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Credible message, not volume or value, makes good ‘pol ads’
By KAROL M. ILAGAN, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Last of Two Parts HE has racked up nearly a billion pesos worth of TV ad spots, by network rate cards, in the last three months alone, but indications are that Nacionalista Party standard bearer Senator Manuel âMannyâ Villar Jr. can comfort himself that so far every centavo of that has been money well spent. Indeed, campaign strategists and public-relations experts point to Villarâs ads as the major reason why he has been able to catch up with the frontrunner in the presidential race, Senator Benigno âNoynoyâ Aquino III, who has now challenged him to a one-on-one public debate. Just a few months ago, the Liberal Partyâs Aquino was leading the pack by a big margin. But a Pulse Asia survey conducted in January showed Villar and Aquino practically neck and neck, while most of the other candidates failed to register any significant change in their ranking. Political strategists say that Villarâs stellar showing in the January survey can be traced partly to his bombardment of the airwaves with ads that made him top of mind when Pulse Asia took the poll. Yet more importantly, they say, Villarâs ads have been effective in communicating a message that resonates with people: that as someone who rose from poverty, Villar knows not only the hardships of the poor, but also how to help them out of their rut. No core message Pulse Asia chief research fellow Dr. Ana Maria L. Tabunda notes, âFrequency by itself does not work. You have to have a message that appeals and is credible." By comparison, the five other presidential candidates who placed TV ads from November 1, 2009 to January 31, 2010, either had no core message or delivered this poorly. This is even as each of them also plunked down millions â some in the hundreds of millions â of pesos for TV ad placements. Data gathered by the media monitoring agency AGB Nielsen show that among the presidential candidates, Villar placed the most number of TV ads in the three months prior to the start of the official campaign period. The Villar campaign bought 2,565 spots, which based on the networksâ published rate cards had a total value of P950.86 million. (The actual amount paid, however, could be lower due to possible discounts.) Administration candidate Gilberto âGiboâ Teodoro Jr. was a far second with P368.77 million for a total of 1,153 spots. Aquino, meanwhile, was third with over P254.14 million for a total of 520 spots, including half of the ads placed by Team Aquino-Roxas. Presumably, Aquino had more of the expensive primetime ad spots than Senator Richard âDickâ Gordon (Bagumbayan Party), who had twice Aquinoâs number of TV placements (1,136), but which Nielsen said were valued at only a total of P238.67 million. Placing fifth in terms of total TV ad value was Brother Eduardo âEddieâ Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas, with 464 spots worth P88.29 million. Former President Joseph Estrada of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino was in sixth place, with 281 ad placements valued at P83.1 million. One weapon in arsenal Political ads, of course, are only one of the weapons in the arsenal of candidate who is determined to win. At the minimum, however, ads motivate people to find out more about the candidate. Ronald F. Jabal, chief strategist and senior partner at the AD & R Strategic Communications, Training and Research says that ultimately, this can lead to behavior change, which is expressed during election time. Although the sheer volume of Villarâs TV ad placements dwarfs those of Aquino and company, PR experts and strategists say what is helping or making these really count is the consistent message in all of them â that Villar is âtunay na mahirap, para sa mahirap (the real poor, for the poor)." This includes his most recent ones, and especially the most successful so far: the âDagat ng Basura (Sea of Garbage)" ad, which aired 815 times on various TV networks in December 2009 and January 2010 (more than 40 percent of the total number of spots Villar bought during those months). Nielsen says the âDagat ng Basura" spots are worth more than P319 million. The âDagat ng Basura" commercial contained many elements of an effective ad. Foremost of this was its catchy song that was not only easy to sing, but also had imaginative and memorable lyrics. It asked, for instance, if one had ever taken a bath in a sea of garbage or if one had spent Christmas in the streets. It was implied that Villar had gone through such experiences â and then it segued into the candidateâs staple message of being âtunay na mahirap, may tunay na malasakit (the real poor, with real empathy)." A serenade? Just days after the ad first aired, PR and ad industry insiders were already taking notice of it and discussing its merits, particularly its accompanying tune. More importantly for Villar, though, potential voters like Imelda and Ronaldo Linson were being serenaded with the song even when their TV was off. The Linsons, who have a small home-based cassava cake business in Cavite, have two young