient Nitro Joel Clement, Saatchi & Saatchi Thailand Melissa Crucillo, Nike Southeast Asia Alex Lim, Leo Burnett Singapore

18. Why are strategic planners sitting on the jury? a. Because insights and strategy form part of the judging criteria b. Because someone has to side with the creative directors c. Because they would be slighted, if left out.

19. What percentage do market results contribute to the final score of each winning entry? a. 50 percent b. 25 percent c. 15 percent 20. Why do market results and effectiveness matter in the Araw Awards? a. Because PANA is hosting the 21st AdCon b. Because it needs to differentiate itself from the Kidlat Awards c. Because everyone believes in creativity that works Answers: 1-c, 2-a, 3-a, 4-b, 5-a, 6-a, 7-b, 8-c, 9-b & c, 10-c, 11-a, 12-b, 13-c, 14-a, 15-a, 16-a,& c, 17. a, b, c & d 18-a, 19-b, 20-What do you think?

Once claiming his personal mission was to “survive advertising,” Pete Heskett, Southeast Asia Planning director of JWT, may well be one of the best sources of inspiration for budding planners.

In The Planning Lab, Heskett advises adventurous planners to be global in outlook and orientation, to conjure cosmopolitan ideas that focus not just on brand diversity, but on cross-cultural connections brands inspire.

“Great planners are voracious consumers of culture in all its shapes and colours,” Heskett writes.

As planners are prone to be lackluster outside of their expertise, Heskett drills the importance of taking another look at the other aspects of advertising. He specifically cites his own inspiration, Pau Yi Min of PPGroup Taiwan, whose

The 21st Philippine Advertising Congress Programme Marketing, creative, digital media, corporate social responsibility, 17 speakers and a dozen or so panelists—that ’s a lot to absorb in two days.

Don’t know which talk to attend? Hang out at the adobo booths and check out our Twittercast, to see what other delegates recommend.

But to break it down for you, the first day is all about Digital and CSR; the second, Marketing, Creative and Media. Before, after and in between are buffet meals and parties that you have to see to believe.

By the way, the AdCon organizers reserve the right to change the schedule at any time. Please refer to your official delegates program guide for the latest updates.

NOVEMBER 19 AM THURSDAY 8:50 – 9:00 am Welcome remarks by Susan Dimacali and Yas Mallari 9:00-10:30 AM PLENARY 9:00-10:00 am JOHN NAISBITT, Author, Speaker, World Futurist, Naisbitt China Institute Predictions for the Future Post-global Meltdown and the Impact of China’s New Social/Economical Model on Asia and the Rest of the World.

10:00-10:30 am Q& A Paolo Bediones, Moderator 10:30 AM-12:30 PM DIGITAL 10:30-11:00 am VISHNU MOHAN, CEO, HAVAS Digital Asia Pacific

3:00-6:15 PM CSR 3:00-4:00 pm MIKE SCHALIT, Chief Creative Officer, Network BBDO South Africa The Role of CSR in Today’s World 4:00-4:45 pm LORY TAN, W WF Phils. Vice Chairman Global Warming: The Philippine Experience 4:45-5:30 pm SPEAKER TBA 5:30-6:15 pm Panel Discussion: Rallying the Industry to Rally Filipinos Panelists: Speakers, Gilbert Teodoro (to be confirmed), Dick Gordon, David Guerrero, Lito Atienza Emily Abrera, Moderator

New Digital Creative and Media Strategies that Work

6:15-7:00 pm CANNES 2008 WINNERS REEL

11:00-11:30 am CLAUDIO PINKUS Executive Chairman, Multiply

6:30 pm SPEAKERS DINNER

IAN STEWART, Head, Friendster Asia

NOVEMBER 20 AM FRIDAY

Taking social networking to the next level. Who will take the lead?

9:00-10:30 AM PLENARY

11:30 am-12:00 nn EMMANUEL ALLIX, Managing Director, Pudding Media Asia Pacific Why mobile marketing today does not work, and where the magic formula is NOVEMBER 19 PM THURSDAY 2:00-2:30 pm DIRK ESCHENBACHER, Executive Director, Tribal DDB Asia Pacific Breaking the Traditional Norms in Creative 2:30-3:00 pm Panel Discussion with speakers: Monetizing New Media: Measuring Effectiveness vis-à-vis traditional Paolo Bediones, Moderator

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9:00-10:00 am BJ CUNNINGHAM, Entrepreneur, thought leader Brand Differentiation in the New Market Paradigm 10:00-10:30 am Q& A Anthony Pangilinan, Moderator 10:30 AM-12:00 NN MARKETING 10:30-11:00 am ANDREW KINGHAM, Managing Director, The Marketing Store Marketing to Kids 11:00-11:30 am JEREMY CARR VP, Turner Entertainment Networks Marketing to Kids: “Stay Cool: Cartoon Network’s Creative Solutions to Connect to Kids”

11:30 am-12:00 nn LINDA KOVARIK, Regional Creative Director, Coca-Cola Emotional Storytelling NOVEMBER 20 PM, FRIDAY 2:00 - 4:00 PM CREATIVE 2:00-2:30 pm MARK CRIPPS Asia Pacific Head of MRM The Creation of Worth is Worth Creating 2:30-3:00 pm KENTARO KIMUR A, co-CEO, Creative DIrector & Account Planner, Hakuhodo How to Boil the World: "The Moment " Brings Power in Branding 3:00-3:30 pm JAMES JEAN, international author, Awarding-winning artist and illustrator Visual Art: More Powerful than words 3:30-4:00 pm Panel Discussion with speakers and Creative Guild Panelists: David Guerrero, Tony Sarmiento, Raul Castro 4:00-5:30 PM MEDIA 4:00-4:30pm PETE HESKETT, Head of Planning, JWT Creative Strat Planning 4:30-5:00 pm BERNHARD GLOCK, President, WFA Media Strat Planning 5:00-5:30 pm Panel discussion with speakers: Creative & Media Planning— Better Together or Apart?

Panelists: Jos Ortega, Nandy Villar, Cookie Bartolome, Lizelle Maralag 5:30-7:00 pm CANNES 2009 WINNERS REEL 5:30-6:30 pm Book signing with James Jean

21st Philippine Advertising Congress

newbiz/pitches Lowe keeps Unilab’s Enervon account

After a five-way pitch, Unilab decided that its Enervon account stays with Lowe Worldwide Philippines. Lowe first won the vitamin brand in 2005, with its “Enervon Happy” campaign.

Agencies participated in the pitch include Publicis Manila, McCann Erickson, Y&R and DDB Philippines.

Asked about experience, Lowe’s Executive Creative Director Leigh Reyes recalled the first slide of her presentation. It said: “Humility is really important because it keeps you fresh and new.”

Unique Toothpaste awardedto BBDO Guerrero/Proximity

Nokia CineMaiksi remakes its search for young cineasts Recent surveys show 28 percent of users have taken a video from their phone.

Nokia executives know how to expand their market. And that’s by putting their brand in the most creative hands possible, at the Nokia Cinemaiksi 2009 mobile filmmaking competition.

Returning to the Advertising Congress a second time, Nokia welcomes teams of two creative’s—30-years old or younger, and working for a 4As-member advertising agency—to the competition. The only requirements: raw and innovative talent, and of course, a passion for film. The entry: a oneminute short film using the Nokia N-series

mobile device. From all the entries, Nokia representative judges will select five finalist teams to compete in Subic.

But first, they must attend a one-day mobile filmmaking workshop on November 13, featuring mentors like Cannes Films Festival 2009 winner Brillante Mendoza— or else, be disqualified.

The Grand prizewinner attends the Hong Kong Independent Short Film & Video Awards for free.

In 2007, the theme was “The Power to Change, and winners JP Cuison and Mela Advincula, Leo Burnett creatives, pocketed a PhP 50,000 prize, in addition to the Hong Kong trip, for their entry “Imagine”. This year’s theme “As It Happens,” promises the same trip, albeit no mention of any monetary prize, yet.

Nokia Cinemaiksi 2009 provides the Ad Congress yet another dimension to its many perspectives. Not just with the buzz it generates, but more so with the inventiveness rendered by a minute, multipurpose mobile that’s already in many delegates’ hands.

WIN PRIZES!

The agency has been awarded by ACS the Unique Toothpaste assignment following a pitch against Ogilvy and Harrison Communications.

Unique, a brand belonging to Filipino household and personal care manufacturer ACS Manufacturing, was previously managed by McCann Erickson Philippines.

Paul Roebuck, chief executive of BBDO Guerrero / Proximity Philippines commented, “Unique is a brand with enormous heritage in the marketplace and through establishing a strong working partnership with ACS, we are confident that we will be able to ensure its future success.”

Blue Bottle links up with supermarket chain

Seafood City grants its account to Blue Bottle Inc, following a two-way pitch.

The supermarket chain is the biggest Filipino retailer in the US, with over 17 branches in the West Coast. It specializes in Filipino food and products. In some locations, Seafood City houses known Filipino businesses such as Jollibee and Red Ribbon, as well as other Filipino-owned restaurants, video rental stores, immigration and travel agencies.

DM9 JaymeSyfu gets Mini Cooper

JUST SCAN THE ADOBO BARCODE AT THE ADOBO BOOTH IN THE ADCON SPECTRUM EXHIBIT. DUMMY BARCODE FOR AD PURPOSES ONLY

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE CODE READER 1. Go to dakode.mobi on your mobile phone’s internet browser and follow the instructions to download the application.

2. Save application to your mobile phone.

SEE CONTENT 1. Launch code reader from the phone’s application.

2. Point the phone camera at the barcode. Once in focus, the software will scan the barcode and deliver a link to you.

3. You’ll be taken directly to our exclusive mobile content right into your hands.

For more information please login to www.serioustec.net or contact@serioustec.net

Number CODE 1. Go to m.dakode.com on your mobile phone’s internet browser 2. Type in the short code and press Go. 3. You’ll be taken directly to our exclusive mobile content right into your hands.

YOUR NORMAL TELCO DOWNLOAD CHARGES APPLY.

The Mini Cooper account was recently pitched between “mini” agencies DM9 JaymeSyfu and Blue Bottle. With the win, DM9 JaymeSyfu gets to drive the golden car.

After four decades in the market, the Mini was voted second only to the Ford Model T as the most influential car of the 20th Century in 1999. Produced in 1959 until 2000 by the British Motor Corporation, the Mini continues to be an icon with many of its early models considered collectors treasures.rking on a non-traditional PR campaign." november-december '09

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globalroundup Fictional Adman Tops AskMen. com's Most Influential Men of 2009

Global - Based on the votes of 500,000 visitors to AskMen.com, fictional "Mad Men" ECD Don Draper came out on top, beating nominees like President Barack Obama, Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

Deemed the top five most influential men were (1) Don Draper, (2) Olympian Usain Bolt, (3) US President Obama, (4) Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and (5) American Idol's Simon Cowell.

AskMen's editors say, "Don Draper may be a fictional character on AMC's Mad Men, but he's just as real as any other public personality you can think of. Celebrities are brands, with carefully constructed images, and most of us are just as likely to have a beer with Don Draper as with anybody else on this list.“

Two editions of the D&AD Annual set to launch

London - Two versions of the D&AD Annual, containing the best creative work of the year, is scheduled for general sale in early 2010. The D&AD Annual 2009 Members’ edition was created through the collaboration of Peter Saville and Luke Sanders, a graduate designer. The design process throws light on D&AD’s education mission through a series of graphic statistics.

The annual will be published for the first time, by TASCHEN. D&AD's new partnership with TASCHEN promotes the best creative work to the widest audience. Designed by Jeremy Leslie, the book will be published in hardcover; translated into six languages and distributed worldwide.

Adidas and Puma shake hands after 60 years

Herzogenaurach - In a historic undertaking, and as a symbol of friendship, Adidas and Puma played football together, forming two teams composed of mixed staff from both companies. They joined forces in support of Peace One Day (POD) to raise awareness for POD and the necessity of peaceful co-existence.

The two sportswear brands from Germany were both founded by brothers Adi and Rudolf Dassler, respectively. World War II found the two brothers estranged, however, and forming their separate rival shops in 1948.

Adidas and Puma are no longer owned

by Dassler descendants. Puma's majority owner is the French luxury goods company PPR. While The Adidas Group, owner of the brands Reebok and TaylorMade for Golf, has no individual shareholder that owns more than five percent.

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Band aid to climate aid

International artists collaborate for Tck-tck-tck

Last October, Havas Worldwide launched a massive Internet campaign for Tcktcktck: Time for Climate Justice. Org. To show their muscle, they brought in over 60 international music stars and celebrities to endorse it. At the center of the campaign is a music video.

We know what We need you’re thinking. Bob Geldof‘s “Band Aid” a huge started the multicollective celebrity music video effort to get shtick 25 years ago, and our leaders to the idea still works. Big including Duran accept their names Duran, Milla Jovovich, responsibility, Fergie, Lily Allen, Katche, Youssou because the Manu N’Dour, Yannick Noah, threat of the and Geldof himself catastrophic performed Midnight Oil’s classic hit song climate “Beds are Burning”, singing lyrics altered change is to echo the current the biggest climate state. Adding challenge Asian flavor are Jet Li and Xing Li. that The song and humankind music video, along with other Tcktcktck has ever tools, are geared faced. towards creating the biggest online petition to be delivered at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December. A hundred and nine states are gathering to decide on the next international climate change agreement, before the current Kyoto Protocol in 2012 expires.

When the Time for Climate Justice movement was launched in Cannes, Global Humanitarian Forum leader and former U.N. Secretary General, Kofi Annan said: “We need a huge collective effort to get our leaders to accept their responsibility, because the threat of the catastrophic climate change is the biggest challenge that humankind has ever faced.”

Through popular social media such as Facebook, Twitter, MTV, Yahoo Music and iTunes, Havas Worldwide brought the campaign to Asia.

In China, where some social networking sites are blocked, Havas has inked deals to broadcast the campaigns in information networks namely Tencent, Youku, Sina and Sohu.

An ambitious campaign it may be, but never too ambitious when the planet’s future is at stake.

With only a few weeks away from the worldchanging summit, every celebrity and every second counts.

To download the video, go to www.timeforclimatejustice.org

PROFILE OF A LEGEND

NEIL FRENCH From the outside, looking in

by Cynthia S. Dayco

During the glory days of Advertising, there were three mass media: TV, radio and print. There were only two sides to the line: above and below.

There was only one kind of ad agency: the sort that didn’t distinguish between creative and media. And Ogilvy & Mather boasted of not one but two living legends: David Ogilvy himself and Neil French.

PROFILE OF A LEGEND

T

oday, only one of them is still with us, and at this moment, he is the guest of honor at The New York Festivals in Shanghai.

Wearing a white shirt, jeans and a pair of dark sunglasses, Neil French enters the hall. He puts his hands akimbo, and flashing the biggest smile in the room, he saunters to the exhibit of metal winners.

He assesses one ad after another, making a quick pass in review. As he walks down the line of easels, it all seems very perfunctory and ceremonial…until one leans in to hear him muttering: “Rubbish. Rubbish. Rubbish. Rubbish.”

He stops briefly to examine one ad. To no one in particular, he calls it: “Crap.”

Then he moves on to the next hapless idea.

“Rubbish.”

It is an amusing litany except, of course, to those whose works are on display. These people are not hard to spot; their faces, growing paler and paler with each step that Neil took towards their ads.

Moments like this cement Neil’s reputation and notoriety as Asia’s toughest creative taskmaster.

"His ads were the first Asian ads to appear in the international annuals.

Everyone’s work was the better for his presence.

Everyone tried harder, either to please him, or beat him.”

bank was “here today” and would still be “here tomorrow.”

His most famous work was for XO Beer, a campaign that promised nothing more than “XO gets you pissed quicker.” The simple copy-driven print ads stirred a consumer frenzy that would have made any brewery ecstatic, except for one tiny detail: XO Beer didn’t exist.

“Scam!” critics cried.

Neil begged to differ. The product might not have been real, however the client, the Singapore Press Holdings, was.

It had asked him to create a campaign that would demonstrate the persuasive power of Print. In turn, Neil had convinced the client that launching a bogus brand through The Strait Times—and then creating a genuine consumer demand for it—was more conclusive than any media research.

Of this groundbreaking campaign, Neil says, “No pouring shots, no drinking shots, no status symbols, no babes…it was an incredible success. The campaign was legendary.”

Yet he turns around and adds, “And I don’t think a single client changed his opinion. Make of that what you will.”

Jim Aitchison, a former creative director and the author of the Cutting Edge series of books, observed that as Neil’s star rose, so did that of Asian advertising.

Kaminomoto

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Although he once owned his own ad agency in London, Neil French built most of his spectacular career and sphere of influence from Singapore. O&M brought him over to be the creative director of its office in 1983.

In Mark Tungate’s Adland, Neil talks about his early days in Singapore. “There was no distinct style when I rocked it up. All I had to was mimic my betters in London, and bingo. After a year or so, I realized that if they’d buy my rip-offs, they might buy something a bit original, and it was off to the races for Frenchie.”

From O&M, “Frenchie” moved to Batey Advertising and The Ball Partnership.

Eventually, he returned to O&M in 1992, as its regional creative director.

Within five years, he became its worldwide creative director. Refusing a transfer to London, he called the shots from his office in tiny Singapore—and he continued to do so, even after Sir Martin Sorrell appointed him WPP Group’s worldwide creative director in 2003.

Provocative, powerful and always witty, his work revolutionized Asian advertising. He was the first to show Asia’s wallflower creatives what they could accomplish with a surprising idea, communicated by the perfect balance of art direction and copy.

His Kaminomoto ads took hair to places— and objects—where it had never grown before.

In his long-running series for the Union Bank of Switzerland, he had thespians like Sir John Gielgud, Harvey Keitel and Ben Kingsley read from the literature of the ages, to convey that the

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“Not surprisingly, it took him tens of thousands of hours to lift the creative standards of firstly Singapore, and then the rest of Asia.

Asian creativity was truly hand-made by French,” he said, during his friend’s induction into The Work’s 2002 Hall of Fame.

“And not just in print and not just in Singapore. He championed the cause of Thai creativity, he cracked his creative whip in Hong Kong, and he scooped up all the regional awards with customary ease. His ads were the first Asian ads to appear in the international annuals.

Everyone’s work was the better for his presence.

Everyone tried harder, either to please him, or beat him.”

THE NEIL FRENCH EXPERIENCE

Everyone indeed. From Peter Soh, one of the godfathers of Chinese advertising; Sonal Dabral, Bates 141’s chief creative in India and Asia-Pacific; to Jureeporn Thaidumrong of JEH United Thailand—nearly every person of note in Asian advertising has had a Neil French experience.

To some, he was a tough—but ultimately, supportive—teacher. Take Saatchi & Saatchi’s Regional Chief Creative Officer Andy Greenaway, who learned all he knew about print from the master.

“Neil is a maverick, a revolutionary and a gangster all rolled into one,” recalls Andy. “The most important lesson he taught me with was to keep an open mind. He often told me if an idea makes you feel uncomfortable, it’s most probably a good one.

“He embraces the new, the unexpected, the unconventional, the ideas you can’t quite put your finger but know intrinsically are on the money.”

Neil handpicked David Guerrero to run the O&M office in Manila in the mid-Nineties.

Interestingly, while Neil drummed the need for singularity and focus, David picked up something else that, to this day, helps him in BBDO Guerrero/Proximity.

