COSTING A CASTING OF CELEBRITIES FOR A TV COMMERCIAL

By Roger Pe
Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 9, 2011

How much does a full page ad cost in newspapers? It depends on which broadsheet you want to be seen and make an impactful splash.
It also depends on what page and what day you want to break. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Sunday?

A weekday full-page, full-color ad, for example, costs roughly two hundred and seventy thousand pesos. You’ll shell out roughly 45 thousand more if you want to book a Sunday placement.

Why more expensive on Sundays?

Sunday readership is higher than those on weekdays because, obviously, people are at home, white and blue-collar workers are resting, students don’t have classes and you and the rest of the world are either lounging around in a resort or simply just enjoying the morning breeze by the house garden and reading, what else, newspapers.

Now, that’s the cost of only putting a single ad (insertion, in media parlance). What if you want to make the same ad come out 20 times over a period of two 6 months? Go figure.

What about the cost of making the ad?

Seasoned marketers know that when ad agencies go back to them with production CEs (cost estimates) they know that standard concept and design fees are SOPs for an intellectual property.

They also know that computer, studio time and manhours have to be justifiably factored in and not haggled at exploitative rates.
Photography, and yes, FA (final art, the digital process of making all elements in the ad rendered in high-resolution stage) charges are exclusive of above-mentioned fees, thus would be added to the cost.

In a scenario where even big ad agencies are getting marginalized income, definitely, they aren’t free unless one wants to be hijacked in broad daylight with eyes wide open or run a business going slowly to bankruptcy.

Next, you are asked to use a talent, not just a talent to endorse your product, but a celebrity who could pack consumers in – to your neighborhood grocery or super-duper-hypermarket.

Your client wants Manny Pacquiao or Robin Padila. Another brand wants Angel Locsin or KC Concepcion. The other wants Kris Aquino, Vic Sotto, Anne Curtis, Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson. Yet another wants a star-studded campaign with a smorgasbord of movie stars – Piolo Pascual, John Lloyd Cruz, Richard Gutierrez, Sam Milby, Jerico Rosales, Sarah Geronimo, etc.

Fine, just cough up 3 to 50 million more.

Depending on who among these stars are up your brand’s alley, they are your best weapon and ally to rake in more money.

Why are celebrities so expensive?

Roly Halagao, one of Philippine advertising’s most reliable casting directors says: “It’s plain and simple:
Celebrities sell no matter what other people say they don’t. It really depends on the celebrity you use. It should be someone who has unblemished integrity, credibility and pulling power.”

Halagao, a faculty member of Masters School For Models put up by Supermodel-maker Joey Espino along ritzy Ayala Avenue certainly knows what he is talking about.

He was the master caster for these highly successful tv campaigns: Alaxan with Manny Pacquiao as celebrity endorser;
Jollibee with Sarah Geronimo, Gran Matador with Ding Dong Dantes, Greenwich with Anne Curtis, Solenn Heussaff, Kelly Misa, John Lloyd Cruz and the gang plus many more.

At Masters School for Models, Halagao handles commercial and basic casting, VTR projection, camera ethics, personality development and intensive tv commercial production training.

He trains students how to become competitive, effective and marketable in advertising. No wonder his models have become world-class like this year’s Supermodel of the World Danica Magpantay.

Samantha Gomez and Charlene Almarvez, 2010 Supermodel of the World, first runner-up, were also two of his students.

The affable guy most recently was part of Nestle’s centennial tv campaign as casting director and was also the first to discover and gave tv commercial breaks to ABS-CBN talents Gerald Anderson, Coco Martin, Neil Coleta, Jovit Baldovino and Lance Dugan.

He also did the same to GMA7 talents Jennilyn Mercado, Luane Dy, Ian Batherson among others and many other Channel 23 MYX VJs like Bianca Roque.

For security and other ethical reasons, Halagao doesn’t want to reveal talent fees of celebrities he has really closely worked with. The highest paid celebrity, he says, gets 40 to 50 million in that range. The rest vary from 3 to 20 million.

The late Fernando Poe was paid a huge sum for doing a San Miguel beer tv commercial, so was Dolphy when he debuted as a McDonald’s endorser a couple of years back.

Sharon Cuneta commanded a prime talent fee at her peak. Robin Padilla whose staying and pulling power, hasn’t diminished is also one celebrity star whose appeal continues to sparkle and therefore still gets good rates.

Why celebrities?

Halagao says, “Consumers’ attraction to celebrities always tilt towards known personalities. How much more if your endorsers are superstars? Pag kinuha mo ang mga ‘yan, talagang benta!”

“From personal appearances for your product launchings to fundraisers to ribbon-cuttings, you can’t go wrong with celebrity-power,” he continues.

Asked what is his secret for lasting in the business, Halagao says, “my feet are always on the ground, I am focused with my work and I master my craft.