sons. As Imelda recounts, the boys had quickly picked up on the Villar ad jingle while watching TV during their Christmas break and were soon singing it, along with their playmates. The Linson boys may have probably been inspired by the fact that children also sing the jingle in the ad. For strategist Jabal, what the ad is conveying through this element is that future Filipinos will be able to benefit if this particular candidate wins. In marketing, he says, there is such a term as âpestering power" â that when children talk about things, people listen. âKurot sa pusoâ Having children deliver the candidateâs message also made the ad very appealing, says veteran campaign strategist Lito Banayo. It could have been just another political ad without the children, he says. âYou know, no matter how poor the little children are, little children are always nice to look at," says Banayo. âSo, may kurot sa puso. (It pulls at the heartstrings)." Then there was the adâs shrewd timing, which made the song sung by children all the more poignant. Comments Malou Tiquia, co-founder of Publicus Asia, a lobbying and political management firm: âIt resonated because it was Christmas and there was one line there âNakapagpasko ka na ba sa kalye (Have you ever spent Christmas in the streets)?" In comparison, timing seems to have been one of the problems with an ad put out by Gordonâs camp. The ad, âHindi Natutulog Ang Pasko (Christmas Doesnât Sleep)," aimed to tell people how and where Gordon the Philippine Red Cross chairman had spent the recent holidays â out on field, helping people in times of need. It even featured a familiar Christmas carol, âSilent Night," which practically everyone, young and old alike, knows how to sing. Unfortunately, the ad aired in January 2010, when Christmas was already over. According to Jabal, the music made the ad âa bit laughable." To others, it also made the âfeel" of the commercial too âmelancholic," which was quite in contrast with Gordonâs gung-ho public persona. If not for these, 47-year-old housewife Jeanette Pangilinan would have found the commercial a perfect fit for Gordon. At the very least, Pangilinan says, she can vouch for Gordon as being âhelpful," having been living in Olongapo City when he was still its mayor. Pangilinan says that Gordon helped people find employment when the U.S. naval base in Subic closed down and many lost their jobs. She also recalls how he would get mad at market vendors who would raise prices whenever a typhoon struck the city. In shadow of Kris, Cory Ironically, that degree of familiarity with the public is sorely lacking with frontrunner Aquino, who has spent much of his life in the shadow of the more famous members of his family, notably his parents and his youngest sister, starlet-TV host Kris Aquino. His was a surprise candidacy as well, apparently having no plans to stand in the 2010 presidential election had not his mother, former President Corazon âCoryâ Aquino, passed away last August and he was subsequently pushed by her supporters into the race. In many ways, thus, the very first ad run by the Aquino campaign was meant to introduce him to the public not only as the worthy successor of his parents in leading the country, but also a candidate already enjoying popular support. The commercial was actually a music video, featuring an original song that was a nod to a popular slogan used by supporters of his father Benigno Jr. or Ninoy during the last years of the Marcos era. The commercial, which had a chockfull of celebrities in all shapes and sizes, was shot at night and had Aquino being passed a torch at the end.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Nielsen data show that Aquinoâs âHindi Ka Nag-iisa (You Are Not Alone)" ad and its seven other versions were shown 185 times in various TV networks in November 2009, with their total worth reaching over P100 million. Stars made mark But whatever message the ad was trying to convey was lost to much of the public. And instead of noticing Aquino, some people made a game out of identifying the many celebrities who participated in the commercial. âIt looked as if it was a unity video for television networks," Jabal says on the actors and actresses from rival networks ABS-CBN and GMA-7 who appeared in the ad. Even the soaring original song penned by singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid and sung by Regine Velasquez failed to save the commercial. It was simply not âjingly," says Jabal. âYou canât sing it yourself unless youâre a really good singer like Regine Velasquez." Tiquia, meanwhile, thought that the ad was âreally a downer." She quips, âItâs like you are saying that your parents led the country for nine years and yet we are still in the dark." Early this year, though, the Aquino camp released another commercial. In the entire 60 seconds of âCovenant with the Nation," Aquino enumerated his âfight" for several issues. In the end, he said that he would do his best to serve the country and promised that he would not steal. This is considered to be the first ad where Aquino tried to concretely say something: that he is not corrupt. To Jabal, however, Aquino was simply making yet another