“Funnily enough,” David points out, “one of the things that make him a great creative person is his understanding of how agency management works and the relationship between the creative director and the managing director, how a regional creative director operates.”

However, as a cursory search of the industry’s blogs show, for every fan of Neil, there is a hater. The reasons abound, from a debate on principle to a kerfuffle over manners. (In Manila, a silly story about Neil’s raised feet comes to mind.)

Whatever the cause, O&M Asia-Pacific Chairman Tim Isaac, who knew Neil from their days in The Ball Partnership, boils it down to this: “He engages in brinkmanship of the highest order. How honest could he be before causing outrage on stage?

How many more dollars could he demand before getting fired? How late could he leave writing a campaign before the meeting deadline? How many account executives could he challenge before all the bad ones had resigned and there were none left? You get the picture.”

This is something Sir Martin Sorrell knows first-hand. As the CEO of the WPP Group (the holding company of Grey Global Group Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, Y&R, JWT and Asatsu-DK, to name a few), he made Neil the globetrotting godfather of his creative agencies. He was also XO Beer

NEIL FRENCH the one who took Neil out of the picture in 2005, when the latter’s flippant remarks about women creative directors blew up in both their faces.

WOMEN AND ALL THAT CRAP

In case you were still in school back in October 2005, Neil was in Toronto, speaking before a small audience of ad people.

At some point, he cavalierly tossed, “You can’t be a great creative director, and have a baby, and still spend time off every time the kids are ill. Everyone who can’t commit fully to the job is crap.”

Fresh from a long leave of absence, the co-chief creative director of O&M Toronto at the time, Nancy Vonk, took personal offense at his remark and wrote an online essay, “Female Like Me”. That sparked one of the earliest known blogostorms in North America. It was certainly the most infamous in the global advertising community.

At first, Neil shrugged it off. Then he tried to explain.

Finding his credibility shot, he eventually ran an apology in the press.

He wrote: “A Creative Director is in charge of the entire company, keeping wildly talented (but often weird) producers of work involved, dedicated, and willing to sweat and strain over long hours and stupid deadlines…To walk away from that responsibility would be utterly unprofessional and immediately disqualify anyone from holding the position.

“But to expect a young family to remain unaffected by these violent diversions from the mundane, comforting ordinariness they crave and need is, in my view, cruel.”

By then, it was too late.

Of this scandalous episode in Neil’s career, Sir Martin wrote to adobo. “Neil was very demanding—in all senses. Neil was Neil. His only fault was he sometimes exhibited poor judgment and was unable to apologise for a misdemeanour. Otherwise he was brilliant…In our case, he made one very bad mistake.”

To his credit, Neil has a cadre of former protégés and colleagues who come to his defense.

As David Guerrero puts it, “In Asia, he’s understood and accepted for what he is. He was caricatured by the press in Toronto; it was something they all wanted to believe. But everyone who knew him wouldn’t have read into it.”

Certainly not Godmother’s Linda Locke, who led Leo Burnett Asia Pacific for many years as its regional executive director. “She’s driven, talented”—and oh, she was once married to Neil.

Nor did Jureeporn Thaidumrong, one of Asia’s most awarded creative directors and whom Neil thinks is “astoundingly good and very, very gifted.”

In an interview with ihaveanidea.com, she said, “Contrary to what people may think and have been saying for the last couple of years, he’s very supportive of woman creatives. I can guarantee that because I am actually one of the women he helped. I wouldn’t stand where I am today if it wasn’t for him.”

For those who know “Frenchie”, Tim Isaac says, “What holds it all together is

Neil’s humanity: his sense of humour and his passionate interest in people, literature, culture, art, travel, everything—way beyond the limits of a mere profession in advertising. Probably the key to his success and giant influence is that he doesn’t really care all that much about advertising—only about being perfect at it.”

LIFE AFTER ADVERTISING

Having heard all about Neil French the creative guru (as well as Neil French the actor, bullfighter, Judas Priest band manager, pornographer and all-around scoundrel), it’s an absolute surprise to meet Neil the sweet old charmer.

Over the years, he has Neil and son Daniel developed a look, not unlike actor Sean Connery’s—a lined but open face, a rascal’s smile, silver hair tied in a short ponytail.

He apologizes for his dark sunglasses, which he is wearing indoors today.

“Prescription sunglasses,” he explains.

“Misplaced my clear ones. Without these, I can’t see a thing.”

Since he left WPP, he moved to Spain, where he lives with his son Daniel. He spends much of his time watching cricket, answering his email, and playing Lexulous on Facebook.

It’s a very different life for the man who once lived for advertising and nothing else.

The feminists who once called for his head must be chuckling over the irony of it all, but Neil doesn’t care.

“The best job I ever had was looking after my son. I don’t know why I wasted so much time before doing ads, when I could have been doing that.”

That he became a father so late in life came as a surprise to everyone—most of all, to Neil himself. At the time, he was still married, and his then wife announced she was adopting a child from her hometown in the Philippines.

“I resisted, at first. I said [to my ex-wife], ‘Here’s some money. You look after him; you’re his mom.’ Then one day, I met him, and I fell in love.”

Twelve-year old Daniel is now the center of Neil’s life. When the boy is not in school, cricket practice or playdates, father and son are inseparable.

“He loves cooking, so we cook. We read together. I read to him, and he reads to me. We play computer games.”

But if the thought of Neil French logging hours on Warcraft sounds implausible, it is.

“Daniel does Warcraft; I play Monopoly. He slaughters people, while I buy their property.”

Being a father has transformed Neil.

Friends say he’s healthier and happier. He doesn’t think he’s changed all that much, but he does admit, “Any lines I’ve got on my face now are laugh lines.”

THE PASSIONATE PERSUADER

Even though he’s retired, Neil is still passionate about advertising. Except now that he is looking in from the outside, not everything is to his liking.

In particular, he’s perturbed by the proliferation of predominantly visual and “purely award-driven ‘puzzle-style’ work has no relevance to the consumer.” He thinks back to the award-winning ads he saw earlier that day at the New York Festivals.

"The best job I ever had was looking after my son. I don’t know why I wasted so much time before doing ads, when I could have been doing that."

For example, the award-winning Jeep ads from Malaysia.

“They’re all very clever. But once you decipher the code that tells you why they’re so clever, who gives a shit?”

Not the consumer, thinks Neil. “There’s not an ounce of persuasion in those ads. There’s not a chance that someone will look at those awardwining ads and say ‘I want one of those.’ Not one of them sells anything.”

As far as he’s concerned, an ad’s purpose has never changed.

“Persuasion is advertising. Advertising is persuasion,” he reminds everyone in the room.

Granted it should also be entertaining but, Neil admonishes, "not just….”

“Puzzle-type” ads would not have won in The World Press Awards, the show Neil started in 2007. However after two years, WPA went into hibernation. Not because the entries were lean, but because the entries weren’t great.

“The first year, we certainly got it. The second year, it was just beginning to go into recession. And even if we combined two years, the book was not as great,” says Neil. “That’s it.

I’m not going to produce another iffy book.”

When the WPA comes out of hibernation, he’d like to make some changes.

One option is to turn it into the World Copy Awards, to encompass all media and not just print. Because if there’s one thing Neil believes in, it’s words. “Words are the most important method of communication. In a quality environment, stuff with good copy will always wins.”

Another is to get more sponsors to cover the cost of the award show, so he can afford to keep entry fees to a minimum.

“Wouldn’t it be great to have a show where instead of having to pay $500 per entry, we could ask people for $50? Then you would get a better cross-section of work, and you might find these little gems that people couldn’t afford to enter in Cannes. And that would be the ideal of all possible worlds.

“While the print industry is plummeting to its death, they may as well put their money into something that might revive it. As opposed to just waiting to see if it drowns..”

He shrugs. Then in a way only the legendary, infamous and cheeky Neil French can do, he turns around and says: “In the end, though, it’s only advertising.

Nobody dies, eh?” november-december '09

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the death toll of the New York terrorist attack and that of the 2004 tsunami disaster in Asia, stating that, if not respected and protected, Mother Nature was capable of far worse. The ire of the blogosphere proved to be nearly as terrible.

A series of denials from both DDB Brasil and WWF ensued, eventually resulting in backpedaling and painful apologies. For awarding the ad a certificate of merit, The One Show sustained collateral damage. The ad’s companion TV ad was also entered in The Cannes Lions, but fortunately for that annual’s organizers, it wasn’t judged worthy of a metal.

Social Embarr assment

Just the same, Cannes Lions Chairman Terry Savage and CEO Philip Thomas did address the issue.

Stating they did not want “to come between the client and the agency, nor to penalise individuals from an agency who have not had any association with the work in question,” they stood by their existing rule: “Entries cannot be made without the prior permission of the advertiser/owner of the rights of the advertisement. All entries must have been made within the context of a normal paying contract with a client.

That client must have paid for all, or the majority of, the media costs.”

Has Neil French gone anti-scam, too?

Scam ads

Hell hath no fury like an award show stung

After taking back the certificate of merit from DDB Brasil for its “Tsunami 9/11” ad for WWF, The One Club for Art & Copy took a hard-line stance against scam ads. Last September, it called on other award shows to put their metals where their mouths are, by enforcing similarly stringent rules and penalties.

In a similar move, the New York Festivals released an announcement two weeks later, stating it would allow jury members to flag suspicious entries. The Cannes Lions and The Art Directors Club (ADC) supported their actions, albeit with less aggressive policies.

However, given the stiff competition for the shrinking budgets of most agency networks, it would be interesting to see who else will follow suit.

The One Show: A 5-year ban

For implementation beginning with its 2010 competition, The One Show issued a new policy targeting “fake ads”, which it defines as: “ads created for nonexistent clients or made and run without a client’s approval,

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or ads created expressly for award shows that are run once to meet the requirements of a tear sheet.”

It would ban all creatives and agencies that enter ads made without client’s approval from entering The One Show for five years. Likewise, creatives and agencies that enter an ad “run once, on late night TV, or has only run because the agency produced a single ad and paid to run it themselves” are to be banned from competition for three years.

Considering that many famous awardwinners, including the legendary Apple “1984” ran only once, The One Club added that it “reserves the right to review ‘late-night, ranonce’ and launch versions…If it is determined that the ad was created expressly for award show entry, the penalty will hold.”

The DDB Brasil “Tsunami 9/11” scandal erupted after the blog AdFreak unearthed the ad, just in time for the eight anniversary of 9/11.

Created for WWF, the print ad boldly compares

They would disqualify violators and announce that they have done so. Likewise, The Art Directors Club said it, too, would announce disqualifications.

“For the first time starting this year, we’ll take the additional step to communicate directly with other industry awards organizations and inform them about the scam ad so they too can be on the lookout and take action.”

However the ADC did offer an alternative for potential scam creators: the Playground category, which was “created four years ago specifically for work that for one reason or another never got approved by the client, or never ran.”

Tick the box for “No”

Meanwhile the New York Festivals now allow GrandJury™ judges to flag a suspected scam ad simply by checking a box when viewing an entry online. Additionally, NYF judges are encouraged to write confidential comments online to support their suspicions.

New York Festivals President, Michael O’Rourke said, “Our first line of defense is our online judging system. We’ve found that having judges together in the same room in an isolated resort location can have a chilling effect on diligence. It’s human nature: no one wants to accuse an agency or creative team, especially if the person you’re accusing is a friend or associate of someone in the room.“ Neil French’s anti-scam secret

In a recent interview with BBC Hardtalk at the Spikes Asia, Neil French gave his own thoughts on anti-scam regulations. Looking over DDB Brasil’s “911” ad, the organizer of the World Press Awards admired the art direction, but poopoohed the ad itself.

However, he disagreed with The One Show’s new policy. Preferring discretion to penalties, he said that in the World Press Awards, he never needed rules against scam.

“We had good judges. Good judges can tell a scam ad from a mile away.”

OPENING 2010

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THE BEST OF 2009

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2

3 Manil a Design Week

The rise of integrated and digital campaigns

In award shows and consumers’ hearts, integrated, digital and breakthrough hybrid campaigns lorded over traditional advertising, making mainstream agencies painfully aware that the world was evolving…without them.

Queensl and Tourism “Best Job In The World” campaign

Cumminsnitro’s deceptively simple idea charmed not just the 6.8 million monthly visitors to its site but most award show juries, too.

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For the first time ever, Team Manila and many of the country’s graphic designers collaborated on exhibits, competitions, symposia, and creative dream-team experiments.

What’s more, they did everything without rancor, proving that designers are way, way nicer than ad people.

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Social Media to the rescue

After Typhoon Ketsana submerged Metro Manila, the mouse potatoes came to its rescue.

Using Facebook, Twitter, and SMS, they formed news relays, set up interactive Google maps for rescuers, and filled volunteer centers.

David Droga

This year, the man led the Titanium/Integrated Lion and Spikes Asia juries, won two D&AD black pencils, and much to our delight, briefly lost his shirt in Manila.

The new Asian Tigers

The numbers from the major global shows are in, and surprise! Japan, China and India are in the lead. Thailand and Singapore struggle to keep up.

4 TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno reclaim the creative crown

After a suspiciously quiet year, the agents of Disruption raucously moved into their big, shiny new office. They needed the space, you see, for their new collection of trophies, including a Gold Spike and the Agency of the Year Best in Creative.

5 Brill ante Mendoz a

Voted Cannes Filmfest's best director, this production designer-turned-filmmaker proved that with passion, ambition, dedication, and a lifetime supply of Bonamine, we can all make a fan of Quentin Tarantino.

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Mad Men, Season 2

Still steamy in its second year, this Emmywinning drama about our industry forefathers continues to influence fashion, design, entertainment and if David Droga’s photo for WSJ Magazine is any indication, admen.

12 We still miss you, Yasmin

The Philippines’ best performance yet

From last year’s dismal two Spikes, the country prayed for the best and got it at Spikes Asia: 36 entries into the shortlists, and 16 Spikes. We’re far from being a creative superpower, but let’s savor the moment, shall we?

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Twitter

From today’s menu to late-breaking news, it delivers the world to you in 140 characters or less.

Brilliant and fearless, the late Yasmin Ahmad challenged racial barriers, moved us with simple but deeply human stories, and showed us that the love of life was far more gratifying than the love of awards.

Selected by adobo’s editorial board and some of the countr y ’s top creative directors

SEPTEMBER 2009

Boysen Paints "Yellow Bell, "Violet", "Orchid" Ad Title: Boysen Paints “ Violet”, “Orchid”, “Yellow Bell” / Advertiser: Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines Inc. / Agency: TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno / Creative Directors: Melvin Mangada, Manuel Villafania / Art Directors: Manuel Villafania, Melvin Mangada, Denise Tee / Copywriter: Bryan Siy / Photographer: G-Nie Arambulo / Photography Studio: Adphoto / Digital Imaging: Romar Quiroz/ Print Producer: May Dalisay / Print Production House: Chromagraph / Accounts: Kara Filamor

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regionalnewsbriefs Grey Sydney changes name to JAYGREY

Sydney - Grey Sydney emerges with a new name and now operates as JAYGREY. The name pays homage to Jay Furby.

Furby has been rated as Australasia’s number one creative for two years in a row and ranked number nine in the world. He received multiple awards and mentions in Cannes Lions, D&AD and the One Show.

Paul Gardner, Grey Group Australia and New Zealand’s Group Chairman, says, “Until the establishment of JayGrey, we felt there has still been a gap in our offering, namely a strong, high-profile, extremely creative Grey business in Australia’s major city. We’re pleased to collaborate with Jay Furby to create JayGrey, an agency that will be nimble, noisy and entrepreneurial.”

AD ALIKE

BBC.com audience up 21 percent in Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific - BBC.com's traffic in Asia Pacific has significantly grown in monthly reach by 21 percent in Q2 2009 compared to the same period last year, according to latest figures delivered by ComScore.

The number of visitors per month has risen to 8.4 million in the region which is more than twice the size of its nearest competitor.

BBC.com remains the largest international broadcast news website in Asia Pacific.

The latest figures also reflect great loyalty to BBC.com around the globe with 72 percent of audiences reportedly staying with BBC.com rather than visiting a competitor site. Competition includes CNBC, Financial Times, CNN.com, MSNBC. com, and the Economist.

Leo Burnett Bangkok lets Tesco Lotus say “ thank you”

Hong Kong - Tesco Lotus launches a holistic integrated campaign in celebration of the arrival of the new Tesco Lotus "Club Card". The campaign created by Leo Burnett Bangkok expresses Tesco Lotus's appreciation to its existing customers for their loyalty, marking another bold strategic step beyond the usual "price tag" messaging adopted by other hypermarkets.

The television campaign, consisting of one 45-second spot, and two shorter edits, takes a light-hearted and emotionally engaging approach.

Leo Burnett Bangkok extends the message via a print and radio campaign that tie in with the television commercials, as well as bus shelters, bus body wraps, point of sales materials, and online.

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Tom N Toms Coffee Korea

Starbucks Coffee USA

SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT

Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corp. (PMPC) introduces its efficient and environmentallyfriendly flat panel TVs under the “Viera” (or Visual Era) series.

The Viera S, A, X and C series definitely has Panasonic’s sophisticated and valueconscious market in mind with its IPS Alpha panel technology for high-quality motion images and still images with 1080 resolution, and perfectly manages black images and provides digital cinema color through the basic Deep Color standard.

Viera LCDs have high resolution and video signal output for a natural frame-to-frame transition, and its 178degree viewing angle ensures clear images even when viewed from an angle.

Through the “Viera Link,” Viera TVs can “link” via HMDI cable to various sources using a single remote control and supports different multi-media operating systems like SDHC, AVCHD and has a user-friendly Secure Digital (SD) card slot.

All Viera Plasma display panels are certified mercury- and lead-free to reduce environmental impact when recycling or disposing and lasts more than 100,000 hours or over 30 years of continuous usage even at half-brightness. The Eco Mode also adjusts brightness depending on the lighting to use less power but with no effect on image quality.

Panasonic Viera leads Flat TV Series Competition

GOOD TO KNOW

In "Ambush: How do you stay fit and fab?" (Adobo September-October 2009), Aaron Vicencio took the photo of Katrina Encanto and not Matec Villanueva, as initially written. november-december '09

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Juggi Ramakrishnan

takes regional role in Ogilvy AP in 2010

Juggi Ramakrishnan

BBDO/Proximity Singapore ECD Juggi Ramakrishnan confirmed rumors that he is ending his term this Christmas, to join Ogilvy Asia Pacific, effective February 1, 2010. He told adobo magazine that he would take on the newly created position of deputy regional executive creative director, reporting to Eugene Cheong. .

Said Eugene Cheong, creative president, Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific: “Juggi is a rare talent, he is one of Asia’s most respected creatives; I’m thrilled he’s joined our team. Despite the downturn, we remain committed to investing in top talent for the sake of our clients and their business. Juggi’s remit is to elevate the standard of our overall creative output, with a special emphasis on Southeast Asia."

Ramakrishnan is the latest addition to Ogilvy’s regional bench, after Cheong. With Thai Khai Meng’s promotion to global ECD, Asia is obviously wielding more influence in the Ogilvy network.

He joined BBDO/Proximity Singapore as ECD in 2007 and played a major role in its growth. However, a statement from Jean-Paul Burge, CEO of BBDO/Proximity Singapore indicated that the agency and his star creative differed on priorities.