You must have an eye for beauty, even if it’s hidden somewhere, “at marunong ka dapat maghanap ng hindi available” (you should know how to find talents even if they are not available).

But are huge celebrity talent fees worth it?

Not everything is a rosy picture for using celebrities.

We all know what happened to Tiger Woods’ brand endorsements when his marital scandal exploded in media.

The superstar celebrity endorser that he was, Tiger Woods signed a 10-year contract with a well-known American brand, which gave him, until the last five years, $40 million.

Ad bible Ad Age tells us that, “putting celebrities in commercials seriously lowers their effectiveness based on an Ace Score research results.
In that survey, “non-celebrity commercials, as a group, averaged 8% above the Ace Score norms for attention, persuasiveness, comprehension, likeability and other characteristics while celebrity commercials, as a group, averaged 1.4% below.”

The magazine, however, was quick to say, too, that recent studies of hundreds of celebrity endorsements revealed that sales for some brands increased up to 20% right after every celebrity endorsement deal.

But it put succinctly: “Celebrity endorsement is always worth investing in if you have the right person and if the celebrity has logical connection with the product.”

In the Philippines, advertisers are such believers in celebrity endorsement it is no surprise you’ll find celebrities even on product packagings and billboards that dot urban landscapes.

“It's an expensive but easy option for companies and celebrities in a hurry to hit sales and stardom,” Halagao quickly emphasizes.

“Clients should invest more in what they should say in their ads rather than spend more time on who is going to endorse their products,” a creative director, says.

So is using a celebrity worth looking into?

Going back to what Halagao says, “One must be sure and validate the celebrity’s integrity, credibility and convincing power to consumers.” Very well said.

THE CONSUMER IS NOT A MORON, SHE IS YOUR WIFE

By Roger Pe
Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 2, 2011

That is one of Ogilvy’s most famous lines and if you ask advertising and marketing practitioners if they know what it means, most of them, if not all, will say: “I do.”

Let’s talk about degrees of consumer separation.

The most devastating thing that could happen to a husband is when his wife comes to him and says she is filing a divorce.

Marriage break-up or annulment is painful. The same is true in marketing. Can you stand seeing your customers walk away because you’ve not been faithful in delivering your brand promise?
Consumers stay loyal because of the brand experience they get. When they feel that they’re being shortchanged, watch the cookie begin to crumble.

Are customers beginning to get bored with your brand marriage? Why not woo them with the same passion you made them feel when you first met them?

When brands constantly renew their vows to consumers and heighten the romance, sales honeymoons are just waiting to happen again.

Romancing the consumers is not a nine-to-six-job. We all know that in order to get the desired sales figures, we need to remember the numbers: 24/7, 365 and 360-degree brand caring.

That’ll give you brand omnipresence, top-of-mind-awareness and top-of-the-ladder boost in sales.

The world never sleeps when you sleep. On the other side of the globe, a new brand is about to be launched. Competition is planning its next move. The seemingly ‘perfect’ brand that you thought it was is bound to get obsolete.

As technology gets better, keep your acts together. Because by the time you wake up, things may have changed and enemy is now staring at you in the face.

Recent Manila visitor Steve Dahllof, President and Regional CEO of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, Asia Pacific, says: “Our job is to offer the best possible solution. We need to take a closer look and analyze the facts in order to make brands consistently engaging - Round-the-clock, not halfway through.”

A proud advocate of Ogilvy & Mather’s word invention: “Prosumers” (a breed of producers and consumers that are becoming a very influential social group in driving brand success), Dahllof travels around the world carrying in his packed suitcase a multi-layered persona: Creative Director, Strategic Planner, Client Lead and Managing Director all rolled into one.

In more than 450 Ogilvy offices in 120 countries, “we help create a 24/7 marketing environment and spin a 360-degree media-centric communication with clients, combining local know-how and an expansive global network,” he says.

As the industry knows, the process has produced many powerful campaigns, addressing local market needs while still reinforcing their universal brand identities.

“360-Degree Brand Stewardship, says Dahllof, is “the agency’s brand-building weapon, a holistic look at communications, using what is necessary from each discipline to build a brand.”

Leah Huang, Ogilvy Manila PR Managing Director, also says, “we not only communicate, we dialogue with consumers and motivate them to effect behavior change.”

“Our role as 360-degree Brand Stewards is to create attention-getting messages that make a promise consistent and true to the brand’s image and identity,” she says.

Asked if there’s an impending death of advertising and PR, Dahllof and Huang say, “Brands all the more need ad agencies with a holistic approach to a marketing problem. More than ever before, marketers need both advertising and PR because losing control is a terrible thing.”

The Ogilvy touch is always evident in real advertising practice - delivering effectiveness to clients’ expectations. Every Ogilvy staff knows that “If it doesn’t sell, it is not creative.”

