But such a world may not exist in these days, where big-budget introductions can crash and modest launches can go into orbit. This is the world of advertising, a world of hits and flops depending on how the elements are managed or mismanaged.
What makes a brand take off? How can a brand grow into a national phenomenon? Brand successes are built from the ground up – a new shampoo, a detergent brand, a new restaurant, a new beer or soda has appeal, tickles the imagination, makes people think, and touches human emotions. The word goes out. Other people get in on it. The word spreads. Suddenly it’s a hot ticket. And from hot it becomes cool, graduates into a phenomenon, and eventually gets absorbed as part of the culture.
Building products, building brands, building reputations is like building fires. A lot of care is needed at the start to see that the initial pieces light the others. But if there is a big idea surfacing in the bundled pieces, a flame can ensue to start a creative blaze. If the elements of advertising are wet, no huffing and puffing can breathe life and excitement into the dampness. Big ideas can make the wet elements dry, make it spark and start a fire.
Today, more than ever, we need big advertising ideas to propel our brand to greater heights and maintain its competitive edge. This is the challenge the 18th Philippine Advertising Congress (PAC) is faced with. Can the Philippines become a creative powerhouse? Is the short messaging system (SMS) revolution or the text spectacle altering the advertising landscape? Will advocacy communication become a staple in a menu of possibilities on how a brand can be projected? How can public affairs program rate well?
The learnings from an explosive line-up of speakers will be spiced up by a string of events – fun games, sports, parties and more parties, and an organized trip to ukay-ukay stalls on top of the not-to-be missed visits to the market for the traditional strawberries, ube jams, and walis tambo.
The opening cocktails on Nov. 19 will be hosted by The Philippine STAR, and as Miguel Belmonte, its president and chair of the publicity committee, said, "It promises a great night of fun and excitement for the congress participants."
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will deliver the keynote address on November 20, which will be preceded by an opening ceremony that is expected to shock and awe the audience. A colorful and interactive exhibit will likewise be unwrapped for public viewing during the entire congress.
Jim Atchison, the award-winning former executive creative director of Batey Ads Singapore and the Ball Partnership, will open the knowledge and skill enhancement sessions with his talk on "Big Ideas in Advertising," which will be immediately followed by Chris Von Selle’s "From Systems to Soul." The afternoon schedule will cover Steven Marcopoto’s discussion on "International Media"; Cyril Pereira’s discourse on "Quality Newspapers: The Search for New Value Proposition"; and Yoly Ong (chair, Campaigns & Grey) and Gina Lopez (managing director, ABS-CBN Foundation) tandem deliberation of "Social Responsibility and Advocacy Advertising in the Philippine Context."
On the second day, the session will start with the forum "Media: Selling Your Medium" with senior officials from the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) TV and Radio Groups and the United Print Media Group (UPMG). India’s celebrated ad man, Piyush Panday, will quickly follow with his treatise on the topic "Can a Third World Country Become a Creative Powerhouse?" Panday has been in the forefront of projecting creative excellence in India.
"How Commercials are Made from a Director’s Point of View" will be tackled by Tony Gloria, Jun Reyes, Raul Jorolan and Sid Maderazo, illustrious names in local TV commercial production. Publicis Asia Pacific executive George Singleton will confront "La Holistic Difference (The Big Holistic Idea)." Completing the impressive line up of presentations for the day is "The New Electronic Media: Is Texting the Next Big Idea in Advertising?" to be handled by Mon Lizardo and Anne Tolentino, two prominent names in the telecommunications industry.
A total of 3,166 submissions from over 100 entrants coming from various ad agencies, media outfits and production houses were submitted for evaluation. After two days of critical review and assessment of entries, world-class finalists, as tabulated and disclosed by an independent auditing firm, number over 431, covering all categories.
The last day, Nov. 22, will begin by probing into the "Quality of Life Index," a research study to be exposed by Fedy Magpantay of AC Nielsen. This will be followed by a dig on a controversial television issue, "Does Responsible Programming Rate?" with McCann Erickson chair Emily Abrera joining Wilma Galvante (GMA 7) and Cory Vidanes (ABS-CBN), representatives from the programming departments of the rival networks. To cap the congress’ sessions, essential discussions on "Industry Agreements and Updates" by facilitators of pre-congress workshops will be held. This will be handled by Gigi Rodriguez, Susan Dimacali, Jun Nicdao, Boy Pangilinan and this columnist. The 2 nd Araw Awards might very well provide a fitting climax to the whole event.
The 18th PAC will underscore the need for truly big ideas for advertising to work effectively. It will showcase the abundance of benefits consumers can derive from advertising and its related practice – from information to glamour, from easy-to-digest information to reinforced feelings, tastes, sights, hearings and smells. Advertising makes shopping simpler and heightens the joy and pleasure we get from many of the things we purchase.
Advertising in its many facets can help consumers take advantage of the vast, overflowing cornucopia of goods, services and information now available. And the process can be made more engaging, more exciting, and more fruitful when the unmistakable and perceptible big idea is kept intact.