Gavin Simpson returns as Ogilvy & Mather Malaysia Group ECD After a stint as Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong executive creative director and O&M Manila’s former ECD Gavin Simpson returns as Group Executive Creative Director of Ogilvy Malaysia effective January 1, 2010.

Moving to Hong Kong in June 2007, Simpson’s leadership pushed the HK agency up the rankings to

marked the win of Malaysia’s first Gold & Silver One Show Pencils. In 2002, Ogilvy Kuala Lumpur was ranked the 10th most Creative Agency in Asia by Campaign Brief.

Simpson was ranked the No.1 local creative in 2002 and 2003.

In 2005, Gavin joined Ogilvy & Mather Philippines, after three years with

Ogilvy & Mather plans to put creativity at the heart of its agency in Kuala Lumpur, so Simpson will work across the Group on the agency’s key brands. become one of the most creatively recognized offices in the Ogilvy network.

An Ogilvy&Mather veteran, Simpson joined O&M Malaysia in 1991.

After three years at Naga DDB, he returned to Ogilvy in 2000. His return

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Ogilvy & Mather Malaysia, as well as Y&R Malaysia and Leo Burnett Indonesia.

A year later, the Manila office was named the 4As “Creative Agency of the Year”.

Ogilvy & Mather plans to put creativity at

the heart of its agency in Kuala Lumpur, so Simpson will work across the Group on the agency’s key brands, working closely with senior creative leadership in Advertising, OgilvyAction and OgilvyOne. Seventeen years in the business has made Simpson multi-awarded, his local and global wins include one Gold Asian Direct Marketing Award, six Silver Spikes at The Asia Media Awards, three Silvers and six Bronze Clios, one Gold, one Silver and two Bronze Cannes Lions, three Gold, Silver and two Bronze One Show pencils and several D&AD pencils.

Simpson replaces Daniel Comar, who was O&M Malaysia’s ECD since September 2004. He moves up to a new role as regional executive creative director of OgilvyAction.

With his new post, Comar remains in Kuala Lumpur.

Gavin Simpson

"In the last year it has been become even more important for us to deliver integrated ideas for all our clients.

Juggi has shown a desire to concentrate on award-wining projects, his ambition to continue on this path will be better met at a different agency. As such he will leave the agency at Christmas. I have an immense amount of respect for Juggi and we all wish him the best; however, it is our responsibility to deliver ideas and produce hardworking campaigns for all our clients.

As such we are restructuring our creative department and bringing in the talent that share these ambitions."

Upon Ramakrishnan’s departure, Danny Searle, chief creative officer and chairman of BBDO/Proximity Singapore, will retain overall control and direction of the creative department director.

Danny Searle

Laban ni Maria It's every Filipina's fight

Francis M. Clothing's cervical cancer shirts

Together with GSK, Bravehearts, and the Francis M. Clothing Co., Campaigns Social Response launched in September of this year, “Laban ni Maria sa Cervical Cancer” (Maria’s Fight against Cervical Cancer).

“Laban ni Maria” took advantage of the nationalistic reputation of FMCC’s Three Stars and a Sun, a brand strongly identified with rapper Francis Magalona, who succumbed to cancer early this year.

They produced t-shirts, Yo-cards, and other print materials that made use of a modern fusion of FMCC’s iconic Three Stars and a Sun logo with “Maria Clara”.

“Maria Clara” is a character in Jose Rizal’s masterpiece Noli Me Tangere and is a well-known symbol of Filipina femininity.

The term “Maria Clara” also refers to the traditional Filipino-Hispanic national dress.

As the main graphic, “Maria” is portrayed in varied images of strength, courage, and softness.

Since the campaign was started back in 2007, awareness has gone up from 30 percent to 60 percent. The sales of the vaccine have increased.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer afflicting women worldwide.

Developing countries such as the Philippines accounts to 80 percent of patients. In the country alone, 12 Filipinas die everyday of cervical cancer.

The statistics are staggering, considering that it is the second cause of cancer deaths in women. But cervical cancer is a preventable disease. GlaxoSmithKline’s vaccine Cervarix protects against cancer-causing strains of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV).

Three agencies pitched for the account and Campaigns Social Response Team (CSR), a unit under Campaigns & Grey, was chosen.

“We won the account in 2007,” Rocky Sanchez-Tirona, managing director of Campaigns Social Response, remembers, “and we started by adapting advocacy materials from Singapore.”

Later, however, the team was given leeway to be creative not only in their ad campaigns but also in the manner and direction that they want to steer the advocacy.

In 2008, they teamed up with clothing company Maldita and created t-shirts, print ads, Yo-cards (free cards) and even produced a fashion show with cervical cancer survivors.

A portion of the proceeds of the sales went to Bravehearts, a cervical cancer coalition that raises funds for the screening and vaccination of indigent women.

Continuing its efforts to raise awareness on the disease, the agency saw the opportunity to extend the campaign with a theme closer to every Filipina.

The t-shirts were sold through FMCC stores. A substantial portion of the sale were donated to Bravehearts. To further spread the word, t-shirts were also distributed to media and opinion leaders.

Pia and Maxene Magalona, widow and daughter of the late rapper Francis M., were at the forefront of the fight against cervical cancer. After taking the vaccine, they encouraged other Filipinas to take the step of protecting themselves. Pia stressed that women could do something against cervical cancer, it could be prevented.

Since the campaign was started back in 2007, awareness has gone Laban Ni Maria yocard up from 30 percent to 60 percent. The sales of the vaccine have increased.

That means more women not only know about prevention but are also acting on it. Once pricey, the vaccine’s price is down by almost 60 percent, from its old price of PHP4,000 (US$85) per dose.

Tirona shares that Campaigns Social Response will continue to work with Bravehearts, to widen the reach of the information campaign as well as to make the vaccine available to underprivileged women.

For more information on the fight against Cervical Cancer, visit: www.xoutcervicalcancer.com.ph. november-december '09

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responsibility as the creative leader of Malaysia’s number one creative agency, effective November 1, 2009.

Mun is one of Asia’s most respected creatives and the only Malaysian ECD to win two D&AD Yellow Pencils.

Of the dual appointments, Chris Thomas, chairman and CEO, BBDO Asia added, “At BBDO/Proximity Malaysia, we liken ourselves to a petri dish—a breeding ground for talent that, over the past five years, has supplied some of the best senior managers across Asia.”

Movers and shakers: BBDO's Ronald Ng, Mun, and Cris Thomas

"I’m stepping into the most exciting episode of my life."

Ronald Ng rides the Jeep to New York Ronald Ng, one of the tandem behind the metal-guzzling Jeep campaign is moving up, all the way to North America.

BBDO/Proximity Malaysia Chief Creative Officer Ng accepted the post of BBDO New York’s executive vice president and executive creative director.

The other half of the Jeep team, Mun Tuck Wai, takes his place in the Malaysian office.

Ronald Ng’s transfer from BBDO/Proximity Malaysia to its office in New York reinforces the agency’s standing as a worldclass agency that nurtures worldclass talent. Since he joined the

Malaysian office in 2004, Ng has steadily improved its creative output, resulting in work that has been widely recognized for its innovation and effectiveness at award shows both locally and around the world.

Currently executive creative director, Mun assumes full

Under the creative direction of Ng and Mun, the Won Report ranked BBDO/Proximity Malaysia the 13th most awarded agency in the world and its HELP “Wheelchair” campaign the 6th most awarded “Innovative and Alternative Media” campaign in the world. Its Jeep campaign won the Grand Prix at the New York Festivals and AdFest as well as Gold at Cannes, Clio and One Show, and a Yellow Pencil at the prestigious D&AD Awards. The agency was also the top-performing agency across all disciplines at last year’s Kancil Awards and the No.1 agency at the Direct Marketing Awards of Malaysia. It also walked off with Gold at the Asian Marketing and Effectiveness Awards.

Said Ng, “I’m stepping into the most exciting episode of my life.”

Busan Ad Stars

Matchbox and Alzheimers NZ get Grand Prixes and US$10K A Grand Prix is always the goal, but one that comes with cash, even grander. That’s what two agencies took home from The 2nd Ad Stars 2009 Busan International Advertising Festival last August in Korea.

The Grand Prix for Products and Services went to Matchbox, “Chase”, “Race”, and “Truck” by Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong. The Grand Prix for Public Service was won by New Zealand’s Colenso BBDO’s “Car” for client Alzheimers New Zealand.

The event also Alzheimers NZ "Car", Colenso BBDO featured the Young Stars Creative Competition, with 85 young students from various educational universities throughout Korea, China and Japan.

In Busan, David Guerrero, BBDO Guerrero/ Proximity Philippines chairman and chief creative officer, headed an “offline” or main panel of 11 international judges.

It deliberated over and winnowed the entries selected by 73 creative leaders worldwide who composed the “online” or preliminary jury.

Drawn by the prospect of paying no entry fees, 38 countries

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Matchbox "Chase", Ogilv y & Mather HK

submitted 3,258 entries, of which 646 were shortlisted. In the end, two Grand Prix winners and 13 Gold, 10 Silver and 23 Bronze Stars were awarded.

Busan Ad Stars is the only international advertising competition that requires no entry fees, thanks to a city subsidy and a healthy roster of sponsors.

TRUTH IN ADVERTISING THE TRICKSTER There’s a carnie preying on the local ad industry, and he’s neither client, creative, producer, planner or suit.

The nightmare starts innocently enough: He offers its feng shui expertise to companies, claiming to have BBDO and DM9 JaymeSyfu among its clients.

Then he sizes the agencies’ friends and colleagues, and like a cancer cell, starts singling out the vulnerable: the expectant mommies, the newbies, the freelancers.

By text, he offers a tarot reading, a blessing or a mystical bracelet. Then he bombards you with peer pressure. “I’ve read for (INSERT HIGH-POWERED SUIT’S NAME).” “(INSERT ECD’S NAME) wears one of my bracelets.” “Ask (INSERT PUBLISHER’S NAME). She knows me very well.”

If you don’t succumb to his wiles, he becomes downright menacing. To one preggy person, he said, “If you don’t let me read for you, your unborn child will be jinxed for life.” Of a TV director, he once texted, “Don’t hire him. He’s unreliable. I can find you a better one.”

Some have run away from him in fear and paranoia. Others chose to pay for his wares, which could cost upwards of PHP2,500, in the hope that he would stop the veiled threats.

As one agency owner and sometime victim said, “Ignore him. He will grow tired of you in three months. One year, tops!”

Well, one year is too much for this garlic rose. So be warned, peeps.

If you see this alleged master of the mystic— about 5’7”, dark-complexioned, of medium build, looking to be in its 40’s (although he claims to be 35), sporting a

really cheap black dye job, slippers and a clutch bag— give him a wide berth.

Don’t respond to his text messages, no matter how harmless he sounds.

If you’re adventurous, you may choose to toy with him, as one producer did. He offered her a feng shui reading.

With a Cheshire-cat smile, she replied, “Sige. Payag ka bang ex-deal?”

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Cannes Report

Japan comes first in Asian creativity Out of nowhere, CumminsNitro creative directors James Burchil and Nancy Hartley

In the debut publication of the Cannes Report, Japan leads the way in Asian creativity, earning sixth place, just behind Brazil, by winning a total of 31 Lions as well as two Grands Prix, in Media and Promo. India is ranked next with 25 Lions, making it the 9th most successful country at Cannes Lions this year.

How Asian agencies perform alongside other agencies from around the world as well as their competitors within the region—with Dentsu Tokyo and JWT Singapore leading the way, just ahead of Ogilvy & Mather, Mumbai and JWT India, Mumbai―are hot entries in the Cannes Report.

Among Asian networks, BBDO tops other Asian networks, ahead of Ogilvy & Mather. Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, Colenso BBDO Auckland and BBDO Proximity Singapore place in the top 20 ranking in Asia-Pacific. BBDO The Top Ten and Ogilvy & Mather are the only two Agencies in Asia: networks with three office ranked in the top 20.

1. CumminsNitro, Brisbane Australia agencies broke Cannes Lions records in 2009, with four of 2. Dentsu, Tokyo the five most awarded Asian agencies at the Festival hailing from the Land 3. Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney Down Under. CumminsNitro won three Grands Prix.

4. Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne BMF Advertising, Saatchi & 5. Leo Burnett Sydney Saatchi Australia and Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and Leo Burnett 6. Saatchi & Saatchi Auckland Sydney also made headlines for wining a number of categories for integrated 7. JWT Singapore work.

Noticeably, only Ogilvy Shanghai 8. Colenso BBDO, Auckland flew the Red banner, being the only agency listed in the top 20 from China.

9. Ogilv y & Mather, Mumbai Thailand, a consistent force in previous 10. BMF, Sydney years, was absent, as was Singapore.

Two key agencies pull out of Malaysia's Kancils added in the same report.

As the Kancils deadline closed last September, A consistent Kancils topnotcher since BBDO/Proximity Malaysia and Saatchi & 2006, BBDO/Proximity Malaysia, reportedly Saatchi Malaysia were noticeably absent. has other bases for the pull-out, but as Ng Dissatisfaction with the jury selection process stated, “Hopefully, we will enter again next year has been, reportedly, behind the boycott of if the system reverts to a merit-based system.”

Malaysia’s premier advertising awards.

Executive creative director Adrian Miller Despite the presence of international of Saatchi & Saatchi Malaysia, jurors Thirasak Tanapatanakul, "Hopefully by Campaign Brief Malaysia Agency Creative Juice’s worldwide coof the Year, said the decision chairman and executive creative next year, we not to join Kancils was due to “a director; Tay Guan Hin, JWT can resolve of opinions with the 4As Singapore ECD and regional our differences difference about how the Kancils should be executive creative director for South East Asia, and Spencer and we can all conducted and run” “That doesn’t make us right. It Wong, McCann Worldgroup Hong move forward." doesn’t make us wrong,” Miller said Kong’s MD and ECD, the two in the same report. “Hopefully by next year, we agencies question the inclusion of a number of can resolve our differences and we can all move local jurors. forward, he added. ” In a recent report from Malaysia’s The 4As president Datuk Vincent Lee stated Star, BBDO/Proximity chief creative officer that even if the selected jury’s agencies were Ronald Ng was quoted saying, “(the agency) not ranked among the top creative houses by is not comfortable with the direction of the Campaign Brief in recent times, they were Kancil Awards this year in terms of the change “real agency creative directors and their from the previous merit-based system of jury agencies have done tremendously well in selection to the current system.” increasing their clients’ business.”

Ng, who was jury chairman last year and For this year’s selection, Kancil Awards is behind BBDO/Proximity Malaysia’s multiChairman S.P. Lee consulted with Ng, Huang awarded Jeep campaign, says the selection Ean Hwa from McCann Worldgroup and Ted system is unclear this year.

Lim from Naga DDB (the jury chairmen of the “To be selected as a juror, a person must be last three years), on jury selection and process. from a top performing agency of the year, not “All the top 15 agencies on Campaign just selected from names being thrown out,” he

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Saatchi Malaysia's Adrian Miller

Brief’s Hottest Malaysian Agencies list were invited, [including] some very senior creatives whose credentials are superb, but have since … been too engaged with managing an agency to have time to think of awards,” Lee added.

Selected by adobo’s editorial board and some of the countr y ’s top creative directors

OCTOBER 2009

Meralco "Hug", "Disco", "Unplugged" TVCs Ad title: Meralco 'DISCO", 'UNPLUGGED', 'HUG' TVCs / Advertiser: Meralco / Agency: Publicis JimenezBasic/ Creative Directors: Don Sevilla III, Noel San Juan / Art Director: Vanessa Tamayo / Producer: Paul Suarez / Accounts: Tats Cruz, Ian Panlilio / Production House: UNITEL / Director: Matthew Rosen Animation Post Production: Underground Logic

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digitalscape Friendster and SMART launch P20 for 24-hour plan

Manila - SMART together with the social media site Friendster launched "Friendster Mobile UNLI P20".

The data plan is available to all SMART Buddy and Smart Gold subscribers in the Philippines with 3G/ HSPA/ HSDPA handsets. Subscribers can access it at smart.m.friendster.com or smart.m.friendster.com from their mobile phone’s web browser.

To remain subscribed to the plan, users must maintain a minimum balance of PhP1 with a charge of PhP20 for each 24-hour period of subscription. The unlimited rate is available via standard mobile browsers only. Users of alternative browsers such as Opera Mini or when users use their phone as a PC modem cannot access the service.

Teens most likely to click Facebook wall posts

US - Though brand response on Facebook started slow, it is finally picking up. Major US brands are now making their presence felt in the social networking site, says a report from Revolution Magazine.

Recent findings of social media startup Virtue showed that the rate of clickthrough wall posts is at 6.69 percent. Teens belonging to the age bracket of 13 to 17 accounts to most clicks with 40 percent, as compared to those aged over 55 with only 2 percent. Between the sexes, it's the females who register higher clicks at 56 percent.

Advertising makes its way into Twitter

London - Twitter changes its terms and conditions allowing advertising into the site. As reported in Brand Republic, revised stipulations include advertisements on the site. Twitter founder Biz Stone writes, “In the terms we leave the door open for advertising. We’d like to keep our options open,” same report states.

Other changes include clarifying the user owns their own content. Stone also said it is working on new guidelines for the use of applications on the site.

The move is the reverse of previous statements issued by Stone. At the Reuters Technology Summit early in the 2nd quarter of 2009, Stone identified corporate accounts to fund Twitter.

From televiewers to online users

QTV and WMN.ph score high with advertisers

A whole lot of clicking going on, and it’s not high heels. Filipino women are online, and have so much to gain for it. And it’s with a little help from QTV. The Philippines’ youngest TV channel and media bigshot GMA Network underling, has discovered a creative way to convert its viewers into online users—and advertisers are raking it in.

In May 2009, WMN.ph, an online portal designed for women was launched. Like many such sites before it, WMN.ph needed its market to start clicking on their mouse and tapping on keys to justify its cyberspace residence. Enter QTV, and “Love to Watch, Love to Bid” was born.

The partnership produced the country’s first promo between TV and online-interactive, as well as pioneered the first cashless, sponsordriven marketing between the two media. The campaign has seen the fluid transformation of QTV viewers from passive audience to wired, interactive participants.

In lieu of cash, viewers began earning points by simply becoming users of WMN.ph.

Going through normal online activity: logging, subscribing to newsletters or referring a friend, posting comments another, clicking on the sponsors’ ads, and joining sponsors’ quizzes earned corresponding points. With two weeks to accumulate a cache (not cash) of points—begging, bribing, bargaining, and even pooling points, allowed and encouraged—users could then bid for the prizes on hand. And these are not your simple oven toaster or electric fan.

QTV programs heavily promoted the partnership with WMN.ph amassing an extravaganza of prizes for auction from QTV’s sponsors: a Disneyland trip for four, a Hong Kong food trip for two, a PhP100,000 shopping spree, a home gym system and an assortment of electronic delights.

Results from the TV-to-online transfer, have defied targets and forecasts. Figures show WMN.ph surpassed its target of two million page views over six months, more than doubling at 4.6 million page views in four months.

Figures show WMN.ph’s registered users: 84 percent females of which 50 percent are 17 to 25 years of age, and 36 percent aged 26 to 35, logically, as QTV’s main target market.

Beyond the happy winners and the market figures, add the ecstatic sponsors milking extensive mileage, the partnership has brought to light two key elements. One, that resident TV viewers do visit online sites, if not taking up residence as well, albeit transient. Another, that the tech-savvy Filipina exists and is a formidable market of its own.