In the region, Ogilvy PR was most dominating with its recent successful brand case study: a tourism campaign called “Pambassador” which agencies with travel and tourism accounts may really want to ponder on and take a closer look.

The Ogilvy thinking in that pitch: “Soft power’ is more effective communication strategy on the world stage than messages of economic might.”

“Pambassador” zeroed in on China’s Sichuan province’s capital of Chengdu, virtually not in the radar of foreign investors and with almost nil tourism revenues.

From obscurity, “Pambassador” made Chengdu an investment haven, 12 Fortune 500 companies established bases in the city as a result which saw a 26% increase in tourists in 2010, a spectacular 58% growth in the month after the campaign was launch.

Reinvented, Chengdu became a city that is economically sustainable, friendly and open with more than 60,000 people worldwide applying for permanent residency.

Now perceived as the “Panda-Land” of China by 51% of potential tourists and key opinion leaders, Chengdu rose to the occasion, largely through Ogilvy’s exceptional levels of PR Relations and media coverage which subsequently delivered the following results:

Around 40% of key opinion leaders across Asia, North America, and Europe had heard about the “Pambassador” campaign (source: Penn Schoen Berland)

More than 8.5 million people from 178 countries saw the campaign website. Nearly 61,000 applicants from 52 countries entered the “Pambassador” search competition.

160 media outlets globally covered the story, including the Wall Street Journal, AFP, USA Today, international TV networks including American ABC and CBS, British BBC, Global Al Jazeera, Japan’s Kyoto News, CTV (Canada), RAI (Italy), CCTV (China) among many others.

Moreover, “Pambassador” was described as “the new best job in the world” in a 2-minute TV feature on ABC’s Good Morning America to 4-5 million daily viewers.

Social media coverage was substantial with a highlight being a feature on Perez Hilton’s blog (www.perezhilton.com) with over 7.2 million web hits a month and 1.7 million Twitter followers

No less than Mr. He Huazhang, Vice Mayor of Chengdu recognized the outstanding success of the campaign:

“We are very impressed by Ogilvy’s competence. This is one of the most successful campaigns we’ve done in recent years,” he said.

The success of “Pambassador” campaign was also cited by UN Secretary-General of Ban Ki-moon saying “efforts to protect the Giant Panda have also contributed to raising global awareness of the importance of biodiversity and ecosystems.”

DAVID OGILVY

The guy who founded one of the world’s largest ad agency networks celebrated his 100th birthday last month.

Over the past 60 years, Ogilvy helped build countless brands together with people who practiced what he preached. American Express, Sears, Ford, Shell, Barbie, Pond’s, Dove, and most recently, IBM and Kodak were among them.

The former college dropout, chef and door-to-door salesman who became a copywriter was honored by no less than the world’s biggest advertising festival, Cannes, and rolled out its red carpet calling him – “The man who inspires.”

Ogilvy won 12 Gold Lions and won its best ever result at Cannes securing the "Network of the Year" category as well.

In total, the network won 61 Lions across all categories, scooping up 17 Silver and 32 Bronze Lions, as well as having 133 Finalists in this year's festival. Ogilvy Argentina was named Direct Agency of the Year and Ogilvy Brazil took third place in that category.

At the end of the festival, the Ogilvy network helped push WPP* (Wire and Plastic Products, a UK manufacturer of wire baskets, in which Sir Martin Sorrell invested following his search for a public entity to build a worldwide marketing services company) to the cream of the crop, beating the usual suspects, Omnicom and Publicis Groupe as Holding Company Network of the Year.

WANTED: A BALANCE OF CREATIVE AND EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING

By Roger Pe
Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 25, 2011

Who doesn’t wear a pair of Nike shoes? Kids wear it. Teens wear it. Men and women wear it. Your old folks wear it. The globe practically wears it. The iconic brand is such a blockbuster it took Cannes by storm.

Over the weekend Nike captured the Grand Prix Lion in the juiciest categories of all, Film.

Nike’s entry “Write The Future” created by Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam is a riveting, pure electric spot kicking off the brand’s global World Cup advertising campaign last year.

No less than the world’s soccer gods Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Franck Ribery starred in the 3-minute film. The story is simple: Should they bring home the world’s favorite sport's top prize, statues will be erected in their honor, babies named after them, even guest appearances on "The Simpsons."

Creative advertising that is just bloody hell effective.

On the local turf, you are walking in a mall or some busy side of a city’s business district. A dentist comes up to you from out of nowhere and say your teeth have, aww, bacteria.
Obligingly, you say yes to the invitation and, voila, a state of the art teeth scanner appears. You are shocked to see the truth: indeed, your teeth are all covered with bacteria even if you just brushed your teeth.
Product freight follows, introducing (beep) toothpaste that gives you whiter teeth in just two weeks. Fast forward, look, ma, no stains and your teeth are whiter than ever before.

