It is no mean feat to become an advertising legend.
Jake Tesoro, co-Chief Operations Officer (COO) of FCB Manila, stood tall at the recent Kidlat Awards 2019 where he was inducted to the Creative Guild of the Philippines Hall of Fame.
The journey to achieve this status is arduous. It requires at least five Ad of the Year or Gold Kidlat Awards, and at least three gold medals from any of the following international festivals: Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Clio Awards, One Show, Design & Art Direction (D&AD) Awards, Adfest, Spikes, New York Festival, and London International Awards.
Tesoro’s considerable contribution to the industry involves over 20 years of professional experience that includes stints at Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, JWT, Lowe Shanghai, TBWA\SMP and FCB Manila, providing him the opportunity to showcase his creativity and work with top brands such as Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, SM Supermalls, Petron, Dole Philippines and Asia, Boysen Paints, Nissan, KFC, Estee Lauder, Unicef, Del Monte, Bench, Asia Brewery, Ayala Center Malls, Century Canning Corp., Nivea and more. He was also generous with his time for the industry by serving as the co-Creative Head for the 2018 Ad Summit and as the chairman of the Creative Guild of the Philippines in 2016.
For the FCB Manila COO, the Hall of Fame recognition is definitely a career highlight to remember.
“Being in the company of the Philippines’ most celebrated creatives is nothing short of overwhelming. It has been a goal of mine for the longest time and I’ve always aspired and worked hard to fulfill it. To paraphrase what one of my favorite motivational speakers had said, it’s not the award per se, but what you become to get it. The award means a lot more than I can imagine,” Tesoro said.
“Getting inducted to the Hall of Fame is definitely a very memorable feat for me. Every promotion, every award won and every agency I’ve worked with were highlights for me as well. There are no small feats and events as everything that happens teaches me a thing or two which will eventually come in handy in the future,” he continued.
This latest recognition inspires him not only in terms of his creative endeavors but also in his leadership role at FCB Manila.
“The learning process is continuous and having this Hall of Fame award will help me become braver in trying out new things for FCB Manila. [My vision] is to help FCB Manila become the best agency that it can be. I truly believe that ‘Creative’ is not a department. Everyone in the agency can be creative in their own way and contribute in a way only they can,” Tesoro stated.
This inclusive view of creativity is something that the young ad executive hopes to cascade not only in FCB Manila but the whole advertising industry for generations to come.
“One of the things I’ve learned in advertising is that everyone has a very good story to tell. All we have to do is consciously reach deeper into ourselves and be willing to share. And that there are enough awards, recognitions, spotlights for everyone – we just have to want and work for it,” Tesoro shared.
Apart from his role as FCB Manila co-Chief Operations Officer, Tesoro also serves as the agency’s Chief Creative Officer (CCO). With Tesoro at the helm, long-term FCB client Nivea began to produce local advertising materials that are also used for the region. In addition, his leadership enabled FCB Manila to elevate its creative outputs, helping secure advertising contracts with Mister Donut, Double Dragon Properties and Propan TLC.