CLONED

Dual Action Blender refreshes Mentos digital

Manila - In the Mentos' digital revamp, Dual Action Blender spins-off from the Perfetti Van Melle bestseller candy's Illusion TVC series in an entirely Philippine made digital campaign that rolls out across in the Asia Pacific region. Eight countries will produce homegrown Mentos digital campaigns, and it's Dual Action Blender for the Philippines.

The website's launch coincides with a nationwide promotion where consumers get to shoot their own illusions, upload them on the site and challenge for a chance to win prizes.

Online activities include showing off illusionist skills by solving the tricks featured on the Mentos TVCs. The site also features face-distorting Warp-o-tron widgets.

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Damon Stapleton Executive Creative Director TBWA\ Hunt Lascaris, Johannesburg

Chris Griffin Family Guy

Droga’s PUMA iPhone app: Of stocks and stripping Droga5 unveiled the Puma iPhone app that features models that strip when the stock market falls.

Called Puma Index, the free app on the iPhone has models go fully-clad when the Dow Jones arrows up, but strip when the Dow Jones heads south. If the stock exchange dips low enough, the models will strip down to their Puma Bodyware, a new line of clothing launched by the sports brand.

Experience “Twilight” in the virtual world Summit Entertainment and Habbo (www.habbo.com), the largest virtual world for teenagers, enters an exclusive, first-time global partnership that extends the Twilight film franchise and brand experience to the online virtual community. The deal gives Habbo the licensing rights to produce virtual furniture and accessories for the Twilight series of films.

In conjunction with the release of “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”, Habbo launches this November a “New Moon”themed virtual space within Habbo’s 31 communities worldwide. Users can decorate their personal rooms with virtual goods from the Twilight series of films, interact with other fans, and create movie-branded rooms and online polls. november-december '09

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ad:tech Tokyo Innovation in the Digital Age

“Japan’s consumers are already digital, but why aren’t Japanese marketers on digital marketing?“ I was surprised to hear this asked by the keynote speaker Josh Bernoff, author of Groundswell and senior VP for Forrester Research, at the first-ever ad:tech in Tokyo held last September 2 and 3 at the Prince Park Tower Hotel.

I always had the impression that majority of Japan’s marketers would already be on digital marketing. So this issue is indeed global, I thought, coming fresh from last week’s IMMAP Summit, where we learned that, on the average, less than one percent of advertising budgets goes to Digital. It was strange to hear this in a conference in the high tech center of the world, where digital should be on a pedestal.

Jonny Shaw, founding partner of Naked Communications boldly challenged the status quo in the panel on the Modern Agency: “Advertising was effective in the past because consumers did not have the same access to information.

So why operate the same way?”

Innovation is about doing things differently for the sake of progress. The changes brought about by digital technology has propelled our consumers to do just that.

The impact of digital technology on consumer behavior could no longer be ignored, and would continuously affect the way consumers interact with brands.

Naoki Murayama, GM of Marketing Division of KDDI reminded the audience, composed of brand managers and agencies, that the key to innovation was to understand

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by Angeli Lambsdorff

the changes brought about by technology, particularly social media.

“We should be more concerned about consumers making their own decisions than the death of traditional media.”

Consumers make their choices, preferring to listen to peers and generating their own content, rather than paying attention to paid brand messages.

In the future, all content will be digital, declared Scott Howe, corporate VP of Microsoft.

“However the explosion of clutter is overwhelming that there is no room to shout any louder.”

In the 1970’s the average consumer saw about 300 ad impressions a week. Five years later, it’s over 3,000 a day. The only way to survive in this new environment is to innovate.

Innovation was the theme of the ad:tech Tokyo, the entire conference meticulously designed to get the ominous message across loudly: innovate or die. While many advertisers and agencies in Japan (surprisingly) still depend on more traditional ways of marketing, those who embrace the new mantra of doing things differently live to tell their stories of risk and reward.

shared by people. CNN was the first to integrate Facebook into their live video coverage, with the Obama inauguration, which received 26.9M live streams with 8,500 FB updates per minute.

Innovation can begin from a simple change in perspective: “When traditionally the starting point is the TV ad, then the print ad and then the website, let’s begin from the reverse: start with the web and make your way to TV,” said Rei Inamoto, chief creative officer of AKQA, and uses the award winning Fiat Eco-Drive idea of which started with a technology solution that responded to a relevant issue of ecoparticipation.

The Tokyo Innovation session featured Japan’s rock star creatives sharing that the starting point of innovation can be combining elements for a surprisingly different outcome, developing the context as well as the story.

If there was something remarkably common among the speakers, it was that their commitment to innovation ties in to their vision. “Declare your dream to be the number 1 in the world. If you are the number 1, how will it be? How will you act?” said Kentaro Katsube, creative management director, Global Marketing and Communication, Fast Retailing Co., Ltd, on Uniqlo’s guiding principles.

As I listened to the Japan’s most successful brands share their experience of innovating through, I learned that the success of their campaigns rests on the people behind them and how they work: They do away with silos to work as one team, and take a holistic approach that is focused on the consumer.

Innovation is about doing things differently for the sake of progress. The changes brought about by digital technology has propelled our consumers to do just that. As brands, we should not innovate for the sake of technology, but rather, we should innovate to grow with our consumers, and digital is a wonderful playground to do just that. If consumers are using technology to improve their lives, to entertain themselves, to connect, the question is, where is your brand going to be?

Innovation does not mean taking down your current model, but by evolving it.

Nick Wrenn, VP of Digital Services CNN, showed how the broadcast giant recognizes the new digital consumer and seamlessly weaves the new channels with their traditional media, making their stories easily

Angeli L ambsdorff is the managing director of DentsuINDIO Philippines.

Top 20 Advertisers (Jan-Sept, 2009)

Top 20 Philippine Advertisers based on advertising expenditure

In Million Pesos based on Ratecard costs source: Nielsen Advertising Information Services

RANK ADVERTISER

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Jan-Sept %Change Y2009 vs. Y2008 17,837 8,943 8,496 8,447 5,122 2,322 2,244 1,870 1,851 1,789 1,752 1,667 1,657 1,654 1,353 1,270 1,258 1,139 935 894 68,515 141,017

Unilever Philippines Procter & Gamble Philippines NestlĂŠ Philippines United Laboratories Colgate-Palmolive Philippines, Inc. Johnson & Johnson Philippines, Inc. The Coca-COla Export Company Mead Johnson Philippines, Inc. Universal Robina Corporation Smart Communications, Inc. Herbs & Nature Corporation Globe Telecom, Inc. Monde Nissin Corporation Wyeth Philippines, Inc. Kraft Foods (Philippines), Inc. Tanduay Distillers, Inc. Del Monte Philippines, Inc. Jollibee Foods Corporation Golden Arches Development Corp.

Manny Villar OTHERS GRAND TOTAL

21% 14% 7% 9% -22% 14% 17% 20% 48% -13% -10% 8% 25% -5% 72% 14% 80% 5% 6% 437% 13% 12%

Top 20 Categories (Jan-Sept, 2009)

Top 20 Philippine Advertisers based on advertising expenditure

In Million Pesos based on Ratecard costs source: Nielsen Advertising Information Services

RANK CATEGORIES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Hair Shampoo/Hairdressing Prod Communication/Telecommunication Government Agencies & Public Utilities Prop. Drugs/Other than Vitamins &Tonics Food Prod/Other Than Biscuits, Bakeshop Detergents & Laundry Preparations Cough & Cold Remedies Powder Milk Skin Care Dentifrices, Mouthwash & Toothbrush Entertainment Vitamins Seasonings, Sauces & Extracts Coffee & Tea Flour, Bakery Prod. & Bakeshops Health & Beauty Soaps Soups & Noodles Schools, Universities & Seminars/Assoc Banks, Finance Co. & Investment Houses DePt. Stores,Marts,Jewelry,Beauty Shops OTHERS GRAND TOTAL

Jan-Sept %Change -3% Y2009 vs. Y2008 -5% 12,669 50% 9,498 10% 7,745 18% 6,682 19% 5,994 17% 5,557 -4% 5,478 32% 5,302 3% 4,704 10% 4,606 -7% 4,529 30% 4,142 5% 3,877 46% 3,301 0% 3,107 12% 2,557 2,469 -7% 2,271 17% 2,101 17% 2,025 12% 42,402 141,017 november-december '09

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mediascape Rogue Magazine launches digital version

Rogue, one of the Manila’s wittiest and most literary men’s magazines, finally took its beta to fruition and declared its official entry into the Digital arena.

Managing Director Katrina Tuason Cruz and Editorin-Chief Jose Mari Ugarte introduced their website, Rogue Magazine Online, which offers features, columns, fashion editorials and photo essays.

In addition, the site contains Rogue|Presents , a video interpretation of the magazine’s articles and live-stream audio that allows fans to see, hear and chat with their favorite rogues (and Rogue models, of course).

Go Transit and LTFRB push transit advertising to global standards

HBO partners with Cignal for pioneer HD service in the Philippines

Time Warner's Home Box Office (HBO) introduces HBO in HD in the Philippines through Cignal Digital TV as service provider in the country.

Cignal is the newest subscriptionbased Direct-To-Home (DTH) satellite television owned by MediaScape. The country's pioneer telecommunications company, PLDT and its Beneficial Trust Fund, own the subsidiaries behind Cignal.

The upgrade is at no additional cost to subscribers. Beyond providing a wide array of Hollywood flicks 24/7, HBO in HD is as an added value offer.

The high-definition service follows HBO Asia’s rebranding of Cinemax to Max to grab male viewer market share.

MYX and Lifestyle Network rebrand ABS-CBN’s cable channels Lifestyle Network and MYX underwent a change of image earlier this year, completing the rebranding that started with Cinema One, Maxxx and Balls in 2008.

Along with new programming, ABS-CBN ordered new looks for its decade-old stable of brands, courtesy of Mad Banana, a motion graphics boutique led by Joseph Frago.

Visit www.madbanana.tv

Starcom’s “Team Yap” wins the Sci-Fi Quiz Night Agency leg

It was a close fight between agencies at the SCI-FI Quiz Night, but in the end, Starcom's "Team Yap" emerged the winner.

Behind by only two points, Mediavest's "Starvest" came in a close second.

Sci-fi knowledge was put to a test, questions varied: from Star Wars to Star Trek, from movies to mythology.

Five thousand pesos plus freebies were awarded to the winner of each of the three rounds. Early in the game, powerhouse "Team Yap" led the scoreboard. The other teams namely ARIVA “Mind Warriors”, MassCom “Battlestars”, and MediaVest “Starvest”, though, proved tough as they all valiantly vied for second place.

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Decades of unsustainable price cutting, illegal and badly presented signs, divisions within the bus and taxi industries, have finally been laid to rest. Thanks to a 12-month campaign waged by The Go Transit Media Group.

The no. 1 regional transit advertising service provider in Australia, Go Transit decided to enter the Philippine market in 2008.

Of the experience, Gary The Go breakthrough Greenaway, Transit Media sees genuine Group marketing director, says, “It and cost took about a year to effective unite the transport companies nationwide of the Land Out-of-Home Transportation campaigns Franchising and Regulatory Board being made (LTFRB).” available for The developments the first time. will enable The Philippine advertising buyer to finally have the same transit advertising opportunities available to the rest of the developed world.

Go Transit assisted with the introduction of nationwide LTFRB-approved standardized advertisement sizing. This paved the way for easy coordinated national buys with just one phone call.

Prior to the entrance of Go Transit in the Philippine market, transit advertising lacked groundwork, providing unprofessional, badly designed advertising outputs. Go Transit promises that will soon change.

Go Transit operates a similar service in the country that includes quality printing and installation, as well as dedicated bus wash teams.

Every service is available immediately across Manila and throughout all provinces.

“Transit advertising needs quality,” states Greenaway. “We got all the buses and we’ve standardized sizes,” he adds.

The standardization initiative is backed up by the full and exclusive contractual support of the Philippine transport operators, responsible for over 20,000 buses and taxis from Aparri to Jolo.

The breakthrough sees genuine and cost effective nationwide Out-of-Home campaigns being made available for the first time. Go Transit advises all media buyers and marketing managers take advantage of the business’s market potential.

As Greenaway advises, “Top agencies should know better. [Right now] they don’t understand how big transit advertising is, and of the power of the medium.”

Sydney is roughly the same size as Metro Manila, with only a quarter of the population.

In Manila, the highest transit campaign ever mounted consisted of 30 buses. Sydney advertising fields 160 buses for one campaign.

Transit advertising is highly regarded and claimed to be the fastest growing media in the world today after digital.

“Any campaign in Australia starts with TV, and traditional outdoor which are transit and billboards. Transit is preferred, and takes in more money,” reveals Greenaway.

Launching in November is PortfolioMNL, a dedicated jobsite for all creative industries in the country. From the technical arts of architecture, interior and industrial designs, the allied arts of curating and exhibitions, photography, fashion and visual merchandising; to software design, advertising, branding

Open.net and ODesk come to mind—nevertheless, PortfolioMNL is progressive, much like the duo behind it, Rina Malonzo and Trina dela Rama.

Malonzo arrives fresh from New York after two decades of advertising and branding projects for DKNY, Starbucks, Microsoft, to Macy’s and Nordstrom. Dela Rama is a writer

Registration and uploading of sample portfolio are free of charge. So are search and access for site visitors.

PortfolioMNL’s revenue comes through a minimal membership fee that enables members to maintain accounts capable of storing entire portfolios and tracking applications and notifications. And with stiff online competition, that’s a premium.

Featuring the essentials like rate cards, bill of rights and responsibilities, as well as a lexicon, PortfolioMNL bridges the divide between artist and entrepreneurs.

The website is extensive, yet easy to navigate.

Moreover, the design elegantly frames creatives’ curricula vitae and portfolios while assuring clients that they’re among professionals.

PortfolioMNL also follows a join>search>click>share process, effectively becoming its own social media. And that, more than anything, tells creative’s and clients alike, “Welcome to the 21st century.”

PortfolioMNL launches creative talent marketplace online

.com and digital arts--the list is endless. Musicians and writers are welcome, too.

The idea of creative jobsearch portal is nothing new—

and graphic designer whose re-branding work for Team Energy Corporation won in the Quill Awards while at Campaigns and Grey.

GLUED TO YOUR MONITOR? visit adobo at

november-december '09

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Surfing through life

with the mobile phone as your remote Remember AMEX’s “Never leave home without it” campaign? Then it was the credit card. Now, the new palm-sized device people cannot live without is the mobile phone.

In a recent Synovate worldwide survey, the mobile phone is described as the remote control to life.

Of over 8,000 polled worldwide, more than 75 percent revealed they do not go anywhere without it. A third stated without their mobile phones, they were immobile, and 70 percent sleep with it. Twenty-five percent prefer to lose their wallets instead.

The mobile is essential to staying in touch with family, and up to 79 percent do it through SMS. A simple “Nothing, jst wntd 2 say hi” does a lot of good in terms of filial exchange. SMS establishes connection, extends emotions, expresses thoughts, bridges distance and acts as surrogates— all fundamental elements of

The Philippines Approximately 60 percent of Mega Manila consumers aged 10-years and up own a mobile phone. That is a huge number, 10.4 million people, in the Metro alone, and the numbers continue to climb.

A large number of Filipinos use mobiles rather than the Internet and computers because in many cases they only have a mobile phone. It explains why it has become an all-around device, especially for personal connection.

meaning relationship. Philippine relationships thrive on one-peso SMS. Eighty percent consider the mobile important to their social life. Seemingly, the mobile has topped eyeball interaction.

Eighty percent admit doing social interplay through SMS. Flirting, dating, extramarital affairs, and yes, breaking up are regular SMS transactions. In many ways, Filipinos are similar to their Malaysian neighbors in conveying negative messages. The Philippines leads in the region with 49 percent preferring SMS to face-to-face confrontations.

Employment is another important component of social interaction. It is the means by which one can afford an active social life — and the latest mobile model that 56 percent of respondents want to have. Seventy-four percent acknowledge the mobile as essential to their job. Mobiles enable employees to work demanding 24-hours/7-days a week.

A major part of any interchange is being in the loop, knowing the latest, cool stuff. Games, camera and music player are in-demand mobile functions. More tech-sav v y than other Asians, 49 percent of Filipinos play games, 40 percent take photos regularly, 29 percent listen to music and 13 percent watch TV on their mobiles. Instead of the alarm clock, Filipinos use their mobile. As punctuality is crucial to relation longevity, breakups due to tardiness may now be blamed on the mobile.

Asia Pacific New Business Scoreboard RANK THIS MONTH

RANK LAST MONTH

AGENCY

RECENT WINS

August 2009

ESTIMATED YTD WIN REVENUE (US$M)

RECENT LOSSES

ESTIMATED OVERALL YTD REVENUE (US$M)

1

1

CARAT

M Pictures Thailand, Far East Group Taiwan, Peninsula Hotels - new project China, KFC Planning Australia

26.1

P&G Philippines

22.8

2

8

OMD

Vodafone Asia Pacific, Hershey China, White Cat China, Henkel India, AmTRAN Technology Taiwan

14.8

Wearnes Automotive Singapore

12.8

3

2

MINDSHARE

Association of Convenience Stores Philippines, Xenos Technologies India, F&N Foods Singapore, 3M Taiwan, Egypt Tourism Authority Japan

14.2

Guangdong Development Bank Chine

12.0

4

3

ZENITHOPTIMEDIA

Rebecca China, Maybank Outdoor Malaysia, Thomas Cook India, APP Group Taiwan, Piaggio Vietnam

20.9

Kose Corporation Taiwan

10.0

5

4

UNIVERSAL MCCANN

COFCO-The Cereal Way China, Wyeth - Prevenar China, Senda China, AIA Singapore, Hanul Education Korea

10.0

Association of Convenience Stores Philippines

9.4

6=

5

PHD

Ferrero Australia, Abbott Philippines, Western Union Philippines, Zuellig Pharma Singapore

10.3

HTC Malaysia

9.4

6=

6

MEC

EDB Singapore, Guitar Hero Australia, HNG India, Google China, TaiSalt Taiwan

9.3

Henkel India

7.4

8

7

MPG

Evian Australia, Camaya Coast Philippines, Kappa China

5.6

Panasonic Indonesia

5.3

9

9

MAXUS

Haw Par Healthcare Singapore, Groupe SEB Singapore, Titan Watches Singapore, Le Conte China

5.9

F&N Foods Singapore

1.9

10

10

VIZUEM

0.3

Yili Dairy China

(0.7)

11

11

INITIATIVE

Hotel Club Singapore, Black Design Singapore, True Color Cosmetics Singapore

3.2

The Nine Network (planning) Australia

(1.8)

12

12

STARCOM MEDIAVEST

Chrysler China, FAW China, Warner Bros Hong Kong, Lemon Squares Philippines, POM Wonderful Korea

4.3

Mars China

(3.8)

13

13

MEDIACOM

P&GNon TV Buying China, P&G Philippines, P&G Fine Fragrances Asia Pacific, SanQuan China, The Kowloon Dairy Hong Kong

7.9

China Unicom

(4.2)

Carat kept top place after an excellent year, but OMD stormed into second off the back of the Vodafone win and other big local wins.

Mindshare and Zenith both dropped back a place, but performed quite well with some local successes.

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.

