PHILIPPINES, MAY 4, 2011 – Kidlat Advertising Festival 2011 had its sexiest set of speakers on its third day. Jerome Sy, group head of Planning from Ogilvy and Mather Philippines, talked about bringing sexy back to brands by taking the audience through the then and now of "sexy" brands such as Apple and Old Spice. Even brands went through a period of awkward adolescence, evidenced by the clunky white Apple computers in the 90’s. "Sexy knows what it stands for, and what it stands against," said Sy.
Carlos Celdran, activist and walking tour guide talked about making history sexy, why he does what he does, and what makes effective tourism. "Think of tourism as theater, it has to have a crescendo and a closure. Create itineraries for the experience, make that experience available," he said.
During the Q&A he also talked about his iconic "Damaso" protest for the Reproduction Health Bill. Celdran became the face of the RH bill debate when he held up a sign reading "Damaso" at the Manila Cathedral . Damaso is a figure in Philippine literature commonly associated with the Catholic Church’s abuse of power. The reproductive health bill is a hot button topic, especially for the local Catholic Church who heavily opposes it.
On the making of the Damaso revolution, Celdran said, "I dressed up as Jose Rizal and used the word Damaso to communicate the abuse of the Catholic Church. Because as you know, brevity is the soul of wit. Why use something with twenty words, when you can use one? By bringing art and brevity to get the message across, it became a very effective campaign."
The afternoon had Director Thirasak Tanapatanakul of Creative Juice give a deeply moving talk about his agency’s "green initiative". He started his talk on a very strong sentiment: "We can’t deny that we as advertising has made the world worse."
His green initiative was inspired by a tantrum thrown by his four-year-old son when Thirasak refused to give him the latest smartphone. Since then, Thirasak founded a village farm called Burg Barn Buri or "Village of Joy", an hour and a half drive away from Bangkok. The farm brings people back to their roots: swimming in rivers, cooking out of a stove, and living and creating among nature. It’s a movement he hopes will catch on with other agencies.
"I’m still in advertising but I believe as a guy who can make something worse – I can make something better."
Finally, the poster girl for the Kidlat Awards, Alodia Gosiengfiao gave the advertising community a peek into the world of cosplay, and how she had to learn to skip in four-inch heels for a pose. "Cosplay is an art form. It’s like the chopsuey of art," says Alodia, on the different forms of collaboration and niche sexiness found for girls with glasses and school uniforms. She certainly has fun with it: "I never imagined a hobby like this can take me to a place like this!"
Thus ended the second day of talks, which brought about difference slices of sexy for everyone.
