THE PHILIPPINES, APRIL 2, 2012: Trumping ten other competitors, Rodrigo Salvador Sotto and Justine Anne Gaurino of Johnson & Johnson was named Team PANA Philippines during the third annual Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA) Brand Camp held last March 29-31. Sotto and Gaurino will represent the Philippines in the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the Young Marketers Competition.
To experience actual Cannes Young Lions rules, the teams were given an overnight period to respond to the brief: how do you promote OPM or original Pilipino music to Filipinos who are now exposed to foreign artists and the world of iTunes. Teams are given 5 minutes to present a maximum of 8 slides.
Sotto and Gaurino questioned the challenge, saying that the problem is not actually OPM versus foreign music, but rather illegal music downloads. “That’s what’s killing the music industry,” their brief read.
Combining the fact that Filipinos are attached to their mobile phones and the people’s love for singing, especially through videoke, Team Johnson & Johnson proposed Mobioke (mobile videoke): an interactive, innovative package that will allow users to download minus one versions of their favorite OPM via opm2go.ph, complete with video and correct lyrics.
“The weight on our shoulders is immense. The pressure is so intense. But we will do our best to make the Philippines proud,” said Sotto. The Philippines’ previous representatives, Justine Ferrer and Angeline Go from Del Monte Philippines brought home the Gold, while pioneer winners from Bayan Telecommunications bagged the Silver Lion from the Cannes Lions Young Marketers Competition.
Kristine Mercado and Florente Mario Garcia, Jr. of Nestle Philippines placed second, while Nikki Rose Lee and Francis John Chua of Coca-Cola Export Corp. grabbed the third spot.
Designed as a boot camp for marketing excellence, PANA Brand Camp features training in marketing strategies and tactics. It was also created to select the Philippine representatives to the Cannes Lions Young Marketers competition, held in June every year.
“PANA Brand Camp teaches that you can move away from the templates. This is where you are encouraged to think outside the box, and start your journey to be become thought leaders,” Torres said of her brainchild.
This year, Tey San Diego of Seven A.D. gave a talk on the importance of getting insights, while Gino Borromeo of McCann Worldgroup Philippines shared some “Worst Briefs” to emphasize strategic planning. Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide Manila’s Pao Peña presented case studies on the Best Digital Applications, and Russell Molina, also from Seven A.D., gave a lecture on storytelling.
Getting the young marketers Cannes-ready this year were PANA Brand Camp mentors Tin Sanchez (executive creative director of BBDO Guerrero), Alvin Tecson (creative director of Leo Burnett Manila), and PANA representative Rudy Villar (senior associate vice president of SM Group).
Other PANA Brand Campers were from Century Pacific Group, Globe Telecom, Jollibee Foods Corp., Golden Arches Development Corp. (McDonald’s), Monde Nissin Corp., Nutriasia Inc., Procter & Gamble Distributing Philippines0, The Coca-Cola Export Corp. and Wyeth Philippines.
Ogie Alcasid, one of the most prominent Filipino music artists and composers, who is also the president of the non-government group Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (literally, Organization of Filipino Singers), presented the PANA Brand Camp challenge to the young marketers.