Is the ad effective enough to convince you to buy the product?

Here’s a beautifully produced, cinematic tv commercial with a gorgeous looking girl running in slow mo in a picturesque landscape with sunflowers blooming in explosion. She doesn’t speak any lines except give a mysterious, teasing smile until the very end of the ad, and that’s it.

Can an ad get noticed just because it looks stunningly beautiful like a Hollywood film? Bernbach, the acknowledged father of modern advertising said, it is no guarantee. He said, “How many people do you know who are impeccably groomed... but dull”?

We’ve seen many would-be-queens lose their grip on the title because they scored badly in the dreaded Q and A. A hairline away from the crown, they quickly vanished to the exit door after they spoke.

Anyone who has ever told you that you’re a dumb blonde is unpalatable, much more insulting. In advertising, form over content can sometimes mean disaster.

And so do content over form. All meat but it’s ain’t neat, all substance but consumers don’t wanna glance. Just the same, it is an impending disaster.

BALANCE IS THE KEY, CREATIVITY AND EFFECTIVITY IN TANDEM
As ad agencies continue to parry the onslaught of change, and as Cannes, the world’s biggest advertising, finally relents to mount the Creative-Effectiveness category for the first time in its more than 50 years, a new breed of ad people is emerging.
They are the Better Managers, the ones who are able to give clients a good balance of effective advertising without relegating the creative side of it to the din of the back door.

Matec Villanueva, Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Publicis Manila, is one such.
“To survive the rising tide of change in advertising one must know how to balance the agency’s output: produce effective advertising that walks in tandem with the world’s creative standards,” Villanueva says matter-of-factly.
Villanueva loves to stress her tandem partnership with Marlon Rivera, President and Chief Creative Officer of the agency. “He is my chef de cuisine and I am the maitre‘d,” she points out.

The power of two recently produced Nestle’s hugely successful centennial project commemorating the food company’s 100th year in the country as “Kasambuhay Habambuhay” (Companion in Life, For Life”). The ambitious magnum opus debuted in Cannes last week to a capacity crowd amidst a thunderous applause.

The love story of childhood friendship enduring through time, good and bad until a new generation of romance repeats the cycle, had Nestle products woven discreetly in the story, unobtrusive in their presence and as important part of Filipino family life, a triumph in product subtlety, casualness and respect for the consumer,

“It’s the casualness that people remember”, Villanueva reminds us who cannot hide her admiration for Nestle Philippines Chairman and CEO, Country Head John Martin Miller.

“We sold him the idea. It wouldn’t see the light of day if he didn’t take the risk,” Villanueva says.
The 100-minute “short film anthology,” showcased the wide expanse of Filipino advertising creativity and what it can accomplish.

Handled by directors who had done Nestle product commercials before the “The (H)owl and the Fussyket” by Chris Martinez, “Unplugged” by Raul Jarolan, “Isang Tasang Pangarap” by Sid Maderazo, “Tingala sa Baba” by Henry Frejas, and “Sign Seeker” by Carlos Directo were among the crowd favorites in a gala showing.

Villanueva who seemed to have inherited Minyong Ordonez’ business acumen is also a stickler for balanced time management.

She makes sure that Publicis Manila’s staff - from management to rank-and-file have a work-life balance, believing that one’s life after work shouldn’t be compromised.

“We must see the other side of the world to get a brighter picture of the whole world,” she says.
A balance of everything, made Villanueva accomplish her target: produce double-digit agency growth every year for an agency she once turned down to lead.

Villanueva and Rivera have been instrumental in leap-frogging Publicis Manila to an enviable industry success. In a scenario where majority of ad agencies are scrambling for new business pitches in a diminishing pie, the two focused on their existing accounts as their biggest source of growth. And how they did it with much aplomb.

“Because we’re such an effective agency who also believes in market research data which always backs up our thinking that ultimately always redounds to contagious ideas, “ Villanueva proudly mentions.

Villanueva who never thought she would be in advertising right after college stumbled into advertising through the back door. She worked in an activation unit of Basic Advertising, the predecessor of Publicis Manila.

Today, she has grown bigger than what she thought she’d ever achieve. Under her helm, Publicis Manila is now one of the industry’s most financially vibrant agencies and has also become the industry’s biggest insighting agency.

Like the Nestle centennial story where a new generation of romance repeats the cycle, Villanueva believes in nurturing new leaders, just as her former mentors Minyong Ordonez, Tony Mercado and Nonoy Gallardo showed her the way.

“A responsible leader must be able to nurture future leaders. Otherwise he or she becomes a failure,” Villanueva says.
A balance of everything, a balance of good people nurtured to produce what advertising must accomplish at the end of the day, that is the Villanueva way.

