Noah Valdez: Postcard from The Philippines

| | No Comments

Noah Valdez.jpgIn our latest “Postcard From…” series, Noah Valdez (left), Executive Creative Director, Bates CHI&Partners Manila discusses The Philippines’ Love Affair with the Jingle.

It’s no secret that in the Philippines, wherever you go, someone will always be up for any kind of singing challenge. Collectively, Filipinos are probably the most talented singers in the world. Just ask Anthony Bourdain, whose Season 7 Premiere of Parts Unknown features just that. We love music. Period. And you could say that it’s the one constant throughout our history that continuously brings all our 7,000+ islands together.

So imagine the stress each and every advertising creative goes through when the dreaded Jingle Brief arrives. The bar is set so high and the song-obsessed public is always such a tough crowd. Plus with the rise of social media, whether your new jingle is a hit or not, netizens will definitely be talking about it.

In the 80’s, back when 90-second TV placements were affordable, brands like Sarsi (“Angat sa Iba”) and San Miguel Beer (“SiBoom” and “Bilmoko”) dominated the airwaves with memorable jingles that people still sing up to this day. Along with other memorable jingles from Seiko Wallet (“Ang Wallet na Maswerte”) and Beam Toothpaste (“Panalo Pag Beam”), the current generation of Ad Men know exactly what a brand jingle should be – catchy, memorable and definitely sing-able.

Throughout the succeeding decades, more brands released even more memorable pieces of music that created drastic changes in consumer behavior. “Milo Everyday” from Nestle and “I Love You, Sabado” from Jollibee were instant classics. And people took the lyrics to heart. Brands like Rexona (“First Day Funk”) and Knorr (“Makulay ang Buhay”) followed suit, bombarding our ears with well-written music powered by massive media budgets. Yes. In this country, the jingle is so effective if done right.

Luckily, we hit the jingle jackpot with our latest spot for Wyeth. The task was to create a big splash in the growing-up milk segment by reintroducing Bonakid Pre- School as Bonakid Pre-School 3+ through a catchy and memorable tune. Our “3 Pataas” campaign is officially a viral success not just with numerous parodies but with hundreds of dance videos inspired by the music as well. And better yet, our spot was spoofed by the biggest TV comedy show in the country, Bubble Gang – another testament to the success of the campaign.

So wherever you are in the world, if you find yourself in a creative rut as you crack that campaign launch brief, you might want to consider a more musically-inclined approach. Besides, the power of music has proven to be so effective time and time again whether you’re an up-and-coming wallet brand in the Philippines or a Global brand like Pizza Hut. Hey, music is a sure win! But if you’re still hesitant about taking that musical plunge, you could always have a brainstorm session at your nearest KTV and see where it takes you. I’d love to join you.

Read our previous Postcard from Chris Kyme in Hong Kong.