promise, but âitâs not backed by a track record." Jabal clarifies that he is not saying Aquino is lying, only that the Aquino campaign should have included proof to back the candidateâs claim: ââHeto ako ngayon at heto ako bukas,â which means that whatever I will do in the future I can do that because Iâve already done that." Tiquia, for her part, says Aquinoâs message that he is not corrupt could be working, but he cannot just stop at saying that he is not corrupt. âWhat does that mean?" she asks. âAre you for bank secrecy law? Thereâs got to be more details." Municipal office clerk Hazel del Rosario, for one, says she has the impression that should Aquino become president, he would just follow whatever he is told to do by those around him. The 27-year-old mother of three also says she is unsure of Aquinoâs I-will-not-steal promise, commenting, âIsnât it in politics, itâs always me first before anyone else? Thatâs how things really are, right?" A liability Fittingly enough, Aquinoâs cousin Gibo Teodoro is himself struggling to introduce himself to the public even as he tries to emerge from the shadow of someone else â in his case President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. But political strategists say he has already been packaged as an administration candidate, which has become a liability since the current government is an unpopular one. âHis refusal to dissociate himself from that administration and his refusal to even comment on the things that have been done by the administration is pulling him down," Jabal explains. âSo regardless how good (his) ad is, yes, it might help, but the biggest stumbling block will always be there." As Banayo sees it, Teodoro cannot be packaged on either trust because of President Arroyo, or on poverty because he has never been poor. Teodoroâs team therefore had to think in terms of his personal competence and came up with the tagline âGaling at Talino (Competence and Intelligence)," a play on his initials. First, though, Teodoro, who quit as defense secretary late last year to run as president, came up with a series of ads called âDapat (Should)." Nielsen data show that from November 2009 to January 2010, the âDapat" ads were released 511 times in various TV networks, with a total value of more than P140.8 million. Each ad had a particular focus: education, health, or employment. Each version opened with several people talking about what should be done and what should not be practiced concerning that issue. Toward its end, Teodoro himself talked about what should have been done concerning a particular issue. Jabal points out that the âDapat" series identified what should have been done by a government that Teodoro was part of. So why, he asks, wasnât Teodoro able to do all that when he was still in government? Elitist concept Jabal has problems as well with a more recent Teodoro ad, which features the candidate about to fly a plane. Teodoro is a licensed pilot, and his team may have thought showing him flying an airplane would be a good way to communicate his take-charge skills and ability to lead the country. Jabal, however, sees the concept as âelitist," adding, âWe wouldnât be able to identify with an image of a candidate as pilot. Erap was very brilliant when he thought of being a jeepney driver â âsakay na sa jeep ni Erap (board Erapâs jeep)â." Political strategist Banayo agrees. He says he understands that Teodoro is talking of an âeconomic take-off," but wonders if the candidate is talking over peopleâs heads, or about matters that are not of their immediate concern. â(T)he problem there is 80 percent of the Filipino people are always worried about food on the table, being sick because we cannot afford⦠or giving their children a future through good education," says Banayo. âSo youâre not addressing them when you talk of things like an economic take-off in a macroeconomic sense." He also asks, âIf you havenât taken a plane, would you be able to appreciate this âtake-off, take-offâ thing?" It seems the Linson couple canât. Asked to comment about this particular Teodoro ad, Imelda Linson says, âEh wala naman kaming pambili ng tiket. Paano naman âyun? (But we donât even have the money to buy a plane ticket. How would that be?)" But husband Ronaldo wants to know what Teodoro was fussing over while sitting in the pilotâs seat in the ad: âAno ba âyung pinipindot-pindot niya doon (What was he switching on and off there)?" More down to earth was the yellow âBus ni Broâ driven by Jesus Is Lord Church leader Eddie Villanueva in one of his ads. The commercial, which came out last December, also featured ordinary people â most of them young â from various sectors who danced while singing an upbeat tune. The song enumerated Villanuevaâs plus points, with one line saying, âSino ba ang may malasakit at pag-ibig sa bansa? Eddie ako. (Who cares and loves the country? Iâm for Eddie.)" The ad ran 204 times from December 2009 to January 2010 according to Nielsen, with a total value of more than P58 million. Jabal, however, says Villanuevaâs commercials, including this one, lack asim or kick that would be potent enough to attract the attention of those who are not among his most devoted