The new San Miguel Pale Pilsen music videos have a generation gap-bridging surprise hiding in plain sight. San Miguel Pale Pilsen proves that no matter the generation, the essence of brotherhood or samahan remains true.
On May 23, 2010, San Miguel hosted a #throwbackthursday party celebrating its new line “Kahit Kailan, Walang Iwanan” with the nostalgic spirt of its two mobile videos carried through the celebrations. Held at Whitespace Manila, the party was divided into two sections honoring two generations: true to its music videos, Side A featured disco-vibes, music from the 80s blasting in boom boxes with throwback visuals of retro outfits, moves and décor depicting how friends, or repapips, grooved back in the day. Side B had a modern take of the same theme, but leaning more towards the childhood of today’s generation with a nod to the 90s’ phones, games, music, and even snacks.
Currently at the #WalangIwanan event by @PalePilsenSMB. Taking us back to handheld games, play-doh, flip phones and pokemon. pic.twitter.com/uhT9q3AR3k
Sponsor— adobo magazine (@adobomagazine) May 23, 2019
Time for the big reveal! Kahit kailan, #WalangIwanan with @PalePilsenSMB. pic.twitter.com/HGkZiw43td
— adobo magazine (@adobomagazine) May 23, 2019
But the fun really takes off when you unlock the secret hiding in plain sight: take two phones, place them side by side then play both music videos simultaneously, and you get a totally new experience as the contrasting songs and the visuals merge as one third track and video.
At a time when generation gaps are more pronounced than ever, San Miguel Pale Pilsen’s latest music videos offer younger and older generations a reason to bond with each other. Created by McCann Worldgroup Philippines, both videos feature completely different melodies, lyrics and visuals that were meticulously designed to stand alone as independent pieces, but also seamlessly combine into a third track. All sequences, in both videos were painstakingly shot to connect with one another. Even the different melodies and lyrics combine to form a cross-generational perfect mash-up song.
A basketball shot in Side A becomes a video game alley-oop pass in Side B. Electro-infused vocals in one video is harmonized by Motown-style backup singers in the other. A classic disco dance move in one video is complemented by a pop-and-lock move in the other.
The experience is a mind-blowing ride that encourages viewers to grab a friend and watch together by simply pressing play simultaneously on two separate phones. No downloads or website required.
What sets this campaign apart from previous campaigns that have used dual video executions is the merging of standalone songs from two contrasting genres to bridge the gap between generations. It is a triumph of painstaking filming, songwriting, choreography, and production design.
“It was crazy hard but crazy fun,” said veteran director AF Benaza of Artillerie Media. “I’ve never shot anything like it. Every tweak in one video affected the other. It affected lighting, editing, everything.”
For IJ Garcia, music arranger from LoudBox Studios Inc., it was a huge challenge to create two songs that sounded good individually and when played together.
“Because it was something that has never been done before, there was a lot of room for error,” said Garcia. “We had to be faithful to each genre and each decade…we needed to complement each element so that it wouldn’t sound cluttered.”
“Our writers and art directors reworked the material several times over to make sure we got everything perfect.” shares McCann CCO Joe Dy. “It’s great that we were had genuinely collaborative clients. Not only were they brave enough to try something very different, they also understood we needed to do things differently to make it happen. We felt their support every step of the way.”
All in all, it took almost 8 months to put this campaign together but San Miguel Pale Pilsen believes it was worth all the effort. “Much has been said about the differences between millennials and the older generation,” said Bea Totanes, Brand Manager for San Miguel Pale Pilsen. “To make two contrasting generations realize that they actually have more in common, that is something I think we can be proud of as a brand.”
The videos are part of the brand’s campaign to celebrate lasting friendships with the theme “Kahit Kailan, Walang Iwanan.”
