MANILA, JULY 5, 2013 – “We were a little surprised because we didn’t have a range of materials that we fielded in this year. We were surprised because we were lucky to have hit three metals this year,” Y&R Philippines ECD Badong Abesamis tells adobo Magazine.
Y&R Philippines ‘Dengue Bottle’ project for Maynilad Water Services has won not just one award but three for the agency’s first win in Cannes: a Silver Lion in Media and two Bronze Lions in Outdoor and Activation.
‘Dengue Bottle’ was launched in December last year in partnership with Maynilad Water Services. It unleashed the power of clean water using a simple
technology – plastic bottles plus a combination of brown sugar, yeast and clean water. The contraption gives off carbon dioxide which attracts the mosquitoes.
A local community consisting 500 families participated at the onset, but after dengue cases decreased by more than half, Maynilad later on decided to enjoin more. “Certainly, we cannot take credit for that whole thing but we were overjoyed in a sense that it has helped,” Abesamis affirmed.
Simple campaign, award-winning case study
“I think the judges noticed the idea because of the case study”, comments Abesamis on their win in Cannes. “I think it’s part of the case study as well. I mean mounting it is one thing. Doing a case study is another story.”
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Y&R Philippines have also submitted the campaign in various local and international shows. ‘Dengue Bottle’ was a finalist in New York Festival’s International Advertising Awards where it won under the Civic and Social Education Category.
“We had different case study that we fielded in New York, in Kidlat locally, in One Show and I think the best one that we coupled together is in the one we send in Cannes,” Abesamis added.
The briefing, conceptualization and actual implementation lasted for about six months. “It really takes long to produce good work. You can’t really rush things. That’s what I discovered in my short three years stint as an ECD. You cannot rush these things. You have to make sure that you give time to sell, to conceptualize and to produce materials as well.”