*The Cannes Grand Prix winner in the new creative-effectiveness category was U.K.'s "Sandwich" campaign for PepsiCo's Walkers potato chips by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, London, in which Walkers turned the town of Sandwich into the most exciting place in England to prove that its potato chips paired with a sandwich make lunch more interesting. Five other Lions were awarded, including two for the U.S. and only 10 made it to the shortlist.

IS YOUR AD ENTERTAINING AND CONNECTING TO CONSUMERS?

By Roger Pe
Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 15, 2011


“I am one who believes that one of the greatest dangers of advertising is not that of misleading people, but that of boring them to death.” - Leo Burnett

How many ads have bored us to death we immediately flipped the newspaper page to the next?

How many commercials made us snore because they looked and sounded like a strategy document?

“Our job as marketers is to provide a springboard for ideas to come to life and allow our audiences to experience a magical feeling,” McDonald’s Vice President for Marketing Margot B. Torres says in a lively discussion on how advertising can have intrinsic brand appeal.

The recent Tambuli Chief Marketing Officer of the Year awardee, is all agog about her “Brand Enchantment” watchword and she’s keeping it tightly guarded, letting no stone unturned in making McDonald’s as engaging as it gets every single day.

A great fan of Guy Kawasaki, author of best-seller “Enchantment”, Torres is one fine example of a marketing person, who, like wine, keeps getting better every time.

She refuses to become a marketing relic, even traveling the globe to learn what’s new in marketing biz (she’s currently in Cannes to spearhead PANA’s participation in the festival’s Young Marketers Academy, an intensive learning for companies keen to invest in their future brand leaders).

“It’s not even about the ad, nor about the tv spot. It’s all about changing hearts, minds and actions. It’s about brand connection. And it should hit home,” she says.

Leo Burnett Manila, McDonald’s sole above-the-line branding partner, couldn’t agree more. The agency has come up with another winner (“Memory”), a tv commercial that has become overwhelmingly popular the past few weeks.

Without a tranche of media money for frequency, Burnett’s latest tv spot has caught wildfire and has become talk of the town.

Talk about cost-efficiency and word-of-mouth, it’s getting to be everyone’s favorite, mirroring life as it unfolds entertainingly.

While other ad agency creatives are holed up in the posh comfort of their offices waiting for inspiration to come, “We conceptualize our ads right where it happens – where else, but in McDonald’s stores,” Leo Burnett’s dashing Executive Creative Director, Raoul Panes says.

Indeed, life is one big sitcom and it happens everyday at McDonald’s. Panes and his young team keenly observe that, what’s new for the day, and what people do.

Always a heartbeat away, they listen to the pulse and find out why people hang out at McDonald’s.

“It’s the only way to get precious insights and to be real,” Panes says, mentor of young talents at Burnett who is also the drill master, making sure all ideas coming from the agency are crafted well to the last detail.

Entertaining Commercial, Enchanting Brand
Ah, sweet bird of youth. We’ve been searching for that elusive fountain to make us stay forever young. Maybe we should stop a while and need not go far?
Three young-at-heart grand daddies, your local versions of Tony Curtis, Frankie Avalon and Ricky Nelson, are watching the world pass by at McDonald’s and reliving the memories of their fun days gone by.
Still very much in vogue, we see them in their straight-leg pants-checkered-polo-sweaters-cardigan-shirt days.
A now bald “kulot” (curly) enters frame with a Sundae treat for three. He notices buddy’s iPad on the table. Before he could even tinker it, he is told: “Konti na lang memory ko e, sino ka na nga?” (I don’t have much memory, double meaning referring to alzheimers and gadget’s memory, who are you again?).
“A lot of great campaigns have been done for McDonald’s. Many great minds have poured their thinking into this brand. I owe it to the McDonald’s to do my part in raising the game,” Torres continues to essay as she profusely mentions her love for the brand with the iconic golden yellow arch.

The research girl who began her marketing journey because of a “hair disaster” tells her job as a dream job. “I’m lovin’ it!”

10 jobs and 24 years later, Torres is now a full-blown expert in the country’s marketing firmament and considered one of the best and most active.

She’s also done a dream task: turning the brand around and hitting a record-high 23% market growth, unprecedented in the brand’s history.

The tireless dame of Filipina marketers is also the acknowledged brain behind several industry projects: BBDO's Project AHON for the 21st Philippine Advertising Congress to help victims of typhoon Ondoy, PANA Brand Camp showcasing talents of young Filipino marketers in Cannes Lions Festival that won Silver Lion, and PANA's ‘Narito Ako’ campaign to ignite national pride.

Early on, she also received McDonald’s Asia Pacific Middle East Africa Women’s Leadership Award, for consistent demonstration of McDonald’s brand values, leadership behaviors and collaborative approach in contributing to the entire McDonald’s system.

Owing her success to “love” and “luck”, the former PANA and Philippine Advertising Congress chairwoman is always proud to say: “I am lucky to have a boss who empowers me, and to be able to work with people who are great in every respect,” she beams with pride.