THE TOP OF 2009 TELEVISION National Urban Areas: 1. ABS-CBN 2. GMA 3. TV5 Mega Manila: 1. GMA 2. ABS-CBN 3. TV5 Based on separate Mega Manila and National Urban TV Audience Measurements of AGB Nielsen and TNS AGB Nielsen: Units: Ratings and Audience Share/Period: January 2009 to August 2009/Audience: All individuals TNS: Units: Ratings and Audience Share/ Period: January 2009 to October 18 2009/ Audience: Household BROADSHEETS National Urban Areas: 1. Philippine Daily Inquirer 2. Manila Bulletin 3. Philippine Star Base: ABCDE 10+, Broadsheet readers yesterday Period covered: Q2 of 2009 Source: The Nielsen Company LOCAL MAGAZINES National Urban Areas: 1. For Him Magazine (FHM) 2. Yes! 3. Maxim Base: ABCDE 10+, Past month local monthly magazine readers Period covered: Q2 of 2009 Source: The Nielsen Company TABLOIDS National Urban Areas: 1. Bulgar 2. Abante 3. Pilipino Star Ngayon Base: ABCDE 10+, Past month tabloid readers Period covered: Q2 of 2009 Source: The Nielsen Company RADIO Mega Manila: FM 1. DZMB Love Radio 2. DWRR Alam Mo Na Yan! 101.9 For life 3. DYES Yes FM AM 1. DZMM Radyo Patrol Sais Trenta 2. DZBB Super Radyo 3. DZRH Kaunaunahan sa Pilipinas Based on Total Week, Mon-Sun 12AM12MN, All People 10+ Radio Audience Measurement Period Covered: Q3 of 2009 Source: The Nielsen Company INTERNET Nationwide: 1. Facebook 2. Yahoo!

3. Friendster Based on monthly rankings Period Covered: October 2009 Source: www.alexa.com NOTE: The list covers measurements of up to Q3 of 2009. Adobo magazine will publish Q4 of 2009 results, once they are released in 2010.

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MAD ABOUT

CELEBRITY ENDORSERS

Celebrity Endorsers Gone astray or here to stay?

W

John Lloyd helped grow the business by 60 hat do celebrities like percent.

Sharon, Kris, Aga, Marian From a creative standpoint, JJ Henson, and Piolo have in comcreative director at Publicis Manila, still mon? Each one seems to believes in the fundamental of advertising— be in every TV spot now. that everything should begin with a solid In a nation as obsessed idea, with or without a celebrity. with celebrities as ours, it is no wonder that “Then you choose the most appropriate celebrities go on national TV and swear endorser.” by the coffee, cereal, pawnshop, shampoo, There are times that clients suggest a soda, telco, cosmetics, seasoning, infant forcelebrity to ensure a higher chance of vismula, pain reliever, toothpaste, panty liner, ibility. When this happens, agencies do their deodorant and detergent they use. best to answer the brief Celebrity endorsement and use a celebrity that fits is proving to be the most Will advertising the idea. potent strategy in Philippine return to side-by“When we have to use marketing today. Market research shows that 8 out side demos or real- a celebrity, we make sure of 10 TV ads with celebrity person testimonials? it will be the best celebrity endorser ad out there,” endorsements scored the assures Belay Santillan, general manager of highest recall. Moreover, in a study done by BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines.

Synergy Business Consultancy this year, 7 There are pitfalls the brand, if not done out of 10 Filipinos purchased a product beright. cause of a celebrity endorser.

Henson says, “Sometimes celebrities Why does it work? According to CBS become the brand, and when something bad News, we currently live in a world of “The happens to the celebrity, the brand suffers.”

New Age of Celebrity Worship”.

There is a danger of using celebrities “It seems people can’t get enough of irresponsibly, not only for the brand but also hearing about the gritty details of celebrifor the industry. ties’ lives. It’s called being ‘star struck’, and “Brands borrow a lot of credibility from it’s a phenomenon that is not only bigger celebrities. And there are instances where than life—it’s bigger than ever.” the celebrities’ expertise does nothing for Even science explains it as hero worthe brand,” warns Albert Cuadrante, marship. “What’s in our DNA, as a social aniketing director of Red Ribbon. mal, is the interest in looking at alpha males Perhaps, misattribution of celebriand females; the ones who are important ties with ads is the biggest pitfall. With in the pack,” says Stuart Fischoff, Ph.D., celebrities endorsing two to four brands, spokesman for the American Psychological sometimes simultaneously, brand recall Association and professor emeritus of media psychology at the California State University. “We are sociologically preprogrammed If we do live in the to ‘follow the leader’.” new age of celebrity Marketers agree that to be effective, celebrity endorsements must be done right. worship, then the future The Synergy study offers pointers. First, of celebrity endorsement there are consumers who are predisposed to looks promising. products endorsed by celebrities. They tend to be females and young adults, versus the plummets. It may not be uncommon for males and the more mature set. Second, it consumers to say, “Hey, did you see that works best in categories like personal care, commercial of celebrity X for that somefood, beverage, clothing and fashion. Last, thing ad?” They recall the celebrity but not endorsers work if they (1) go through rigorthe brand. ous training in their respective fields such as If we do live in the new age of celebrity popular figures in sports or the professionworship, then the future of celebrity enals such as doctors; (2) have certain known dorsement looks promising. Networks like regimen/discipline to earn their keep in ABS-CBN continue to add to their portfolios their respective fields; or (3) are always in of credible endorsers through a rigorous the limelight/media. search for and grooming of the Next Big Perhaps that’s why John Lloyd Cruz Star, according to March Ventosa of ABSworks wonders for Greenwich.

CBN. Francis Flores, marketing director of As an industry, we must ask ourselves, Greenwich, explains, “There should be a fit will we experience celebrity endorsement between your brand, its objectives and the use fatigue? When? On the day it happens, are and choice of the celebrity.” we prepared? Will advertising return to In the Greenwich ads, for example, the side-by-side demos or real-person testimochoice of John Lloyd Cruz was strategic, nials? Or simply back to the good old days, because his image and popularity addressed when a simple, compelling but entertaining the brand’s issues on awareness, credibility idea was all a brand needed? and brand affinity with the target market.

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T

here is a reason celebrity endorsers get paid big bucks. There are consumers who are predisposed towards buying products endorsed by celebrities. But before you sign, seal and deliver that contract with a celebrity, it helps to know that not all products are well-suited to this strategy. OR, more importantly, not all celebrity endorser types are highly credible.

In a recent study conducted by Synergy Business Consultancy, conducted among 1,000 males and females in Metro Manila, , aged 15-60 years, from all socioeconomic classes, close to 7 in 10 purchased a product because of a celebrity endorser. Now, that is potent!

Most popular among those attuned to celebrity endorsers is the personal care category. Around 61 percent (or 41 percent of total) of those who buy into the idea of celebrity endorsement claimed to have bought personal care products. It was noted that this share is much higher than the personal care category’s ad spend share in the first half of 2009 (which was just at 21 percent).

Yet, the buying extent borne by celebrities was so much higher vs. those other categories.

The above doesn't mean that consumers do not buy other product categories endorsed by celebrities. Other than personal care, food, beverage, clothing and fashion, there are others (e.g. Pharmaceuticals) that consumers can see using this approach, to open them to brand messages.

TOP 10 CREDIBLE ENDORSERS

47% MANNY PACQUIAO

34% VICKY BELO

33% RUFFA GUTTIEREZ

22% MEL TIANGCO

21% MELANIE MARQUEZ

20% KORINA SANCHEZ

19% MIKE ENRIQUEZ

20% DR. MANNY CALAYAN 22% JAMES YAP

33% MARIAN RIVER A

Celebrity endorsers through the lens of the consumers

by Germaine A. Reyes

Does economic class matter? Are there differences in openness by age?

Interestingly, females and young adults are more significantly pre-disposed towards purchasing products endorsed by celebrities.

This points to these demographic sets’ inherent need for “modeling” compared to their male counterpart or more mature segments in society.

Deciding which celebrity to use? It’s worth considering three types: (1) those who go through rigorous training in fields such as sports or medicine; (2) those with certain known regimen to earn their keep (e.g., beauty queens, news anchors, models); or (3) a commonly known formula, those who are always in the limelight/media. These are the ones deemed to be highly credible in product endorsements.

Unless it is for specific product types, take care in using politicians and socialites.

Consumers may be wary of politicians’ intent in an ad (i.e., may be construed as exposure for the coming elections). As for socialites, are they using the product to create empathy? Otherwise, their appropriateness is questionable.

On the “who’s who” end, Manny Pacquiao still commands the highest “vote” for most credible endorser. (However, this study did not measure wear-out, so it is uncertain whether yet another endorsement will have the same added THE NIELSEN HALF-YEAR REPORT, TOP 10 PRODUCT SECTIONS PERSONAL CARE 21% FOOD 16% BEVERAGE 12% PHARMACEUTICALS 12% TELECOMS 5% GOVERNMENT 5% MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT 5%

LAST PRODUCT PURCHASED OR SERVICE AVAILED DUE TO A CELEBRIT Y ENDORSER

BEVERAGE 18% PERSONAL CARE 61%

HOME CARE 4%

CLOTHING & FASHION 9% FOOD 21% PHARMACEUTICALS 1%

BASE DESCRIPTION: AMONG THOSE WHO PURCHASED OR AVAILED OF A SERVICE THAT WAS ENDORSED BY A CELEBRIT Y = 665

So if your product category is not mentioned, you can still consider a celebrity endorser, depending on your brand’s marketing and advertising objectives. For example, if you need to create immediate awareness for your brand, because it—or the category—is new in the market. Or if you want to “borrow” his credibility, because his image will link well with the equity that you want for your brand.

In any case, it’s always good to do a post-ad test to measure the strength of your campaign, and your endorser’s effectiveness. Ask yourself: Does he add value? Or did the consumers entirely forget your brand and just remember the celebrity?

Only then will you know who got more out of the endorsement: your brand or your celebrity.

PRODUCTS PERVEIVED AS FIT TO BE ENDORSED BY CELEBRIT Y ENDORSERS

HOME CARE 5%

PERSONAL CARE 95%

RETAIL 4%

BEVER AGE 83%

OTHERS 3%

CLOTHING & FASHION 81%

Source: adobo magazine, Sept-Oct '09

value to a brand as the Pacman’s previous ones.)

When a celebrity’s profession demands a regimen or discipline, there are indications that it can outweigh any controversy surrounding him. Such are the cases of Vicky Belo, Ruffa Gutierrez, James Yap, Korina Sanchez and Dr. Calayan who, despite their high-profile issues, are all in the consumer’s list of top 10 credible endorsers.

Of course, this research is not an end state but a stepping board for more studies on celebrity endorser effects.

PHARMACEUTICALS 58% FOOD 31% HOME CARE 14% UTILITIES/INFRASTRUCTURES 3% BABY PRODUCTS 3% GADGETS/TOYS 3% PRINT MATERIALS 3% BASE DESCRIPTION: TOTAL INTERVIEWS=1,000

Germaine Reyes is managing director of Synergy Business Consultancy, celebrating its 10th year. www.synergy.ph november-december '09

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the bigger picture

In the Beginning was the Logo...

by Cid Reyes

W

ho would ever have thought that a subject as seemingly mundane and matter-of-fact to advertising and marketing people, such as the logo, could have been the topic of scholarly discourse between two learned men?

Let us eavesdrop then on Rudolf Arnheim, author of Visual Thinking, and Paul Rand, the grand seigneur of American graphic design.

Arnheim: If you make a logo for a bank, you want to say the bank is solid, it is not given to temporary changes, it is open to its customers, and so on. That is all part of the so-called aesthetics.

You ask: What is the image my client wants?

How does he want his product to be seen? And then you are asking yourself, how can I give this a material form, a visible form?

Rand: In my work, I have experienced that the client never knows what he wants. For example, six months ago I did a logo for American Express. They told me they were going to have other studios also do the logo, and that they would then survey focus groups to see if the public likes or dislikes them. I don’t believe this method works. It’s impossible…

They liked my logo better than anybody else’s, but once they tested it, they didn’t think it was sufficiently different to warrant the expense of redoing it. It would have cost billions of dollars to change everything. So it died, but I think that was wrong.

Arnheim: All you can do is your best and say: here it is, take it or leave it.

Rand:…The problem is that you and I are people who try to be logical, reasonable, but the world is not reasonable…You spoke earlier about the logic of logos. Logos are not logical; logos are emotional. Few people understand that a logo is essentially an identifier but rarely an illustration of a corporate enterprise. In the long run, a well-designed logo will not necessarily rescue a downtrodden business nor will a logo that is badly designed necessarily bankrupt…A beautifully designed logo, however, is infinitely more useful, practical, valuable, economical, and memorable than one that is poorly designed.

Anheim: I am looking at a logo which you have made, and I say this is a beautiful thing.

I don’t mean that it is going to go over, that it is going to be successful and all that…What I care about, what I want to go after, is what you called aesthetics.

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Renowned branding specialist Lance Wyman's logo portfolio (lancewyman.com)

Derived from the Greek word logos, meaning word or thought, the logogram stands for a letter, symbol or sign used to represent an entire word. Thus, the logotype—in popular currency, simply logo—is an identifying statement.

Logo Design 101, then, is what we have prepared in this (mock/serious) elective workshop, as gleaned from the writings of a select group of professors and leader in the design industry.

Logo History

This has been true since before the Middle Ages, when craftsmen and merchants hang out shingles with pictures depicting their wares…

Certain symbols took on broad meanings; a barrel hanging over the door designated the shop as a winery and the hammer and anvil where they could acquire the carpentry they needed. These early village logos are the ancestors of logo design. (Shelly McRae)

A great logo can make or break a business.

Criteria for Logo Design

Who is the intended audience? (It is important to note that your personal tastes are not

necessarily what will attract potential clients.)

What sort of image you want your company to portray? Evaluate the competition. Do a competitor analysis to establish your unique selling point and find a visual means to stand out from the crowd. (Leanne Barnard) The Importance of a Good Logo Design

A great logo can make or break a business. Little kids as young as the age of one recognize McDonalds when you drive past it, not because they read the sign, but because they remember the logo. (Alexander Evdakov)

The Visual Solution

A good logo: Must attract attention—be bold and demand its viewers to pay attention. Must have longevity. Try not to focus the logo on current fashion trends that could easily become outdated. Opt rather for a more classic approach that could stand the test of time. E.g. Nike, Coca-

EVENTS CALENDAR Asia Pacific PR Awards November 11, 2009 China Club Central, Hong Kong Tel: +852 3175 1912

Media Agency of the Year 2009 December 09, 2009 Singapore Tel: +65 6579 0538

K apisanan ng mga Brodk asters ng Pilipinas 35th Top Level Management Conference Golden Dove Awards Presentation November 13, 2009 Taal Vista Hotel, Tagaytay www.kbp.org.ph

2010

Digital Media Awards November 16, 2009 Beijing, China Tel: +65 6579 0538 London International Advertising Awards Awards Night : November 16, 2009 Troxy, London www.liaawards.com

D& AD Awards Deadline for Entries: January 27, 2010 Student D& AD Submission from January to March 19, 2010 www.dandad.org AdSpeak ‘09 February 2010 Collegio de San Juan de Letran Tel: +63 2 527 7694 Loc 64 adobo magazine 4 th Anniversary February 2010 Tel: +63 2 845 0218 www.adobomagazine.com

The Fookien Times The Philippine Yearbook Book Launch November 18, 2009 21st Philippine Advertising Congress

Creative Guild of the Philippines Kidl at Awards March 2010 Boracay, Aklan – Philippines email : 4asp@skyinet.net www.4as.ph

21st Philippine Advertising Congress Perspectives: Ano sa Tingin Mo? November 18-21, 2009 www.adcon.com.ph

Asia Pacific Advertising Festival (ADFEST) March 2010 www.adfest.com

Through repeated interaction the logo becomes a form of visual shorthand—a symbol which in turn comes to represent values, experiences and instills trust.

Cola. Must be simple—the communication should be clear and uncluttered. Try to limit your colors to two or three rather than create a visual overload. Must work as a unit—the image and text should form visual synergy and should not appear to be two separate entities.

Must be pleasing to the eye. Should be unique.

Memorable. Captures your target audience and accurately represents your business’ character.

Is technically sound. Should be scalable. In other words, it should work on a small format.

E.g. your letterhead as well as a large format, your building’s signage. Should also translate well into black and white for the purposes of photocopies and faxes.

It can therefore be deduced that a logo has the power to influence the perceptions of

your target audience even if they are false. It is important to note that a well-designed logo needs to be backed up with a strong business practice. Through repeated interaction the logo becomes a form of visual shorthand—a symbol which in turn comes to represent values, experiences and instills trust. (Leanne Barnard) Analysis of Famous Logos

McDonalds, Apple Inc. IBM. Volkswagen.

Playboy, with its “bunny” logo. MTV. Google.

FedEx. The Nike “Swoosh”. Adidas “Three Stripes.”

Discuss distinctive Philippine logos: SM? Mercury Drug? Natural Bookstore!

Jollibee? BDO? DPC Yellow Pages? Selecta?

(Your ECD) CID REYES is an artist, writer, art critic, book publisher and creative consultant. november-december '09

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logic and magic

Doing what is right

I

by Bong Osorio

n the spirit of recommitment to selflessness and community service coming from the typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng experience, individuals and businesses are equally urged to renew their dedication to doing what is right.

On a personal basis, it is called moral uprightness. In a corporate setting it is labeled as social responsibility manifested in the kind of advocacy we choose.

The motivation underlying a pure advocacy or good corporate citizenship must be transformed from anger and despair about a depressing state, to compassion and love for the afflicted that can provide a platform for change and development. This is not to deny the legitimacy of noble anger or courage or injustice of any kind. Rather, we seek to work for the love of our countrymen instead of against the evil people or institutions that bring forth the malady and malaise of any kind.

In reality, doing the right thing can demand enormous sacrifice. When we feel tempted to avoid all squabbles that can come along with doing what we know we should do, just believe that things do have a tendency to balance themselves out.

If we turn our backs on opportunities to make things go right for our families, friends, or even strangers, don’t be surprised, if, somewhere down the road, people we meet take the same easy road rather than help us out of the rut.

In a business context, it means not only avoiding monstrous wickedness; it is actively doing what is ethical and admirable. Since business corporations and conglomerates comprise half of the world’s largest economies, they have as much potential to improve or destroy lives, as do wars. Many socially responsible companies, however, realize that they should put some idealism back and become a force for positive change.

“Be the change that you want to see in the world,” Gandhi admonished.

That simple teaching has philosophical overtones. If we want a loving, compassionate milieu, then we must become loving and compassionate ourselves. We should make doing the right thing a way of life. Here are some valuable insights on how businesses and individuals can do it.

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If we want a loving, compassionate milieu, then we must become loving and compassionate ourselves. We should make doing the right thing a way of life.

Value Intangible Rewards. Bestow good fortune on others not for recognition or gain but for the welfare of those we have helped.

Expecting rewards or praise whenever we extend a hand to pull those who are in the dark into the light should be far from our mind. The value of intangible awards we receive for doing what is good is more valuable than the tangibles. A company or a person can’t take a trophy to its graves, but corporate or personal reputation and a good deed performed will continue to live long after its existence.

Protect our moral integrity. If we can help it, don’t turn away an opportunity to do good. Let’s do it, not just to win the respect of others, but more important, to gain our own self-respect.

Avoid a false sense of altruism. Selfless service is a myth, because in serving others, we also serve ourselves. This is important to recognize so we don’t fall into the trap of pretentious service to others’ needs and develop a faulty impression of generosity.