followers. Too much history Yet while being relative unknowns has become worrisome for the Teodoro, Aquino, and Villanueva camps, having too much of his history known to the public is not exactly working to the advantage of one of the presidential candidates. Former President Estrada, after all, was ousted in 2001 under a cloud of corruption and plunder charges. He was convicted of plunder in 2007 and would have served a life sentence had not President Arroyo pardoned him. Estrada comes from a well-off clan but played impoverished heroes in his popular action movies. He projects himself as a man of the masses. Last November, his camp released the âErap Babalik Na (Erap Will Return)" ad that talked about how power used to be in the hands of the masses. Then, it said, the âunexpected happened," and the words âinjustice," âpoverty" and âhunger" were flashed. The ad wrapped up by saying Estrada would be back to claim what had been taken away from the Filipino people. This particular ad ran for 87 times in November to December 2009. In Pulse Asiaâs January 2010 survey, Estradaâs ratings went down to 12 percent from 19 percent the previous month. Jabal describes what may have happened as a âboomerang effect." âThere are people who believe âErap Babalik Naâ and their reaction would be âYehey!â" he explains. âBut there are also people who say, âNaku po (Oh, no)!â if the former president is going to be in office again." Mel Linson, who says she has not even seen any of Estradaâs ads, herself remarks, âAy, tama na naman (Oh, enough)!" â With additional reporting by Ed Lingao and Che de los Reyes, PCIJ, February 2010
Despite a Comelec ban, a campaign poster of presidential aspirant Manny Villar is posted on a tree in Cavite province on the first day of the campaign period. Aie Balagtas See
A street sweeper removes election posters along Espana Avenue in Manila, a day before the start of the official campaign period. Danny Pata
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Nielsen data show that Aquinoâs âHindi Ka Nag-iisa (You Are Not Alone)" ad and its seven other versions were shown 185 times in various TV networks in November 2009, with their total worth reaching over P100 million. Stars made mark But whatever message the ad was trying to convey was lost to much of the public. And instead of noticing Aquino, some people made a game out of identifying the many celebrities who participated in the commercial. âIt looked as if it was a unity video for television networks," Jabal says on the actors and actresses from rival networks ABS-CBN and GMA-7 who appeared in the ad. Even the soaring original song penned by singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid and sung by Regine Velasquez failed to save the commercial. It was simply not âjingly," says Jabal. âYou canât sing it yourself unless youâre a really good singer like Regine Velasquez." Tiquia, meanwhile, thought that the ad was âreally a downer." She quips, âItâs like you are saying that your parents led the country for nine years and yet we are still in the dark." Early this year, though, the Aquino camp released another commercial. In the entire 60 seconds of âCovenant with the Nation," Aquino enumerated his âfight" for several issues. In the end, he said that he would do his best to serve the country and promised that he would not steal. This is considered to be the first ad where Aquino tried to concretely say something: that he is not corrupt. To Jabal, however, Aquino was simply making yet another promise, but âitâs not backed by a track record." Jabal clarifies that he is not saying Aquino is lying, only that the Aquino campaign should have included proof to back the candidateâs claim: ââHeto ako ngayon at heto ako bukas,â which means that whatever I will do in the future I can do that because Iâve already done that." Tiquia, for her part, says Aquinoâs message that he is not corrupt could be working, but he cannot just stop at saying that he is not corrupt. âWhat does that mean?" she asks. âAre you for bank secrecy law? Thereâs got to be more details." Municipal office clerk Hazel del Rosario, for one, says she has the impression that should Aquino become president, he would just follow whatever he is told to do by those around him. The 27-year-old mother of three also says she is unsure of Aquinoâs I-will-not-steal promise, commenting, âIsnât it in politics, itâs always me first before anyone else? Thatâs how things really are, right?" A liability Fittingly enough, Aquinoâs cousin Gibo Teodoro is himself struggling to introduce himself to the public even as he tries to emerge from the shadow of someone else â in his case President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. But political strategists say he has already been packaged as an administration candidate, which has become a liability since the current government is an unpopular one. âHis refusal to dissociate himself from that administration and his refusal to even comment on the things that have been done by the administration is pulling him down," Jabal explains. âSo regardless how good (his) ad is, yes, it might help, but the biggest stumbling block will always be there." As Banayo