In her speech at Tambuli Marketing Effectiveness Awards, Torres made a meaningful message:

“Marketing has the ability to reflect who and where we are as individuals, as Filipinos, as a country. Long after we are gone, the campaigns that we aired would remain. This is what the next generation would see and remember us for- our time, our life, our culture.

With such a powerful tool, responsible marketing is incumbent upon us. It is our duty and our responsibility to help in shaping the values of the youth and take part in nation building.” Enchanting message.

Client: McDonald's Philippines, Agency: Leo Burnett Manila, Executive Creative Director: Raoul Panes, Creative Director: Dante Dizon, Art Director: Ryan Giron, Copywriter: Niño Gupana, Accounts: Sue Ann Nolido, Maik Alturas, Tria Sordan, Director: Henry Frejas

CAN A FOREIGN AD BE RELEVANT LOCALLY?

By Roger Pe
Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 8, 2011

Does creativity have a citizenship? How far can a good idea travel? Can foreign campaigns transcend borders and appreciated in places other than their own? Can a local ad do the same?
Way back in the 50s, Philippine media, had already acquired some sprinklings of foreign flavor. Hundreds of years of Spanish rule and largely being Americanized afterwards, these influences helped shape what is Filipino pop culture today.
America gave us a great fill of imported shows on television. We, too, feasted on Uncle Sam’s tv commercials like Marlboro, Nike, Levi’s … to kids teaching the world to sing in perfect harmony, Coke.
From the 80’s, 90’s, to the last decade, we grew up not only with American brands but knew others as well: Rolls Royce, Armani, Volvo, Louis Vuitton, Sony, BMW, to name just a few.
Colonial? Maybe it’s about time to drop the word. Progressive thinking? More like it. We learn from the world, the world learns from us. Afterall, that’s where the world is heading and being too insular isn’t exactly a good mindset for business.
Long before the upheaval that changed the world’s advertising landscape, multinational ad agency networks in the Philippines have already pushed the globalization process, airing foreign-made ads to enhance their brands’ global presence.
Symbiotically and though not as frenetic as other foreign brands, the Philippines has also made inroads, going regional, even global in some markets, using true-blue Filipino concepts.
So what’s the big noise in using a foreign ad in local media? Let’s listen to the experts, local and foreign, of course, but let’s pause for a commercial break:

“FALLEN ANGELS”

Seven pretty and sexily clad angels portrayed by world-famous fashion models Adewole Bretty, Sara Samson, Josipa Jankovic and Magda Klebanska, drop one after the other from heaven with a loud thud creating a raucous.

In the town plaza, they stare at a gorgeous, innocent young man with sexual innuendoes. The song "Sexy Boy" by “Air” sneaks in and the ‘seduction’ unfolds.

An angel suddenly smashes her halo to the ground. All others follow in succession. Viewed as strongly suggesting public sex, a comment on the web sees it as “right at the point when public sex is about to begin.”

For sure, the Bartle Bogle Hegarty London-made tv ad would make the catholic church blush, and the bishops, the ones who also balked at a seemingly innocent local tv ad recently, would have none of it on Philippine tv.

Sacrilegious? Judge it for yourself.

“It is just a tv commercial, for Christ’s sake. The device is figure of speech to dramatize consumer benefits,” a local copywriter fumes.

The creative idea behind the ad was to show that Axe’s new variant Excite is so good that when you spray it, women can’t control themselves.

CREATIVITY WITHOUT BORDERS

Asked online, via Skype and social media, ad people from across the globe sent in their nuggets of wisdom:

Multi-awarded tv commercial and film director Sockie Fernandez, says: “It really depends on the ad and insight of the material. If it resonates with me then I may enjoy it but if not, I may not connect with the material inspite of its excellent production values.”

McCann Worldwide New York, Senior Vice President and Group Creative Director Marco Cignini, says: “Some markets translate quite easily. Some definitely do not. It's always best to create a spot tailored to a specific market.”

Cignini, whose wife is a pinay, says it is largely because of the economy. “I can understand why brands would try to capitalize on the savings,” he says.

Hongkong-based Creative Underground ECD Sherri Maxwell has this to say: “A foreign commercial in a local market will most probably only work if it deals with universal human truths, global humor or insights that transcend culture. I always liked: "Think global, act local."

Brand Mentors President and CEO Willy Arcilla, enumerates the good and bad side of using foreign ads: “Good, because it is cost-effective, consistent, provides foreign cachet and leverages on global best practices. Bad, because it lacks local relevance, discourages local creativity and employment.”

Newly hired JWT Hongkong Executive Creative Director Sylvester Song says: “Coke and Nike for example, still maintain their brand essence, yet in every market globally they adapt a bit if needed.

Song believes that “if you really want to reach an audience, you need to speak their language and be culturally relevant.”