Emphasize trustworthiness in our everyday activities. Engender the trust of our publics and fellowmen when making decisions in our everyday life. For when we trust others, they will trust us in return.

Don’t cut off from the misery of others. We must allow our hearts to be broken open. As we let the pain in, we become a vehicle for transformation, and if we block the anguish, we prevent our own participation in the country’s attempt to heal itself.

Set a good precedent. When we do the right thing, we inspire others to do the same.

And if people see us doing the right thing, they will feel inspired to do likewise. The influence of our actions can tremendously impact on the behavior of those around us.

And as we work together we must move from an “us-them” consciousness to a “we” mindset.

A good deed is directed at a specific community, rather than for us. We serve for the benefit of others, and not for our own satisfaction and glorification. We are sowing seeds for a cherished vision to become a future reality, and our fulfillment comes from the privilege of being able to do this work.

BONG OSORIO is an active marketing communications practitioner, a multiawarded educator and writer rolled into one. He currently heads the Corporate Communication Division of ABS-CBN, and is a professor at the University of Santo Tomas, as well as a columnist in the Philippine Star.

albumreview

Johnny Alegre 3 A review by

Mikah Azurin

I

t’s always been easy to predict who’s playing on any locally released jazz album. It’s a small pond.

A few of the big fish will always be in there. Drop a few names and you’ll have identified half the lineup.

The album, Johnny Alegre 3, obviously has Johnny Alegre on it, yes.

That’s one down. But in a move from far, far out of left field, Alegre went into a New York studio last year to lay down some tracks with US jazz veterans Ron McClure and Billy Hart. The result is arguably his most mature work to date.

You might not be familiar with some of those names.

To be honest, neither was I. I’d been guilty of thinking of Ron McClure as “the bassist of Blood, Sweat & Tears,” in the way I suppose some people would associate Branford Marsalis with Sting.

In order that I would have a clear head, I gave the album a first listen before doing my homework. The

first track is a hummable, flowing melody with an unnoticeably uneven structure underneath.

McClure takes a solo on this tune that took all my preconceptions apart.

A few tunes and googles later, I’d found in his resume such names as “Jarrett”, “De Johnette”, “Abercrombie” and “Konitz”. Lesson learned.

On the other hand, if you’ve caught a few of Alegre’s gigs around Manila over the past couple of years, you’ll be familiar with many of these songs; they’ve been on rotation in his playlist for quite a while. On this album, the structures are the same but everything draped around them is totally different. You think of his various groups as incendiary and loud; this one is clean spring water at a quiet boil. There’s a lot of space in Alegre’s compositions for him to take them in many directions, and in this one, his introspective side is out front. It isn’t last year’s Johnny Alegre, and this is a good thing.

Mister Alegre has played with some nuclear furnace drummers over the years and likes a busy rumble of sound to complement his guitar work.

Billy Hart does not oblige him. His quiet, wide open playing here is a miracle of subtlety. It’s not boring drumming, it’s massive; there are hair-raising moments each time Hart steps forward (“Ant/Man” comes to mind).

But nothing is complicated; for a long stretch on “Offering” there’s just a three-note pattern played with the feet, something you might do as a young drummer learning to waltz for the first time. But it’s perfect, really. Only masters can pull off the easy sh*t. The rest of us complicate things.

It’s not a long album but it’s densely packed with substance. There are nine tracks, excellently recorded and produced, all modernsounding jazz with a bit of the blues mixed in. “Wildflower” and the aforementioned “Offering” and “Ant/Man” are the standouts, but Alegre, McClure and Hart all play beautifully on every track.

The thing is, this is grown folks’ music. It’s very easy to like but you’ll like it so much more if you’ve been listening to music, and to this album, for a while. There are a lot of very nice elements in there that won’t be calling much attention to themselves. You’ll need to do the work. It’s a cliché to say that there will be many delayed bursts of discovery as you give this album it’s second, third, fourth and nth listens, but it’s true Mik ah Azurin plays the drums for the live drum and bass act, Helen, whose debut album, “ We Specialize in Cages”, was released in October 2009.

He plays sex y drama metal with the grown folks of the underground metal scene, Brimstone in Fire. He does some jazz sessions. And he does websites if he isn’t too exhausted after all that. mazurin@gmail.com november-december '09

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BANG FOR THE BUCK

Tourism Queensland "The Best Job in the World" CumminsNitro, Australia The Challenge

Reportedly fearing a drop of about a quarter of a million visitors, Queensland, Australia’s golden sunshine state, wanted to generate interest in The Great Barrier Reef and to introduce the islands that were “beautiful one day, perfect the next."

a three-bedroom beach villa with a swimming pool and golf-cart, and wages worth 150-thousand Australian dollars, or a whopping US$110,000.

With the location and benefits not an over-claim and definitely a major come-on, the best part yet: The job was open to anybody.

The Strategy

Forget conventional tourism campaigns. Focus on consumer engagement, by pulling a stunt that everyone would chat, tweet and blog about. And oh, reallocate a portion of the advertising budget to the payroll of one lucky person.

Create a job too good to be true.

From a global tourism drive, to job recruitment. Tourism Queensland would seek, worldwide, the best person, for “The Best Job in the World.”

Compensation: a contract to stay at Hamilton Island for six-months,

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including MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. With online votes deciding the finalists, consumer engagement was a major success.

In the course of the campaign, the recruitment drive took a notch up by introducing a Wildcard feature, where inadvertently, The Best Job in the World became its own global reality online show.

Results

The Idea

Responsibilities: “to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel, make friends with the locals and generally enjoy the tropical Queensland climate and lifestyle.”

Then applicants made and uploaded videos explaining why they were the best candidates for the job. User-generated content spread; the campaign developed and became strongly interactive.

The surprisingly entertaining videos—including a Broadwayesque production number—made www.islandreefjob.com a staple across all social media sites:

The Execution

To apply for The Best Job in the World, job seekers went to www. islandreefjob.com, a recruitment hub that included internet job sites, classifieds online, small display ads and ultimately word-of-mouth, forums and blogs. The website itself was immense: images of sun, sea, sand in golden splendor.

•

Tourism Queensland spent around Au$1million, but it spawned BBC documentaries, CNN coverage, and a Time magazine feature. Media return estimated at Au$332million.

•

Media coverage audience reached estimated at three billion. The website registered nearly 8.02 million visits, with 6.8 million plus unique monthly visitors. Total page views at 53.8 million; 450 thousand votes were generated for the Wildcard applicant.

•

Statistically, at least one person per country in the world applied for the job; 34,684 one-minute-video job applications received from around 200 countries.

•

The campaign ranked 8th on the international list for the world’s Top 50 PR Stunts of all time by international public relations company Taylor Herring.

•

Tourism Queensland has reportedly received heightened interested from global travel companies, as well as from airlines looking to establish new routes serving the sunshine state.

Case Studies of Effective Creativity CumminsNitro on the best account in the world

“It was the best of three ideas, and the client was sold on it in two sentences.”

That’s how James Burchill and Nancy Hartley, CumminsNitro creative directors, describe the inception of “The Best Job in the World” campaign to adobo magazine.

Due to government policy, the idea still had to be pitched, and the agency had to protect the idea. Despite the promise of a luxurious calendar year to implement the campaign, CumminsNitro had less than a month to make its presentation. In retrospect, the presentation is not unlike looking into a crystal ball.

The fantastic idea still had the agency on edge. Will take off? Or fizzle? Would it motivate people to engage? Hartley was apprehensive.

“Visitors formed fan-following. Global tribalism got behind their compatriot applicant, who became celebrities in their own markets,” remarked Burchill.

For six months, the campaign made regular news. Everyone, everywhere—the campaign changed people’s lives.

“Even cynics got engaged by blogging to discredit it,” he added.

Of the overwhelming returns of the campaign, Burchill says, “Advertising has changed the landscape of advertising around the world, putting the emphasis back on idea, and not just execution.”

That the job on offer was not some dodgy trick was something people believed. The agency itself had nothing to do with the choice of applicant and eventual winner.

“People took on the power of new media … and interacted with the brand,” states Hartley.

A product of concerted agency effort, and easy partnership with client Queensland Tourism, the agency hit a jackpot. With the campaign’s massive success, CumminsNitro might just be holding the best job in the world.

The Best Job in the World: Cyber Grand Prix for Tourism Queensland

The Awards 2009 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival Cyber Lion Grand Prix PR Lion Grand Prix Direct Lion Grand Prix 2 PR Lions 3 Golds, Direct and Media Lions 2009 New York Festivals Grand Trophy, Digital and Interactive 3 Gold World Medals, Avant-Garde, Mixed Media & Interactive 2009 One Show Best in Show 1 Gold and 1 Silver Pencil

2009 Clio Awards Gold – Travel / Tourism 2009 MIXX Awards Best in Show 4 Golds IAB Australia Awards Best in Show Advertising Federation of Australia EFFIE Awards 3 Gold Awards 1 Silver Award

Credits Creative Director: Nancy Hartley, James Burchill / Art Director: Ralph Barnett, Cristian Staal / Copywriter: Merrin Mccormick / National Strategy/Planning Director: Darren Mccoll / Account Director: Anne-Maree Wilson, Edwina Gilmour / Senior Digital Producer: Jason Kibsgaard / Account Director: Adam For / Senior Digital Producer: Matt Farrugia / Head Of Technology: Horia Traian / Senior Developers: Glen Peterson, Anton Ward november-december '09

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Ambush I really like logos that have a historic and regal feel to it, and the escudo of the country’s largest corporation fits my idea of a timeless and monolithic logo, unchanging yet still charming.

Kulas Abrenilla DentsuINDIO

The greatest logo of them all has to be the Olympic logo.

Noel Lorenzana SAFI

Because everyone loves pandas.

And they’re the only major organization who made another major organization (W WE prowrestling) change its brand name.

Ryder Aquino DenstuINDIO

In its simplicity, it is a complete picture.

Aside from being delightful to look at, the abstracted “propeller and sky” tells the history of the company. In sum, the graphic elegance of their logo speaks of German precision and efficiency that we have come to appreciate in their cars.

Wawi Navarozza photographer extraordinaire

It is a grabber visually and orally.

It revolutionized laundering clothes way back in the 50’s. A dominant leader from day one and my first big assignment as a cub. Tide is fanatic on product improvement and advertising. Big budget annually. Tide is immortal.

Minyong Ordoñez Publicis Philippines

Logo Loco More than recall, what logo gets your respect?

It embodies all the qualities of its humanitarian cause. It is classic, universal symbol, understood and emotionally felt by all.

Cid Reyes artist, writer, art critic, book publisher and creative consultant

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The swastika. Great powerful design. Anyone can draw it. Looks good anywhere. Victoria Court”s logo is another favorite. The shhh lady.

Ompong Remigio Campaigns & Grey

I know it’s not the prettiest logo of the bunch, but I am a devotee of Vibram and its Five Fingers barefoot running “shoe.” I can pretty much say I’ll buy any product they produce (cashflow willing, of course).

A bit of trivia on Vibram: one would think it’s some high-tech chemical compound, but they actually took the founder’s name, Vitale Bramini, and shortened it. How’s that for branding?

Jason Drilon Ogilv y & Mather, Manila

The arrow is smart and in front of your face Isa Lorenzo artist, Silverlens Gallery owner

I wouldn’t say there is any logo I actually “revere”. I dig adidas, I dig apple, sure. But revere? I guess the closest thing would be the “dolphin safe” logo that I always look for when buying tinned products like tuna.

Dolphins are the most amazing animals on earth. I’ve surfed and swam with them on a number of occasions and I’ve been mesmerized by every encounter.

John Merrifield TBWA\ Asia-Pacific

Because no other brand has a following so committed that thousands of people would permanently ink its logo under several layers of their skin for all to see, forever.

Joel Clement Saatchi & Saatchi Asia

november-december '09

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outdoor media advertising design studio 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

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CREATIVE REVIEW

by Ronald Ng Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Malaysia / Proximity Malaysia

The Manila ad industry fascinates me. I had the privilege of visiting last year and found everyone so full of life. You guys are a happy bunch. And out of this spirit comes some really interesting work. My favourites this year include the U.P Alumni Association ‘Riles’ TVC and Pizza Hut ‘Bike Clock’. I wish we did more work that looked more ‘Malaysian’. Good job, everyone!

Ronald Ng graduated with a degree in Journalism sometime in the mid-1990s. After a decade in the business, he took on the role of Creative Head at BBDO/Proximity Malaysia.

The agency has since produced a pretty decent portfolio of work across multiple disciplines, resulting in honors at the Kancil Awards, MC2 Awards, AdFest, John Caples International Awards, Spikes, the Clio Awards, the ECHO Awards, D&AD, DM-Asia, The One Show, AWARD, the ANDY Awards, Cannes Lions and the Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards.

In 2008, BBDO/Proximity Malaysia won a Gold at Cannes Lions and was the most awarded agency at both the Malaysian Kancil Awards and the Direct Marketing Association Awards. The Won Report ranked the agency number 13 in the world, and at AdFest 2009, it achieved a rare double Grand Prix win.

Ronald sits on the BBDO Asia Creative Council, has judged at New York Festivals and AdFest, and was jury chairman at Indonesia’s Citra Pariwara Awards and last year’s Kancil Awards. All in all, his proudest achievements are his sons, Jonah and Noah—great ideas, beautifully produced.

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november-december '09

I like this campaign most. It’s an interesting way to approach a tough brief.

Best of all, it’s a relevant cross-platform idea. I wish I could’ve watched some of the episodes—I’m sure they must’ve hit the spot. Nice one, folks!

Yabang Pinoy Mark Peckson Project Ace Saatchi & Saatchi

Nice and simple art direction. Ads for art museums are always difficult, so I’m going to give this one a thumbs up.

Vargas Museum "Amorsolo Harvest", "Amorsolo Laundry Woman" Poster Campaign JWT Manila

Maybe if the scenes were more surprising or wacky, this would’ve been a more entertaining campaign. Even though the ‘cheesy’ approach has also been done before.

Greenwich Pizza "Car", "Fan", "Holding Hands" TVCs Publicis JimenezBasic november-december '09

97

CREATIVEREVIEW

Ronald Ng, Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Malaysia / Proximity Malaysia

Hahaha. Holy cow! I love cows with wings... I hope they taste good, too..

Tokyo Tokyo "Cowaii" TVC Campaigns & Grey

Interesting execution for an important message. Very cool. But I would’ve made the subjects crossing the roads more subtle.

Nokia "Push Cart", "Schoolboy", Print ad JWT Manila

Pretty confusing this one. It’s an ad for a scanner, but it shows a guy and his laptop. The message being pushed is ‘compact-sized scanner that’s suitable for smaller offices’ – I think. And the payoff line doesn’t have anything to do with the headline. And then I moved on to the next ad.

Cannon Scanners "Cramped" Print ad DentsuINDIO

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november-december '09

CREATIVEREVIEW

Ronald Ng, Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Malaysia / Proximity Malaysia

Interesting and simple approach. I like it mostly because it doesn’t look like a paint ad.

Nviro Eco-safe paints "Bird", "Flower" Leo Burnett Manila

The idea of women spending more time on accessories over their personal health (breast checks) has been done many times over. The half naked women were alright, but there is real potential for a more powerful approach, especially with this brief.

Woman Today Asia Breast Cancer "Luxury of life" Print campaign Bates141 Manila november-december '09

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SINGAPORE

16-18 SEPT

SPIKES ASIA

20 09

I

n a bid to be the biggest advertising event in Asia, Spikes Awards expanded into Spikes Asia, the 1st Asian Advertising Festival.

For three days in September, over 800 delegates listened to 66 speakers and panelists at the Suntec Convention Center in Singapore. A jury led by David Droga of Droga5 awarded more than 250 pieces of Asian work across 11 different categories. From the looks of things, the Spikes Asia organizers, Haymarket and Cannes Lions, were triumphant.

With Spikes Asia in Singapore, it became more accessible for the region’s advertising communities, even in an economic downturn.

Hundreds of Asian advertisers and agency people finally got an experience comparable to the Cannes International Advertising Festival. Finalists exhibits and interactive kiosks; a trade exhibit of the latest media, digital and production technology; workshops, seminars and debates featuring the most respected minds in the business; a young creatives shootout; nightly parties and networking events—it was all there.

Big cats of Spikes Asia: Terry Savage and Philip Thomas

Spikes Asia, Supersized The new Tiger of Asian award shows Even the Spikes Asia Awards was reformatted after the Cannes Lions.

With more categories, there were more winners honored. The Outdoor category was the strongest with a total of 51 winners, followed by Digital with 36. There were 35 in TV/Cinema, 34 trophies were awarded in Print, 29 in the Direct and Sales Promotion category, 20 in Design, 16 Media awards, 12 Print Craft winners, nine TV/Cinema Craft trophies and eight Radio winners. On top of this, eight Jade Spikes were given in the Integrated category.

Once the network tally is done, however, the similarities between Spikes Asia and Cannes Lions end. In France, BBDO and DDB rule the Lions. In Spikes Asia, JWT and Ogilvy & Mather were the biggest winners.

JWT and Japan lead the New Order JWT was named Network of the Year, having taken home three of the Grand Prixes. Its Mumbai office won in both the Integrated and Direct/ Sales Promotions categories for Times of India’s “Teach India” campaign.

JWT Shanghai also won in the Craft – Print category for its “Shan shui” work for CEPF. That campaign also won a Gold Spike in Craft – TV. Its Singapore team took home the Grand Prix for a cinema takeover campaign for SilkAir. With over 24 winning entries, Ogilvy & Mather Bangkok became the Agency of the Year, while the inaugural Media Agency of the Year trophy was awarded to OMD Hong Kong.

The winners of the Young Creatives competition were the team from Leo Burnett / Arc Worldwide Singapore picking up the Gold medal for their work for Mercy Relief. (The Philippines, represented by Ryder Aquino and Kulas Abrenilla of DentsuINDIO, was awarded the Bronze medal.)

As expected, Japan dominated the Digital category and by the end of the night, led in the overall metal tally as well. China and India followed closely, as did Singapore.

SPIKES WINNERS BY COUNTRY COUNTRY

GRAND PRIX

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

TOTAL

JAPAN

2

10

14

17

43

INDIA

2

4

12

17

35

SINGAPORE

1

11

4

18

34

MALAYSIA

1

5

10

9

25

THAILAND

1

5

6

12

24

HONG KONG

1

3

6

6

16

CHINA

7

8

22

37

PHILIPPINES

1

6

9

16

INDONESIA

1

3

4

KOREA

1

3

4

TAIWAN

1

1

VIETNAM

1

1

TOTAL

8

46

70

116

Note: These tallies do not include Craft awards.

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240

Thailand, the former frontrunner at award shows, found itself almost in the middle of the pack, and trailing Malaysia at that.

The Philippines achieves a personal best The Philippines itself did well, beating its old Spikes record several times over. Morever, with 16 Spikes to its credit, it finally put a serious distance between itself and its neighbors Indonesia and Vietnam.

Throughout the festival, the country established a good presence. Its two most prominent creative leaders, David Guerrero of BBDO Guerrero/ Proximity Philippines and Melvin Mangada of TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno, took their place in the stellar jury. A sizeable delegation of 13 also flew into Singapore.

Adobo magazine itself was involved in the event. Aside from being an official media partner and being an official publication of Spikes Asia, Editor-in-chief Angel Guerrero moderated the Meet the Press panel on Digital Creativity. It’s a role she’ll continue to play in the succeeding Spikes Asia festivals.

