30SENATORIABLEthoughts (Part Three of Three)

Let's complete the senatorial slate with the third batch of political ads.


MAGSAYSAY, JUN

Tagline:                      Magsaysay is Still Our Guy
myTHOUGHTS:       Can a son of a former president win without lurking behind his father's shadows and depend on his credentials alone? That question is the common denominator for other senatorial candidates belonging to infamous political dynasties.



MAGSAYSAY, MITOS

Tagline:                     Kasi Kay Mitos, Kayo ang Una
myTHOUGHTS:      Lacks practice in her delivery, although one feels her attempt to be heart-warming, approachable.



PENSON, RICARDO

Tagline:                      Krusada Kontra Dynasty        
myTHOUGHTS:       His is an interesting proposition - for the public not to vote for candidates belonging to political dynasties. The problem is that his message is bordering advocacy rather than a concrete platform. He does not have ownership for such crusade, as some of the candidates do not belong to political families.


PIMENTEL, KOKO

Tagline:                     Use your Kokote
myTHOUGHTS:      That's what you call using your coconut. The over-all campaign is focused on the practical - the advocacy towards voting to the issue of double dead meat, for example. The tone not hard-sell and the candidate appears to be genuine with his concern of the public's well-being. Or is he.



POE, GRACE

Tagline:                    Ipagpapatuloy Ko
myTHOUGHTS:      Mad'am Poe, the race is not a grade school contest where your victory will validate the love of your mother for you. Do it for the sake of service but there's obviously nothing wrong with using your father's star to shine light to the voting masses.



TRILLANES, SONNY

Tagline:                
myTHOUGHTS:      His sticking to his no-nonsense approach of politicking. His message his clean and straight to the point. Maintaining the "military discipline" as part of his packaging is an effective strategy for Trillanes. His not Antonio anymore; call him Sonny.



VILLANUEVA, EDDIE

Tagline:                    Walang Iwanan sa Umaangat na Bayan
myTHOUGHTS:      He never gets tired of running. Is his race to victory increased with Pacquiao's endorsement? Let's see if he will be among those cheerful when he crosses the finish line.



VILLAR, CYNTHIA

Tagline:                     Misis Hanepbuhay
myTHOUGHTS:      It would be a miracle if she gets one vote from the community of registered nurses. Nuff said.



ZUBIRI, MIGZ

Tagline:                    MIGZ-Mo
myTHOUGHTS:     The runner-up for best use of hand language goes to Zubiri. He stepped down from his Senate seat as a display of integrity. Will the voting public give him another chance at redemption?



And with that, we end our special edition of 30secondTHOUGHTS.
Twelve slots. One date to vote. One country. Vote wisely!

30SENATORIABLEthoughts (Part Two of Three)

Let's continue with our second round of politically-induced television commercials.


ESCUDERO, CHIZ

Tagline:                             Say Chiz
myTHOUGHTS:              Ah, the power of associating your name with a grocery item. I just hope the voting nation gets to buy the fresh variety rather than the rotten one. The use of cheese has been used during his first senatorial bid. Escudero should find fresh ideas for his next campaign period. His Pagbabago spot provides us with a ray of light.


GORDON, RICHARD

Tagline:                          Aksyon Gordon, Ligtas ang Pinas
myTHOUGHTS:           Ang paggamit ng tula at bata upang ipahayag ang plataporma. It's cute, endearing and I get to have a gist of what Gordon is as an action man. Not much of what Gordon can do; but what he has done pre-Senate candidacy. I thank you. Bow.


HAGEDORN, ED

Tagline:                         Kampeon ng Kalikasan
myTHOUGHTS:           Sir Hagedorn, we appreciate that you, being the Son of Palawan, champion the cause of protecting Mother Earth. But please fire your image consultant. You don't need to wear a campaign cap and jacket for your commercials and during PR appearances. Wear it during rallies. Don't oversell.  People want  to see the humanity, not the politician, in you. And please give us a hint of your smile next time.


HONASAN, GRINGO

Tagline:                        Gringo Rock
myTHOUGHTS:         The tone breeds of heroism, his contribution to Filipino democracy. But the subliminal speaks of otherwise. Honasan implies begging for a seat in the Senate, justifying that he is still "alive" and with other missions to accomplish.


HONTIVEROS, RISA

Tagline:                       Ipaglalaban Ka
myTHOUGHTS:        I don't know why some people don't get her. Maybe because she's an epitome of an empowered woman and there is a perceived threat or intimidation in such character. Her signature purple scarf is given a more active role, this time as a weapon to metaphorically exterminate things oppressive and corrupt in the political system. It even has a powerful name - "Ang Palabang Alampay." Wattah.


LEGARDA, LOREN

Tagline:                     Paboritong Senador
myTHOUGHTS:       She proclaims herself as the favorite senator, which  is a rather strategic move. With her positioning, Legarda is perceived to be the bet of all classes of the Filipino population (read: voting public) - from the ordinary worker to the household wife, from the hardworking teacher to the most-admired  celebrity, and so on. They say that perception is reality. With this spot, Legarda might have re-wired some of her non-voters' candidate list.