According to Song, Red Bull, a Thai brand, is a perfect example. “It has become a successful global brand, but look at what they needed to do to become that,” he says.

Leo Burnett Manila Associate Creative Director Don Mangente says any foreign commercial with a clear message can be easily understood by anyone. He finds Axe “Falling Angels” tv ad great because it’s idea is universal.

“A global ad helps you if your brand is known and used worldwide and you want people to experience the same communication wherever they are,” says
Trackworks Chief Marketing Officer Bing Kimpo.


Rafik Belmesk, Strategic Planner of one of Canada’s biggest ad agencies, nails it on the head:
“In the end, ideas are ideas, and the good ones often translate pretty well. Some commercials play on insights and issues that are so peculiar to specific cultures it wouldn't make sense to air them anywhere else,” he emphasizes.
To summarize, a universal idea will always acquire citizenship anywhere.
If it inspires, culturally sensitive, helps improve local production standards, introduce new way of thinking, and make technology transfer useful, it will be embraced and not seen as invading local creativity.

THIS AD IS CHEESY BUT CUTESY

By Roger Pe
Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 1, 2011

Filipinos they say are fond of drama, that is, when we are engulfed with too much emotion, we tend to overdo it. Are we really overly dramatic or is that an Asian thing?
Well, some people say people from all over the world do the same. When an event happens, they always feel they should have a part in it to feel important.
“Filipinos are thoughtful and caring, it’s our way of expressing we are concerned about someone we know or don’t know,” a friend told us.
Here’s one that’ll make you chuckle: “We have a natural talent for emoting.”
Emote. Hmm, interesting word. Also, perhaps the root word for an ad series that’s not only been getting a big slice of awareness recall, driving people nuts to this pizza chain for delicious cheesy delights, and one that served as an insight and springboard for a campaign that’s raking in the sales.
We’re talking about Greenwich Extreme Cheese Pizza tv commercials - where the agency used the “cheesy” side of Pinoy to mount a successful sales-generating blitz.
How does it feel to be in a mushy situation, when you’re caught unaware displaying your affection to friends?
CJ Jimenez, Publicis-Jimenez Planning Director says, “People believe what happens in real life. When you portray real emotion and reflect it in your ads, you endear yourself to target. It may be embarrassing but who cares? It is just being human, a universal truth,” he says.
On a busy city intersection, a guy (played by budding actor Lloyd Zaragoza) crosses the street not knowing he is about to meet an accident. His eagle-eyed buddy (played by matinee idol John Lloyd Cruz) dashes off like a knight in shining armor and saves him in the nick of time.
As they roll on the ground, Rey Valera’s lachrymose song, “Kung Kailangan Mo Ako” wafts in the air.
Reminiscent of a scene in a Hollywood oldie, “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing,” the guy whose life was almost snapped by the speeding car wrenchingly, say: “You save my life!” - all in over-the-top dramatic tone.
Well, what happens next? The gang hovers around them and chorusly breaks into: “Pare, sobrang cheesy, n’yo ha!” Bingo, it’s time for Greenwich Extreme pizza.
In another series, basketball heartthrob Chris Tiu scores the winning basket in a hotly contested game. As pandemonium breaks loose and rain of confetti pours in, an overly excited player lifts Chris heroically.
The two whoop it up, their teammates watching with glee. As in previous ad, the gang breaks the “mushy moment” yelling, “Pare sobrang cheesy n’yo ha!”
At Burnham Park, John Lloyd Cruz tells a nervous Bea Lucero that he is “ending their friendship.” Before Bea could break into tears, John makes his tour de force acting: “This is the start of our romantic relationship” to the latter’s delight.
All star-studded, all celebrity-filled series, were they all expensive?
The agency doesn’t want to divulge but all Sherrie Chua, Account Director for Greenwich business could say was she’s all praises for client’s negotiating skills.
“We got the celebrities we wanted and recommended, we researched, we planned, we tested, so all’s well,” she beams with delight.
Since then, the line “sobrang cheesy” has made its way to people’s expressions, in a television gag and spoof show, even movies.
The campaign was also very prominent on the globally popular American Idol show, hitting the target right where it matters – bullseye, and for a media placement that could run into millions.
To extend the theme’s campaignability, the team also created “cheesy moments” in televised basketball leagues, adding buzz to its campaign.
What inspires a whole team that works just like hanging out as one big barkada?
Copywriter Martin Sarmenta is itching to pen another ‘cheesy’ storyline for Greenwich. “The brand keeps getting better and better and is an inspiration by itself because it gives me freedom to my ideas,” he says.
If people find Greenwich commercials funny, it could be because the Art Director on the team, RJ Ferrer derives his inspiration from Thai commercials – known all over the awards world for being hilarious.
For inspiration, Head of Visibility Jess Villaruel doesn’t need to look elsewhere. “Everyone is my inspiration, all the people around me,” he says.
The ever supportive and doting Account Director Sherrie Chua, says: “My team inspires me. “Where else will you find a wacky bunch that with a good first-pass batting average with client?”
Sharp and marketing savvy Planning Director CJ Jimenez believes in collaborative work. “That’s the way to go to synergize our thoughts and really gel together.”
Jimenez, a first-rate frontliner who has a deep creative background tucked under his belt knows what he’s talking about. His first and foremost concern is to come up with an inspiring brief to his creative buddies.
A month after launching the campaign, Greenwich Pizza sales increased by 26.48% and total pizza sales increased by 17.82%.
Compared to year ago sales, the brand’s pizza sales increased by 8.84% and total pizza sales increased by 9.70%.
All told, Publicis-Jimenez won slabs of awards for its “cheesy” campaign, including an “Araw” Gold for Best Integrated advertising in 2009 Philippine Ad Congress.
The only QSR with 230-strong outlets nationwide won the highest honor, topping all other major campaigns across different industries, not to mention a Tambuli and other marketing effectiveness awards.
Sweet success. Say cheese to Publicis-Jimenez.
Credits: ECD: Don Sevilla; CD: Noel San Juan, Lec Flores; Art Director: Jess Villaruel, RJ Ferrer
Copywriter: Noel San Juan, Martin Sarmenta
Planning Director: CJ Jimenez; Group Account Director: Chinky Veloso; Account Director: Sherie Chua; Producer: Noel Enriquez; Production House: Film Pabrika; Director: Carlo Directo