Overall, it was a satisfying conclusion for the first supersized Spikes.

From here on, Spikes Asia will be the Asian festival to anticipate, to aspire for, and to beat.

TOP 3 NETWORKS NETWORK

GRAND PRIX

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

TOTAL

JWT

3

10

8

9

30

OGILVY & MATHER

1

6

13

11

31

BBDO

1

5

5

8

19

TOTAL

5

21

26

28

80

SPIKES ASIA 2009

The Philippines brings home 16 Spikes TBWA\SMP’s “Riles” TVC wins Gold

In its best performance in recent years, the Philippines won one Gold, six Silver and nine Bronze Spikes in the major categories and two Silver Spikes in the Print Craft Category. The awards were announced on the last night of the Spikes Asia, September 18, at the Victoria Theatre in Singapore.

TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno won a Gold Spike for its “Riles” TVC, a public service ad for the UP Alumni Association. Its liquid flowers “Hibiscus”, “Lily” and “Violet “ for Boysen Paints also won a Silver Spike in Print campaigns and a Bronze Spike in Design.

In the Print Craft categories, the same Boysen idea also merited TBWA\SMP a Silver Spike in Best Art Direction and another Silver Spike in Best Use of Photography for ADPHOTO. Chief Creative Officer Melvin Mangada accepted the award, one of the few Gold winners—and the only one among the Philippine awardees—to go up stage.

Nevertheless, it was a proud moment for every Filipino in the theatre.

BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines brought home four Silver Spikes for its Integrated campaign and outdoor ad, both entitled “Time Clock”, and radio “Time Check” for Pizza Hut and FEDEX “Mud” billboard in Outdoor.

Lowe won a Silver Spike for its Viva Video City poster, entitled “Joint”.

DDB DM9 JaymeSyfu was awarded two Bronze Spikes for its two Radio entries: Coppertone “Speed” and Pro-life Philippines “Awake”.

DDB Philippines won a Bronze Spike for its McDonald’s “Clock” in Outdoor.

David Droga awards the country's first Gold Spike to (L-R) TBWA's Manuel Villafania, Marci Reyes and Melvin Mangada

The delegation pauses/poses briefly before running off to different seminars.

PHILIPPINE WINNERS BY AGENCY AGENCY TBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

1

1

1

BBDO GUERRERO / PROXIMITY PHILIPPINES

4

LOWE PHILIPPINES

1

DDB DM9 JAYMESYFU

2

DDB PHILIPPINES

1

JWT MANILA

1

LEO BURNETT

1

OGILVY & MATHER MANILA

1

Y&R PHILIPPINES

1

UNIVERSAL MCCANN

1

TOTAL Note: This tally does not include Craft awards.

JWT’s radio campaign for Nokia Philippines "Dominican Nun”, “Lady in Stillletto” and “Kid on a Skateboard” netted a Bronze Spike.

Leo Burnett’s “Earth Hour” candle merited a Bronze Spike in Direct & Sales Promotion.

Ogilvy & Mather took home a Bronze Spike for its Ponds Clear Solution “Siren” in Outdoor.

Universal McCann won again for the J&J “Botelya” campaign in Media.

Y&R was awarded a Bronze Spike for its “Manikako” Integrated campaign.

Earlier that day, the country also won a Bronze in the Young Spikes competition.

Ironically, the Philippine delegation left the theatre without a clear idea of how many awards it had won. The Bronze and Silver winners were announced only with mute slides, and flashed at a such a speed no one could discern who won and for what, until well after the afterparty.

This year, the Philippines entered a total of 175 ads in the Spikes Asia competition, down 20 from last year’s 195.

Out of that total, 36 ads were shortlisted, although 13 were entered as components of campaigns. (In the light of the Philippines’ performance in Spikes and other award shows, this was astounding, but it helps to remember that Japan had 31 shortlisted entries in the Digital category alone.)

Astounded or not, the country’s representatives, composed of 13 delegates and two jurors, celebrated at the Spikes Asia afterparty at Indochine.

1

6

9

GRAND PRIX WINNERS

Grand Prix, TV/Cinema "The Melody of Life" Thai Life Insur ance Ogilv y & Mather Bangkok Thailand

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Grand Prix, Print Campaign "Bushman & Eskimo", "Husk y & Camel", "Mountain Goat & Crocodile" Jeep BBDO / Proximit y Mal aysia

november-december '09

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GRAND PRIX WINNERS

Grand Prix, Outdoor Heattech "Human Vending Machine" UNIQLO Dentsu Tok yo

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SPIKES ASIA 2009

Grand Prix, Digital " Wish I COuld Be True to Myself" SONY Music Entertainment Robot Communications Tok yo Japan

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107

GRAND PRIX WINNERS

Grand Prix, Design Paper Battlefield Nike Hong Kong McCann WorldGroup HK

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SPIKES ASIA 2009 Gold, TV / Cinema Tak ahashi Shuzoh Co., "Historical Film" & "Detective Film" Ogilv y & Mather Japan Nokia "Ping Pong (Bruce Lee)", JWT China The Dairy Farm, "Father & Daughter" McCann WorldGroup Hong Kong Ministry of Communit y Development, Youth and Sports, "Funer al", Leo Burnett Singapore U.P ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, "Riles" TBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO, Philippines BREAKTHROUGH TRUST, "Bike Owner" Ogilv y & Mather India Gold, Print COMFORT, "Bedroom" Ogilv y & Mather THail and NIKON SINGAPORE, " Voyeurs" Euro RSCG Singapore UNILEVER SINGAPORE "Hugs", "Purple Caterpillar" "Recipe Book", " WHALE COW " Ogilv y & Mather Singapore SAFEGUARD "RACER", "BATTLESHIP", "TRAIN" SAATCHI & SAATCHI CHINA TESCO LOTUS, "CRAB IN THE PACK" BBDO THAIL AND TESCO LOTUS "FISH IN THE PACK", "PRAWN IN THE PACK" BBDO THAIL AND PENGUIN BOOKS "AFFAIR", "CANDLESTICK", "PSYCHO" SAATCHI & SAATCHI MAL AYSIA W WF, "SHARK", "CALF", "CROCODILE" JWT SINGAPORE

Grand Prix, Media "Cinema Takeover" Silk Air JWT Singapore Over a period of four weeks, selected theatres were redecorated to look like the inside of an airplane. Cinema ticket stubs spoofed boarding passes. Stewardesses greeted cinema goers as they were seated. Even the pre-movie announcement was recreated in the form of a pre-flight safety video. By flying in the face of tradition, Silk Air turned an ordinary “journey ” into an extraordinary one, demonstrating its service difference in a uniquely charming and costeffective way, while exploiting cinema advertising’s distinct advantages.

W WF "EARTH", "TREE" JWT SINGAPORE GOLD, OUTDOOR COMFORT, "BEDROOM" OGILVY & MATHER THAIL AND NIKE BASKETBALL, "PAPER BATTLEFIELD (1, 2, 3)" MCCANN WORLDGROUP HONG KONG CEPF "SHAN SHUI (POLLUTION, AUTOMOTIVE POLLUTION, INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION)", JWT CHINA W WF, "SHARK", "CALF", "CROCODILE" JWT SINGAPORE IKEA-JAPAN, "IKEA HOME FURNISHING LINER" ADK JAPAN COLGATE TOOTHBRUSH "COTTON CANDY" , "ICE CREAM", "LOLLIPOP" Y&R THAIL AND NHK ENTERPRISES, " WISHES COME TO LIFE" HAKUHODO JAPAN

november-december '09

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GRAND PRIX WINNERS GOLD, OUTDOOR M&M MINIS "GREEN", " WHOSE CHILD?", "BL ACK SHEEP" BBDO MAL AYSIA JEEP "BUSHMAN & ESKIMO", "HUSKY & CAMEL" "MOUNTAIN GOAT & CROCODILE" "HIKING & ICE BOOTS" TESCO LOTUS "FISH IN THE PACK", "PRAWN IN THE PACK" "CRAB IN THE PACK" BBDO THAIL AND GOLD, INTEGR ATED VODAFONE ESSAR, "ZOOZOOS" OGILVY & MATHER INDIA GOLD, DESIGN SUL AKSHAN KULKARNI CRICKET ACADEMY, "SUL AKSHAN KULKARNI", RED LION PUBLICIS INDIA PUBLIC SERVICE, "CHURCH OF STS. PETER & PAUL" KINETIC SINGAPORE MAHARASHTRA JANA VIKAS KENDR A, BALWADI NIGHT SCHOOL", JWT INDIA GOLD, DIGITAL SONY PS3, "L AST GUY EVERY WHERE" DENTSU JAPAN 4A-S, "BEAT BILLY", EURO RSCG SINGAPORE UN WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME "HARAPEKO: SAVE THE CHILDREN FROM HUNGER", DENTSU JAPAN KOEI, "SAMURAI WEAPON", CONTENTS JAPAN Grand Prix, Direct & Sales Promotion Grand Prix, Integrated Teach India The Times of India Newspaper (Bennet Coleman) JWT India Mumbai

GMP RECRUITMENT SERVICES, "RAFFLES PL ACE GHOST", MCCANN ERICKSON SINGAPORE W WF CHINA, "FATE'S IN YOUR HANDS", BBH CHINA GOLD, DIRECT SALES AND PROMOTION

India currently has 75 million kids who have never gone to school.

Every single day, over 130,000 children are added to this unfortunate statistic. On the upside however, India also boasts of some of the brightest, most educated people on the planet.

The idea behind the Times of India’s Teach India campaign was to bring these two together: people who wanted to teach and those who wanted to learn.

Two hours of their time every week were asked of them. The campaign has since inspired 100,000 volunteer teachers.

NOKIA, "BRUCE LEE POWER", JWT BEIJING NOKIA, "BRUCE LEE GAME OF DEATH", JWT BEIJING SHISEIDO, "PEACE MIRROR" HAKUHODO KETTLE JAPAN KIT KAT, "KIT KAT MAIL 2009", JWT JAPAN GMP RECRUITMENT SERVICES, "RAFFLES PL ACE GHOST", MCCANN ERICKSON SINGAPORE

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PHILIPPINE WINNERS

GOLD SPIKE, TV/CINEMA "RILES" U.P. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION TBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO

Creative Driector: Melvin Mangada, Badong Abesamis / Copywriter: Melvin Mangada, Jaime Santiago / Art Director: Angela Arches / Accounts: Tong Puno / Director: Lyle Sacris / Producer: Sunny Lucero, Cheese Bagnes Production House: Abracadabra

BRONZE SPIKE, OUTDOOR "MUD" FEDEX BBDO GUERRERO / PROXIMIT Y PHILIPPINES

BRONZE SPIKE, OUTDOOR "SIREN" POND'S CLEAR SOLUTIONS O&M MANIL A

Chief Creative Officer: David Guerrero Executive Creative Director: David Guerrero, Simon Welsh, Joel Limchoc Creative Director: Joel Limchoc, Dale Lopez Art Director: Joel Limchoc, Dale Lopez Copywriter: Simon Welsh, David Guerrero, Meggy de Guzman Advertiser's Supervisor: Fedex Account Supervisor: Lynne Esguerra Producer: Al Salvador

Creative Directors: James Bernardo, Lito Gemora Copywriters: James Bernardo, Mark Ibaviosa, Sarah Ko Art Directors: Alnair Langkay, Lito Gemora, Ria Ocampo Client Service: Mona Nazario, Edg Samson, Aaron Mempin

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SPIKES ASIA 2009

Filipino Time is anywhere from five minutes to an hour…after things are supposed to happen. It ’s the subject of many jokes except to those who are waiting for their pizza. Capitalizing on this, Pizza Hut promoted its on-time delivery guarantee: “Hate Late?...You’ll love Pizza Hut ’s ontime delivery.” It used outdoor, in-store, digital, T V, radio and print as well as the occasional SMS blast, to contrast the reliable punctuality of Pizza Hut with the rest of Philippine life.

SILVER SPIKE, OUTDOOR SILVER SPIKE, INTEGRATED "BIKE CLOCK" PIZZA HUT BBDO GUERRERO / PROXIMIT Y PHILIPPINES Chief Creative Officer: David Guerrero Executive Creative Director: Simon Welsh, Joel Limchoc / Creative Director: Trixie Diyco / Associate Creative Director: Gary Amante, Rey Tiempo / Art Director: Joel Limchoc, JP Palileo, Gary Amante, Jeck Ebreo / Copy writer: David Guerrero, Simon Welsh, Lissa Boluso, Jao Bautista / Producer: Aldous Pagaduan, Idda Aguilar, Jing Aballera / Print Producer: Al Salvador / Final Artist: Jet Concepcion, Manny Vailoces, Joy Panaguiton, Vilma Magsino, Oliver Brillantes

BRONZE SPIKE, OUTDOOR "JOINT" VIDEO CIT Y LOWE PHILIPPINES Executive Creative Director: Steve Clay / Art Director: Joel Banzil, Mario Serrano Copywriter: Joel Banzil, Steve Clay / Print Production: Jake Fernandez / Final Artist: Michael Logaring, Roger Rapacon / Accounts: Tynna Antonio / Photographer: Jake Fernandez november-december '09

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PHILIPPINE WINNERS

SILVER SPIKE, PRINT & PRINT CRAFT "LILY", "HIBISCUS", " VIOLET" PACIFIC PAINT (BOYSEN) PHILIPPINES TBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO

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

SILVER SPIKE, RADIO "TIME CHECK" PIZZA HUT BBDO GUERRERO / PROXIMIT Y PHILIPPINES

BRONZE SPIKE, RADIO "SPEED" COPPERTONE SUNSCREEN LOTION DDB DM9 JAYMESYFU

Chief Creative Officer: David Guerrero Executive Creative Director: David Guerrero, Simon Welsh, Joel Limchoc Creative Director: Brandie Tan, Tin Sanchez Scriptwriter: Jao Bautista Agency Producer: Idda Aguilar Advertiser's Supervisor: Elaine Guzman Account Manager: Eric Oandasan Account Supervisor: Ombet Traspe 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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SPIKES ASIA 2009

Manikako teaches less fortunate Filipino kids to make their own dolls from old clothes and recycled materials. Through free dollmaking workshops, kids can learn creativity, resourcefulness and environmental responsibility, values which can help them rise above poverty. The campaign raised funds and donations in kind for free doll-making workshops for poor Filipino children. Young volunteers and the Philippine art community rallied around Manikako. Two National Artists and 112 famous Filipino personalities showcased a Manikako in a charity exhibit and auction in a shopping center.

BRONZE SPIKE, INTEGRATED MANIKAKO Y&R PHILIPPINES Regional Executive Creative Director: Rowan Chanen / Executive Creative Director: Leigh Reyes Creative Director: Joey David-Tiempo / Art Director: Trisha Uy, Jon Salutal / Copywriter: Georgina Angsanto Designer: Abigail Osorio / Producer: Sonny Cruz

BRONZE SPIKE, RADIO "AWAKE" PRO-LIFE PHILIPPINES DDB DM9 JAYMESYFU

BRONZE SPIKE, RADIO "DOMINICAN NUN", "KID ON A SKATEBOARD", "LADY IN STILLETOS" NOKIA PHILIPPINES JWT MANILA

Chief Creative Officer: Merlee Jayme Executive Creative Director: Eugene Demata Creative Director: Merlee Jayme, Eugene Demata, Louie Sotto Scriptwriter: Louie Sotto Agency Producer: Steve Vesagas Account Manager: Junette Laxamana Production Company: HIT PRODUCTIONS Sound Engineer: Glenn Mariano Voice Talent: Mae Zayco

Executive Creative Director: Dave Ferrer Creative Director: Dave Ferrer, Joe Dy Scriptwriter: Rachel Villanueva, Joe Dy Agency Producer: Maika Zialcita Account Supervisor: Golda Roldan, Iea Nepomuceno Production Company: HIT PRODUCTIONS Sound Studio: Hit Productions Sound Engineer: Glenn Mariano, Dave Navarro

to listen to these radio ads, log on to: www.adobomagazine.com november-december '09

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PHILIPPINE WINNERS Spike Asia Young Spikes

Philippines wins Bronze!

The DentsuINDIO tandem— Nicolas "Kulas" Abrenilla and Aston Martin ‘Ryder’ Aquino —bagged the Bronze award at the Young Spikes ’09 competition.

“Although we didn't walk away with the gold, considering the other teams consisted of four people (including accounts and strategic planners and REAL copywriters), I'm still proud two Filipino art directors came up with something worthy of metal,” expressed Aquino.

Abrenilla added, “We hope that by placing in the competition, we contributed to our country's image of being a creative force in Asian advertising, especially with its young creatives.”

Young spikes of Singapore (Leo Burnett Arc Worldwide) won the gold award, while Sri Lanka’s representatives (Triad) got the Silver award.

Team Philippines: Ryder Aquino and Kulas Abrenilla of DentsuINDIO

BRONZE SPIKE, DIRECT SALES & PROMOTIONS EARTH HOUR "CANDLE BOX" WWF PHILIPPINES LEO BURNETT Executive Creative Director: Raoul S. Panes / Creative Director: Alvin Tecson Art Director: Mela Advincula / Copywriter: Candice Madamba, Cey Enriquez Producer :Marissa Abayari, Benjie Puno / Accounts: Raymond Arrastia, Sue Ann Nolido, Gela Pena & Nati Go

Singapore young creatives bag the gold 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%.

BRONZE SPIKE, MEDIA "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

118 november-december '09

“It was a fantastic start for Spikes Asia. An award is as good as the jury. And they picked up a good jury. It was a very good job done. With this experience, they can only make the next one better.”

“I think the entries were not too many, and it could’ve been a result of the downturn. A lot of the ads in the main categories we did not see [in Craft]; it could’ve made the Craft category richer and bigger. But definitely there was a lot of good stuff, and the Grand Prix (JWT Shanghai’s “Shan Shui”) in particular was brilliantly executed. It straddled both print and TV, and it was crafted like magic. It was a simple idea but brought alive only by craft. Brilliant!”

President of the Craft Jury PIYUSH PANDEY Executive Chairman, National Creative Director Ogilv y & Mather India & South Asia

“There was a wide spread of countries winning in Spikes. There isn’t one country picking up all the awards. And it’s a good sign, that everyone has their own special look and feel.”

“There was very Indian work, very Japanese work, very Thai work. I think the Philippines has done an amazing job in the Integrated and Radio categories. Radio was probably 60 percent Philippines. I think every country now knows what it’s good at, and it just goes for it.”

TV/Cinema, Print, Radio & Outdoor Jury Integrated Jury TAY GUAN HIN Regional Executive Creative Director JWT Asia & Singapore

The Spikes Jury Speaks “While the economy may have us questioning the value of every single entry, it should certainly not stop us celebrating our very best work. In fact, in these tough times, there has never been more need for us to come together and demonstrate that we are a resilient industry. Our ideas are recession proof. And creativity is not a luxury we can put on the back burner.”

“Of what I see of the best work that I’ve judged so far, the strongest work from certain countries, and the one or two pieces that I think are the best, you can put them up against the best around the world. These pieces of work are faithful and authentic to their country and have that tone of voice and insight that I feel are fantastic.”

“When parts of Asia try to be America or try to be UK, I feel like it’s compromised. The maturity of Asian creativity has migrated past that. They don’t have to be as good as—now, I think they’re competing against themselves, and not against the UK or outside countries.”

