In Unilever Philippines’ Integrated Brand Communication (IBC) Awards last April, its newest star brand, Clear Anti-Dandruff haircare, swept nearly every category—Digital, In-store Merchandise, PR, Print, Radio and the coveted 360° Award—leaving only the Best in TV to Knorr Seasoning.
Launched in the country last year, its celebrity-endorsed multimedia juggernaut blanketed the city in black, even during Valentine weekend, which is traditionally a red-letter event. In the process, Clear neatly scalped Procter & Gamble’s Head & Shoulders in the dandruff shampoo category. So it was no surprise when the brand handed nearly the same fate to other Unilever brands in the IBC Awards.
The only exception was Knorr Seasonings’ “Makulay ang Buhay” (Life is colorful) TV campaign, which was a phenomenon in its own right. Targeting a markedly different audience—middle-class moms of vegetable-averse children—its catchy tune and happy, dancing tots laid waste to other seasoning brands and ad critics alike.
The IBC Awards is Unilever’s version of the creative award shows, although the emphasis is more on effective branded communications. Most of the categories are pre-judged by the Philippine board of directors, while the biggest plum, the Best 360° Communication Award, is chosen by the audience and a panel of guest jurors. Led by ULI Philippines’ suave new chairman, Argentinean Fernando Fernandez, the jury included Pepsi Co.’s Varun
Clear’s success is credited to the brand and merchandising teams, as well as its creative agencies, Lowe Inc. and DYLL, while Knorr’s goes to its brand team and Lowe Spank.