A LIKEABLE ICE CREAM TV COMMERCIAL

BY ROGER PE
Philippine Daily Inquirer, May 23, 2011


There are now more than 500 million active users on Facebook worldwide, 50% of which log in at any given day. An average user has 130 friends and spends over 700 billion awesome minutes per month surfing.

These people interact with over 900 million objects (pages, groups, events, etc.) and more than 30 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) are shared each month.

Wait there is also a “like” button that you can click underneath every single post to signify that you are pleased with what you see. You can make a comment or totally ignore it.

With this brand, or more specifically, ad series, however, the “like” button has reached feverish high, and has even grown to a Fan Page.

As in other fan pages that drum beaters of celebrities purposely put up to jack up membership, Cornetto handlers did it without even lifting a finger. The fans, mostly teens, did it.

Awareness, copy lines verbatim recall, comprehension, humor, overall likability – this campaign by Lowe and Partners, created for Cornetto Unilever, is most likely your favorite, too.

And why not? The campaign is a product of the heart like its logo. You can see love sprinkled all over it by a team whose passion is as intense as that of people where the ice cream originated, Naples.

And the good news is, it is not borrowed from an international campaign.

In an advertising landscape that keeps on changing and local ad agencies are marginalized because of budget shifts to mother networks and aligned agencies, Lowe and Partners’ “Sarap Ng 20 Pesos” tv ad series – “Horror” “Barber”, “Bouncer”, “Sweater”, is a breath of fresh air.

It’s homegrown, borne out of pinoy creativity and based on local insights that the teen market can really relate.

“We’re proud of our work for Cornetto and even more so that some of our agency’s work has gone regional,” says Creative Director Abi Aquino whose team has focused on the brand for a couple of years now.

Aquino, whose creative managerial style includes allowing her underlings to fly, believes in collaborative effort. “I believe every one has an idea worth looking into,” she says with a firm tone.

Aquino and her team squeeze their creative minds to the last drop, regularly churning out a rich number of ideas, and not settling for less. “We make sure that we are ready and have a bounty of options for clients to select from, whether for traditional, new and social media,” she says.

Her equally energetic Art Director John Pabalan, young and most likely a creative director-material, couldn’t agree more. “The group welcomes ideas from whoever, the more the merrier, anybody who can help make the idea in better shape, he or she is definitely in,” Pabalan says.

“Cornetto first used the slogans "Mag-Cornetto ka na lang" ("Just have a Cornetto instead") and "Hanggang Saan Aabot Ang 20 Pesos Mo?" ("How far will your 20 Pesos take you?"). Until today, the latter proves just as strong as when we first launched it,” Account Manager Mel Tomas says.

Before it was marketed in the country, Cornetto enjoyed a successful advertising campaign in Italy using a famous operatic gondolier to sing “O Sole Mio” in many situations and locales throughout Europe.

The campaign ran for ten years (1980 -1990), with its theme recycled back in 2006 and pedestrians, drivers, office workers, even marathon runners in London singing the song. Since then, the ice cream has become one of the most popular ice cream brands in the UK & Ireland.

A cone full of delights, an ice cream that gave birth to a series of highly recalled tv commercials. Most likely, you’ll give it a lot of check marks. Shall we check the “like” button, now?.