sees it, Teodoro cannot be packaged on either trust because of President Arroyo, or on poverty because he has never been poor. Teodoroâs team therefore had to think in terms of his personal competence and came up with the tagline âGaling at Talino (Competence and Intelligence)," a play on his initials. First, though, Teodoro, who quit as defense secretary late last year to run as president, came up with a series of ads called âDapat (Should)." Nielsen data show that from November 2009 to January 2010, the âDapat" ads were released 511 times in various TV networks, with a total value of more than P140.8 million. Each ad had a particular focus: education, health, or employment. Each version opened with several people talking about what should be done and what should not be practiced concerning that issue. Toward its end, Teodoro himself talked about what should have been done concerning a particular issue. Jabal points out that the âDapat" series identified what should have been done by a government that Teodoro was part of. So why, he asks, wasnât Teodoro able to do all that when he was still in government? Elitist concept Jabal has problems as well with a more recent Teodoro ad, which features the candidate about to fly a plane. Teodoro is a licensed pilot, and his team may have thought showing him flying an airplane would be a good way to communicate his take-charge skills and ability to lead the country. Jabal, however, sees the concept as âelitist," adding, âWe wouldnât be able to identify with an image of a candidate as pilot. Erap was very brilliant when he thought of being a jeepney driver â âsakay na sa jeep ni Erap (board Erapâs jeep)â." Political strategist Banayo agrees. He says he understands that Teodoro is talking of an âeconomic take-off," but wonders if the candidate is talking over peopleâs heads, or about matters that are not of their immediate concern. â(T)he problem there is 80 percent of the Filipino people are always worried about food on the table, being sick because we cannot afford⦠or giving their children a future through good education," says Banayo. âSo youâre not addressing them when you talk of things like an economic take-off in a macroeconomic sense." He also asks, âIf you havenât taken a plane, would you be able to appreciate this âtake-off, take-offâ thing?" It seems the Linson couple canât. Asked to comment about this particular Teodoro ad, Imelda Linson says, âEh wala naman kaming pambili ng tiket. Paano naman âyun? (But we donât even have the money to buy a plane ticket. How would that be?)" But husband Ronaldo wants to know what Teodoro was fussing over while sitting in the pilotâs seat in the ad: âAno ba âyung pinipindot-pindot niya doon (What was he switching on and off there)?" More down to earth was the yellow âBus ni Broâ driven by Jesus Is Lord Church leader Eddie Villanueva in one of his ads. The commercial, which came out last December, also featured ordinary people â most of them young â from various sectors who danced while singing an upbeat tune. The song enumerated Villanuevaâs plus points, with one line saying, âSino ba ang may malasakit at pag-ibig sa bansa? Eddie ako. (Who cares and loves the country? Iâm for Eddie.)" The ad ran 204 times from December 2009 to January 2010 according to Nielsen, with a total value of more than P58 million. Jabal, however, says Villanuevaâs commercials, including this one, lack asim or kick that would be potent enough to attract the attention of those who are not among his most devoted followers. Too much history Yet while being relative unknowns has become worrisome for the Teodoro, Aquino, and Villanueva camps, having too much of his history known to the public is not exactly working to the advantage of one of the presidential candidates. Former President Estrada, after all, was ousted in 2001 under a cloud of corruption and plunder charges. He was convicted of plunder in 2007 and would have served a life sentence had not President Arroyo pardoned him. Estrada comes from a well-off clan but played impoverished heroes in his popular action movies. He projects himself as a man of the masses. Last November, his camp released the âErap Babalik Na (Erap Will Return)" ad that talked about how power used to be in the hands of the masses. Then, it said, the âunexpected happened," and the words âinjustice," âpoverty" and âhunger" were flashed. The ad wrapped up by saying Estrada would be back to claim what had been taken away from the Filipino people. This particular ad ran for 87 times in November to December 2009. In Pulse Asiaâs January 2010 survey, Estradaâs ratings went down to 12 percent from 19 percent the previous month. Jabal describes what may have happened as a âboomerang effect." âThere are people who believe âErap Babalik Naâ and their reaction would be âYehey!â" he explains. âBut there are also people who say, âNaku po (Oh, no)!â if the former president is going to be in office again." Mel Linson, who says she has not even seen any of Estradaâs ads, herself remarks, âAy, tama na naman (Oh, enough)!" â With additional reporting by Ed Lingao and Che de los Reyes, PCIJ, February 2010
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