MACEDA, ERNESTO

Tagline:                    Kay Manong Ernie, Una Ka Sa Senado
myTHOUGHTS:     The word "Manong" is a term of respect. But given that majority of the voters are young, the term "manong" would scream rather old and unrelatable. But commendations should be given for the Glee-esque feel of his political spot.


MADRIGAL, JAMBY

Tagline:                    Mahal ang Mahirap. Galit sa Corrupt.
myTHOUGHTS:     Nasaan ka na Judy Ann?

30SENATORIABLEthoughts (Part One of Three)

The date is set for the midterm elections. Come Monday, registered voters will flock to their respective precincts to practice their right to suffrage. And by now, you might have heard your bets, local and national alike, pronounce their platforms in various communications channels - in stages, motorcades, radio spots, and more notably, the television screen.

And in the spirit of the campaign season, a special three-part series of 30secondTHOUGHTS shall summarize the television spots aired for this year's official candidates vying for a Senate seat. Let's name this special, 30SENATORIABLEthoughts, shall we?

ANGARA, SONNY

Tagline:                       Ang Gara ng Pinoy, Angara Sa Senado
myTHOUGHTS:         In his commercial, Sonny Angara is positioned to champion two main causes - education and opportunity to work, a platform similar to fellow candidate JV Ejercito. What separates Angara from Ejercito is that the former does not heavily rely on the recommendation coming from the father - Senator Ed Angara - to further his credibility, albeit the younger Angara gets endorsements from other notable celebrities. A son who can stand without the father's help. Quite strategic.


AQUINO, BAM

Tagline:                      Bida Ang Mamamayan (BAM)
myTHOUGHTS:       The use of the candidate's name for his tagline - Bida Ang Mamamayan or BAM - is witty. Quite expected, Aquino associates himself with the integrity of his heritage - Ninoy, Cory, and President Noynoy. Quite surprise there's no mention of Kris in this political ad.


BINAY, NANCY

Tagline:                    Nanay de Pamilya
myTHOUGHTS:      If you're more than your father's daughter, why still use him in your political ad. Nuff said.


CASINO, TEDDY

Tagline:                      Boses ng Karaniwang Tao sa Senado
myTHOUGHTS:        The spot is honest, delivered in the slums where "karaniwang tao" lives. It is much appreciated that his platforms - "lupa, trabaho, sahod, abot-kayang presyo" are delivered without need of any musical jingle, although the viewing public might not remember all these causes after the spot ends because Casino speaks quite fast of them.


CAYETANO, ALAN

Tagline:                       Presyo. Trabaho. Kita
myTHOUGHTS:        Cayetano shares similar platforms with Casino. The major difference is the use of PiTiK or PTK to summarize his agenda. Presyo. Trabaho. Kita. Memorable words, post-commercial.


COJUANGO, TINGTING

Tagline:                      Be Safe Lagi
myTHOUGHTS:       She uses her noble involvement during the EDSA revolution, as expected. Her tagline sounds like the famous Biogesic catchphrase. And the use of the broom, the walis "tingting", with matching yellow ribbon is a disconnect to her personality. The broom is a common household item and I bet Cojuanco has not made use of them in her regular life as an affluent haciendera. Poor use of association. There's not much trace of honesty, even sincerity. She still sounds rich.


EJERCITO, JV

Tagline:                     Ginhawa ng Bayan
myTHOUGHTS:      Award for best use of hand language to spell out his initial goes to JV Ejercito. He speaks of his achievements as the Mayor of San Juan in one spot but uses his bloodline as his father's son in the other. Which tactic will make him win? My instincts say it will be the latter. Or Sam Pinto.


ENRILE, JACK

Tagline:                    Oks na Oks Ka Kay Jack Enrile
myTHOUGHTS:     He is Mr. Anti-Bad. The commercial jingle, a rip-off of Willie Revillame's "Giling-Giling", will sure command the attention of the common tao. It's jolly but obviously staged. The continuous use of the pointing finger brings back haunting childhood memories of "Hala, isusumbong kita kay teacher!"

30secondTHOUGHTS: SLENDER VENDER

It's engineering wit. A vending machine that literally translates the benefit of the beverage that it stores - a beverage, with no sugar and calories addes, that doesn't make you fat and will maintain your slimmer weight. No guilt added.

A vender as slim as the drinker. Or are you?

AD TITLE:                  "THE SLENDER VENDER"
AD AGENCY:            OGILVY & MATHER PARIS
CLIENT:                     COCA-COLA

30secondTHOUGHTS: ONLY FOR CHILDREN

Two messages - one directed to adults, the other to kids - in one brilliant execution against child abuse.

AD TITLE:            ONLY FOR CHILDREN
AD AGENCY:      GREY (SPAIN)
CLIENT:               FUNDACION ANAR.

FIRST MAGIC OF MAY

Talk about a dream come true. Going to Thailand tonight. Thank You for the blessing. Muang Thai, Laew Phop Gan. Phom Sanuk Cing Cing Krap (Thailand, see you later. I am very excited.)