President of the TV/Cinema, Print, Radio, Outdoor & Integrated Juries DAVID DROGA Founder, Creative Chairman Droga5, New York

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“I enjoyed judging Design more than Craft, in part because I’ve seen most of the work in Craft before. [Looking at the Craft entries] is not so exciting anymore; the winners were obvious. But the process was interesting, and the work was good. Overall, we were trying to be more generous and get more entries in because this is the first year for the Design category.”

Design Jury & Craft Jury SPENCER WONG Managing Director, Executive Creative Director McCann Worldgroup Hong Kong

“The quality of the festival is indicative of the quality of the organization. Basically, the Cannes system, applied in Asia, was quite good. It was well-run, and there was good opportunity for every piece of work to be seen, to be discussed and debated by the judges.”

“Every work that was entered got a proper look, and every kind of merit was rewarded…to the point where they couldn’t show much of the work beyond the gold winners. It was a populist kind of show.”

“I liked the all the gold winners in TV. I think the Outdoor [Grand Prix] was good fun, the human vending machine. I liked a number of executions…There was a wider spread of countries and agencies coming to the forefront. It was a good year for the Philippines, probably the best year in any award show.”

TV/Cinema, Print, Radio & Outdoor Jury, Integrated Jury DAVID GUERRERO Chairman, Chief Creative Officer BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines Manila

“My jury was an extremely animated colorful bunch, but tough during discussions. We were fortunate to have Austrian Fred Koblinger as jury head, who was once Cannes Chair for Direct. Fred was sober and fair, allowing us noisy Asians to talk more than we should, always careful in clarifying contexts of local color and sensibilities before making crucial decisions.”

“The new judging system of the Spike awards, patterned after the Cannes Lions, is actually fair, in fact, probably too fair as the process allows for a bigger percentage of shortlists. The system also takes into consideration the very real but remote possibility of bloody-minded jury members…Occasionally, deliberations bring down a few frontrunners and slide up those that were deemed underappreciated the first time around, all with good reason and fair judgment.”

Digital, Direct & Sales Promotion Jury MELVIN MANGADA Managing Partner, Executive Creative Director TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno, Makati

“It just seems like there’s some excellence in certain categories and some where people just don’t think about it. Which I think is interesting.”

“I look at what the digital guys are doing, applications and all that sexy stuff, and then I look at stuff like radio—which in my mind should be like a real winner for you guys [from the Philippines]—but isn’t .”

“Look, [the Philippine] stuff was better, but radio-wise, across the board, there was a massive gap between that and everything else that you’re doing.”

TV/Cinema, Print, Radio & Outdoor Jury Craft Jury DAMON STAPLETON Executive Creative Director TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, Johannesburg

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“Don’t think you can develop a culture of innovation and creativity without attending to the prior capacity of human imagination.”

“If you want to be creative, you have to nourish the well spring of this capacity of imagination.”

You can be imaginative all day long. But if you never did anything, nobody would ever know. To be creative, you have to do something. It’s a very practical process. So I think of creativity as applied imagination. Innovation is a step on. I think of that as putting good ideas into practice. So you might think of innovation as applied creativity.”

“We waste far more talent than we use. It’s like a massive ecological disaster. Human creativity is leached out of us by the way we run our businesses.”

“The great enemy of creativity is common sense. All the people I know who have achieved creatively have given up on common sense.”

“How do you make innovation and creativity a habit?”

“All the great breakthroughs, all the great innovations in science, in art have always been routed in people who rejected the question.”

“Unless you cultivate that in every aspect of the work you do in your organization, you will not be a creative culture.”

by Brandie Tan

Sir Ken Robinson Raising a new generation of creative cultures

Sir Ken Robinson is no adman. However, working with creative organizations and people across the world, he understands the real nature of creative intelligence and the many forms that creative ability can take.

For the most part, he focused on every person’s innate creativity.

How are you creative? Why do so many adults think they are not creative? Most children are buzzing with ideas—what happens to them as they grow up? Can creativity be developed? If so, how?

Extending his treatise to advertising agencies, he showed how creative thinking can improve performance and enjoyment in every aspect of an organization. He also demonstrated how engaging the creative talents of the whole agency—not just the creative department— has major benefits in improving staff motivation, loyalty and retention.

Sir Ken Robinson’s humor and wit is very difficult to replicate on paper. Nevertheless, his words are honest, straight to the point and relevant, whether you’re the art director, the coffee girl or the CEO. To the right are some of those words . They have been turned into little note cards. Cut them up and keep them in your pocket to pull out to serve as little notes of wisdom.

If you’re running a business this is a crucial strategic question.

“Not too occasionally have a great idea—how do we routinely have them as part of the rhythm of our business?”

“Most organizations scandalously waste creative capabilities.”

“Creative businesses that are not systematic about creative thinking don’t last long.”

“A really good creative leader is the person who knows how to help other people how to have great ideas— creating that culture where people can think differently.”

“Every great organization I know has a style of leadership where people are allowed to fail. Where they are able to be their best.”

“We’re living in times of absolute revolution. Almost everything we think is true, is not true. Or won’t be true for much longer. So those of you who work in the creative industry (so to speak) have a lot to teach other business about the skills you’ve acquired along the way.”

Brandie Tan is a creative director at BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines.

From the other side of the hall “The seminar of Sir Ken Robinson was one of the best talks I had attended in the entire festival aside from John Hunt’s.

He was so charismatic and inspiring. Sir Ken’s wit and humor left me in awe.

“At the same time some delegates opted to attend a seminar on how to win more awards, in the adjacent room. Two must-see events, happening simultaneously. It’s so unfair that a knighted speaker starts with a half-empty room, Sir Ken even joked about it.

“Most of the seminars and workshops actually suffered the same fate. The partying the night before had to be the culprit. People would rather network than listen to someone really inspiring, who knows great creativity. The man doesn’t even work in advertising! I feel sad for those who attended the workshop on how to win more awards. They missed a lot.”

Eugene Demata

EUGENE DEMATA Executive Creative Director DM9 JaymeSyfu

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Wildfire stories

Comedy, Tragedy, The Monster, Voyage and Return, Quest, Rags to Riches, and Rebirth. The art of storytelling are as old as mankind, yet these are only seven basic plots underlying the tales through the ages.

Mark Tutssel, chief creative officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide; Jarek Ziebinski, president, Leo Burnett and Arc Asia-Pacific; and Paul Kemp-Robertson, editorial director, co-founder, Contagious, took turns narrating seven successful integrated campaigns that have “caught fire” online from using these seven basic plots.

Tutssel said, “Brands with the best brand stories are like good news that travel fast.”

TBWA global chief John Hunt

BBDO Asia's Chris Thomas and Haymarket 's Tim Waldron

adobo magazine's Angel Guerrero hosts the Meet The Press Digital seminar at Spikes

Yahoo turns purple at the Spikes

McCann's outgoing Kevin Ramsey with Vince Viola

Spikes debate

At the press center: Terry Savage, Angel, Kim Shaw

Sonal Dabral of Bates 141 Asia

Ogilv y free tissue paper

David Droga Neil French at the BBC Hardtalk

Akira Kagami talks about the big idea at Linda Locke's panel

124 november-december '09

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UNIQLY UNIQLO

by Randy Tiempo

A closer look at Uniqlo’s winning integrated campaign Uniqlo has, in the past few years, been reaping award after award after award in almost every international award show. A couple of Cannes Lions here. Several Gold and Silver Awards there.

And why not? It has, after all, managed to come up with one of the most distinctive and effective integrated campaigns this side of the globe.

Through Uniqlock, a highly engaging and downloadable screensaver that made use of dance, music and the relevant functions of a clock to promote Uniqlo’s dry polo shirts, Uniqlo’s brand recall is at an all-time high.

So how do you make an award-winning

and effective campaign like Uniqlock? In his speech at the recently concluded Spikes Asia, Kentaro Katsube, Uniqlo creative managing director, shared the secrets of Uniqlo’s success.

The first key principle to an effective integrated campaign, according to Katsube, is for the company to identify the distribution of information. Which means knowing the best place to put your information on as well as the latest topics or key phrases. With this done, utilize the Internet’s resources to tell your story. Make the bloggers talk about you.

Secondly, the creative concept and its executions must be unique, have emotional appeal, leave room for the audience’s imagination and at the same time be fun and entertaining. BUT it is very critical that the concept be as simple as can be to assure that it is understood immediately.

Third key principle, Katsube said, is to get the commitment of the agency and creative department in creating the campaign. It must be understood that the success of the company and that of the agency and creative department are one

and the same. When both sides are inspired to reach for higher goals and top awards, a successful integrated campaign can’t be too far behind. Take a look at Uniqlock.

And finally, when creating a campaign, it must be so integrated that one can’t tell where one effort ends and the other begins. From content to advertising to media and all the way to PR, efforts must be such that both internal and external audiences receive one and the same message.

But over and above the four key principles, what set Uniqlo’s success in motion was that they, in no uncertain terms, announced “We will become the best in the world.” And made this statement the benchmark by which all their efforts were measured.

If one were to think about it, these key principles aren’t new or unique. They have been said many times over in different ways. But what set Uniqlo apart was its determination to make good on their declaration to become the best.

Randy Tiempo is creative director and head of Art at DentsuINDIO

JWT is Spikes Asia's Network of the Year!

Spencer Wong of McCann HK gets the Grand Prix in Design from Rodney Fitch Dentsu Tokyo win Gold for Uniqlo

TBWA Phils wins a Gold Spike for 'Riles'

Sony wins for Digital

The Print Grand Prix goes to BBDO Malaysia's Ronald and Mun Digital Gold for campaign Best use ofwins Viral Teach India goes Farrokh Maddon of McCann thetoIntegrated grand prix Singapore

JWT Singapore with W WF client Amy Foo

Digital Gold for Best use of Viral goes to Farrokh Maddon of McCann Singapore november-december '09

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Even though Husain had On the value of steeled herself well—and on at parenthood vs. an least one occasion, rendered French speechless—she was advertising career: still aghast at some of French’s “A child is more pronouncements, included his important than a unabashed admiration for one female ad executive’s physical Cannes Lion. Slightly.” endowments.

Among his more memorable bon mots were: On XO Beer campaign setting a bad precedent by deceiving consumers: “I’m in advertising; that’s what we do…I don’t mind kids trying hard and cheating and lying to get to the top.”

BBC Hardtalk discovers

you can't keep Neil French down

Jureeporn Thaidumrong once said of Neil French, “He never disappoints.”

How right she was.

The “godfather of advertising” sat down with BBC Hardtalk’s presenter Mishal Husain at Spikes Asia for the most outrageous 45 minutes in Spikes Asia. Husain asked French about his life and experiences as a creative legend, including his more controversial works and statements.

As much as Asia has excelled in advertising creative and design, it is still catching up on the digital component.

Moderated by adobo’s own Angel Guerrero, “Meet the Press” tackled digital revolution and how it has entered, merged and transformed, and is now recreating advertising.

Taking on the perspective of both business and media were discussed by Mark Ingrouille, regional director of McCann Worldgroup - Southeast Asia; Chris Dobson, sales director of BBC Worldwide; and John Ziegler. chairman and CEO, DDB Asia Pacific, Japan and India.

In 10 years, all these people under 16 now will create a huge spike in new media. And anyone connected to the old world will be in trouble.

Even though the trends are shifting towards digital, “our job is still to create desire and want in the consumer,” said Chris Dobson. He cited a few examples of digital advertising driving consumers directly to the store for a purchase.

But John Ziegler believes that until agencies understand digital, they will resist this new media.

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On his career-killing “women are crap” comment: “I didn’t say that.

I said women will never be creative directors if they get married and have kids. You have to do one thing well. Unless you can commit 100 percent to your job, you’re not going to make it. How many [women] make it to be super-dooper creative directors?”

On the credentials of Nancy Vonk, the woman who started the antiFrench backlash: “She was an executive creative director. At Ogilvy. In Toronto. It doesn’t get much lower than that.”

On the value of parenthood vs. an advertising career: “A child is more important than a Cannes Lion. Slightly.”

On the Cannes Lions organizers’ motives: “Let’s add another category.

Shelf wobblers! Things that hang on doors! Send us more money!”

On the quality of advertising work: “It’s gone down everywhere, not just here.”

On how agencies are responding to recession and new media: “The people who run agencies are panicking. People are twittering to each other, and that’s far more effective than any ad.”

Meet the Press

Why are ad agencies so slow in shaking Digital’s hand?

“Media planning is a challenge in the digital world because new talent is actually more difficult to find and a little bit more expensive, and [so far] the output is a very small percentage of our business returns.”

Given the ubiquity of mobile services in Asia, Guerrero steered the discussion towards the challenges of mobile advertising.

Because of the highly personal nature of that medium, Dobson advised marketers to be ver y careful.

“The reason people opt in is ver y defined. They know exactly what they ’re supposed to be getting…so you have to strike a careful balance.”

However, Ingrouille was more enthusiastic about mobile.

“Now that 3G phones are getting cheaper and cheaper, this has become the most exciting area [for marketers].”

Dobson agreed, “Broadband transformed the way people used the PC. Once we get into this lowtariff bandwidths, people’s habits will change overnight.”

Looking a bit further, Ziegler even ventured that “in 10 years, all these people under 16 now— who are connected into digital and mobile and who don’t watch so much TV—will create a huge spike in new media. And anyone connected to the old world will be in trouble.”

Among those “in trouble” will be the ad agencies.

Ingrouille explained, “A whole new model has emerged—specialist digital agencies. When radio came, and T V came, somehow mainstream agencies adapted.

But when digital came…. I don’t understand why mainstream agencies are still missing out.”

But everyone agreed that digital might be Asia’s ace in the hole. “London agencies don’t get digital, but in Asia,” he said, “we’re understanding it much faster.”

Guerrero hoped that that would be the case. At the end of the discussion, she concluded that if Asian agencies don’t commit themselves to change and go digital, we may face extinction.

SPIKES ASIA 2009 “Is Asian creativity up to the task?” was the theme of the Spikes Debate that brought mixed views unto the table.

Moderated by Media Asia’s Atiffa Hagrave-Silk, an impressive panel of agency heads and senior marketing professionals explored questions such a “Is advertising art?”, “Do awards really matter?” and “What are truly global ideas?”

“Limitations of any kind gave birth to greater creativity.”

“Follow the People, not the Awards”

A Session with Piyush Pandey

by Birger Linke

inspiration. M-Seal, Axis Bank and “India and China are two of the State Bank of India among others world’s fastest growing economies, yet write their success stories based on vastly different markets. For a Chinese family life. to communicate effectively in India, “Many a time I have drawn he’ll need to be an Indian.” inspiration from Piyush my own large Pandey, national "Many a time I have family to create chairman and creative director drawn inspiration from advertising,” of Ogilvy & my own large family to Piyush says.

Superstitions Mather, India and create advertising." and beliefs are South Asia, and also food for president of the thought. One belief goes that sweets Spikes Asia craft jury, has a simple must be offered to anybody and advice for his audience: Observe local everybody to celebrate great news, people keenly and let brand stories and Cadbury is quick to capitalize on stem from regional nuances and that. The “Dirt is good” campaign is beliefs. adapted locally by drawing from the Showing some of the best belief that hiccups stop when you’re commercials in Indian advertising, shocked: A family comes together for he elaborates how each links back to dinner, and the father gets a hiccup a local insight, whether Perfetti Van attack. His little girl mixes ketchup, Melle’s “Happydent”, Nike’s “Cricket”, mustard and chutneys of all colors in Asian Paints’ “Apcolite” or The a bowl and throws it at his sparkling Times of India’s “A Day in the life of white kurta. Everyone’s shocked, not Chennai”. just dad.

The Happydent commercial With the “Roots” Lotus launched humorously Happydent at Adfest earlier this year pushing makes the local insights, Piyush’s seminar at point about Spikes, and the current discussion shiny teeth, about scam ads, I’m sure (and hope) with the the young creatives in the audience got story resting the message: to create work not just on feudalism for awards, but relevant to the target in Indian history, while “A day in the audience. Piyush demonstrates how life of Chennai” draws inspiration local insights can help achieve this. from the chaotic, Bollywood-obsessed And it also shows that, “if you follow Chennai culture. the people, the awards will follow you”.

India’s rustic streets and raw energy are evident in the Fevicol Birger Linke is the executive “Bus” or “Carpenter” commercials, creative director, TBWA\Vietnam while family life is another source of

Chris Thomas, chairman and CEO of BBDO AsiaPacific, said: “Ideas could be global, but what really matters is execution.”

When asked about recession, Nayantara Bali, VP for Male Grooming Asia at Procter & Gamble, said that while the basic marketing approach may not have changed, they do ask for ideas that work harder.

Tim Isaac, chairman, Ogilvy & Mather AsiaPacific, talked of caution he has observed in the industry. Of the consequences, he defined them as dull, mediocre and heats cautious creativity.

Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman and regional ECD of McCann Erickson Asia-Pacific, expressed that Asia must not be concerned by this.

He defined Asia as “scarcity society”.

Joshi continued, “Limitations of any kind gave birth to greater creativity.”

He likened advertising to art, but the rest of the group opposed.

Chris Thomas said creativity served brand-building and was not really an art form.

Derek Yeo, head of marketing for Tiger Airways, felt similarly. He felt award shows were not a passport to winning a pitch and pointed out that winning alone cannot make for great advertising.

But McCann’s creative superstar was not done just yet. When Isaac spoke about the growth of creativity in Asian

advertising during the last six years, Joshi responded that it only appears that way because Asia’s work has been “made more palatable for the West.”

He added, “We are a thousand-year-old culture.

So before this six years, creativity did not exist in Asia?... Few people have packaged it well and made it accessible and palatable for the world—and only the developed part of the world.”

Applause broke out among the audience after he made his point. But one person in the audience disagreed, Aegis Media’s CEO Blair Currie.

Later, he told adobo, “He used ad hominy. Attack the individual as opposed to the argument, which was ‘Which is better now? Which is the way forward?’” The fact is his civilization didn’t invent the Internet. So are you better at it? Maybe, maybe not. But the likelihood is not.”

Another creative leader from India, O&M India’s National Chairman Piyush Pandey offered adobo this explanation.

Prasoon Joshi

up at the Spikes Debate

How to conduct a civil catfight

“Where Prasoon’s angst comes from is that so much has gone unnoticed… The old Times of India ads, in my opinion, are better than the Times of India Chennai one.

They came almost 10 years back, and they weren’t even shortlisted at Cannes.

“Till you have done things that knocks the ignorance out of people, any beginner will suffer that.

I wish it wasn’t true but that is human nature.”

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A very relaxed John Ziegler and Karen See of DDB Asia

TBWA's Damon, Philippa and John

Guinness on tap at BBDO's party: Danny Searle, David Droga, Brandie Tan and Tin Sanchez Birger and Fadjar in Lao Pa Sat

The gang with John Merrifield at TBWA's rooftop party

Spikes party at Indochine

JWT's Guan and Amy Mellor

Victor Ng shows off his EURO RSCG murals

TBWA's offiee does a " Voyeur"

At Ogilv y's party: David Droga, Robert Glaxiola and Judee

Thierry Notz with Spike Gold winner for "Riles" direk Lyle Sacris

Cheers!

Akira Kagami of Dentsu Inc.

DM9 JaymeSyfu at the Spikes Party

ŠKodak, 2009. Kodak and Vision are trademarks.