MANILA, PHILIPPINES – In a digital world where people’s lives are on real-time display, and where everyone has strong opinions on the “right way” of doing things, it can be very hard to listen to one’s inner voice and do your own thing.
BDO understands the struggle. Which is why, in a recent campaign with Team BDO/Ogilvy and Director Joel Limchoc of Pabrika, the bank highlighted how Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray rose above the noise and found her own way to achieve her goals.
The one-minute material “Find Your Way” shows Gray walking confidently as a sea of literal eyeballs gawks and judges her every move. Limchoc expertly adds to the mix snooty avant-garde characters, as well as judgmental cyberpunk creatures, to show the kind of pressure millennials face today.
But Gray is undeterred. Grounded by a firm knowledge of who she is – a Filipino, first and foremost – she shuts out the noise, finds her own way, and wins over the universe in the process.
In portraying Gray’s journey, the second half of the video stirs up Filipino pride with a showcase of Filipino music, landmarks, icons, and that unforgettable masterstroke – the word “Pinay” imprinted on Gray’s forehead in ancient Baybayin script.
The campaign speaks of brave direction and strong collaboration. It is a daring move for BDO, coming from an industry known for its traditional inclinations. You take a look at what’s out there and find that indeed, no other bank has done this. In encouraging people to find their own way, BDO goes against formula and effectively practices what it preaches.
“Great campaigns always start with great direction. More importantly, the best works are born out of taking brave leaps together with your clients and partners, which is truly the case for this campaign. Being fearless in finding your way to purposeful opportunity is never easy, but with strong collaboration it’s never impossible,” said Caloy Sambrano, Managing Partner for Team BDO/Ogilvy.
For his part, Director Joel Limchoc said, “There are so many ads featuring Catriona and I was happy to have been given the opportunity to actually help tell her story through a brand like BDO. My vision was to show her personal journey in a way that provokes the audience with powerful images that people can relate to. More than just taking on the ownership of the brand tagline, the campaign stands for something bigger, local, and what BDO can do to elevate Filipino pride.”
“We were determined to produce an unforgettable material with a strong message that could cut through the clutter of current advertisements, regardless of industry. We believe we have achieved that in collaboration with Ogilvy, Pabrika, Joel Limchoc, and of course, Catriona Gray. We enjoy working with people who help concretize the BDO ‘We Find Ways’ narrative,” said Cecille Fonacier, Marketing Communications Group Head of BDO.
“Catriona’s story, and even the story of this campaign, shows how having the right partners can help you find your own way. We want Filipinos to see that BDO is that partner for them – the one that will find ways for them, in all ways, always,” she added.
