PilDesign Meeting Feb.11,2008

Raymond Virata's Demo reel

This is my animation demo reel. It was last updated in 2000. I haven't animated in while. I just dug this up and had to convert it from S-VHS to DVD to quicktime. I'm also digging up my other old projects for people to watch and enjoy.

The song "Good Thing" is by Fine Young Cannibals. The animation is by Raymond Virata. This video is for demo purposes only.

More stuff on http://www.youtube.com/woodcutart

The Filipino Approach

Here are more quotes from the book, Advertising in the Philippines: Its Historical, Cultural and Social Dimensions by Visitacion R. de la Torre, which may apply to our exploration on Filipino Design.

“Advertising has no nationality

As a marketing discipline, advertising it should be noted, assumes no nationality, geography, race or creed. It is the product, service, person or institution being advertised that is subjected to such characterization. Thus there is no thing as American advertising, French advertising, Japanese advertising or Filipino advertising, save perhaps, on the onset, in look and language.

The Filipino Approach

A Filipino ad? Is there such a thing? Frankie Lacambra, a creative man who now heads Link Advertising, Inc. holds, “A good ad has no nationality because a good idea is universal-simple, powerful, timeless and it belongs to the world. But a Filipino look is always welcome… Employing a Filipino approach means using a concept and theme that is Filipino and articulated the way a Filipino would… A Filipino concept or theme revolves on core or basic Filipino values, ideals, customs, traditions, even idiosyncracies and set in a Filipino environment.”

The Book

Advertising in the Philippines: Its Historical, Cultural and Social Dimensions by Visitacion R. de la Torre is a comprehensive volume on the Advertising Industry in the Philippines. It examines in detail the industry’s birth during the Spanish era (turn of the 20th century) and how it acts as a barometer and instrument of change in Philippine society.

Interesting notes from the book:

Just like today, the ad biz is just as competitive as industry practitioners “heckled and harassed each other in an attempt to outdo each other.”

Towards the later half of the 20th century, Filipino advertising took its on its own identity as it started shifting from being American clones to one reflective of the Filipino culture and times. Despite coming up with world-class campaigns, the industry still suffers from “syndicated thinking,” where creatives still “copy” American campaigns.

“Sensitivity to local market conditions stunted the growth of advertising creativity.”

In 1987, when the People Power Revolution of the previous year prompted a new constitution, a provision characterized the industry as “impressed with public interest and shall be regulated by law for the protection of consumers and general welfare.” The law recognizes advertising as a powerful medium, apart from its business of selling, must be socially responsible, “promoting common good and self-reliance.” The constitution limits the ownership of agencies to no less than 70% ownership by Filipino nationals, “to protect the public from an indiscriminate and unhampered flow of ‘colonial’ advertising since most of the country’s largest advertising agencies are multinational corporations. Management is also limited to Filipino citizens."

“Direct comparison (of brands) is not allowed.” I remember years ago with I was in Marketing research, Filipinos are not comfortable with direct comparison ads. It has something to do with the cultural trait of being non-confrontational.

“That shall be the day when more Filipino advertising men and women would overcome their ‘Puwede na yan’ (that is good enough) attitude, that temptation to be content with mediocrity… As it is, there is this lack of consistency in the quality of completed ad material; for example, some commercials and print ads are very well made but most suffer from poor art direction or bad directing and acting or unsatisfactory reproduction. With better funding also, better facilities and equipment as well as better trained staff shall not be difficult to come by”

More to follow...

When I grow up, I want to be in Advertising...

True. So true. Someone must collected responses from a team building session.

Advertising in the Philippines

Links to Advertising in the Philippines

Introduction to Advertising in the Philippines from the Philippine Information Agency

http://www.pia.gov.ph/philinfo/phadv.htm

A forum on Philippine advertising in Skyscraper City.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=314033

Interesting question "What if your client’s product does not perform, can the ad agency be held accountable?" Though the article's author gives a textbook answer in defense of the agency, some clients I know would pull their advertising. In a results oriented business and a world of tightening budgets, the first to go is advertising.

http://money.inq7.net/features/view_features.php?yyyy=2005&mon=10&dd=07&file=1

Adding lumpia to your copy...

This ad is running in the March issue of Filipinas Magazine. Try using lumpias and tubaws in your ad. Heheheh!

Mango Madness: The Fusion Art Show

From Feb. 20 to Mar. 4, 2006,Group Hug Productions featured my shadowbox work at Cafe Infusion in San Francisco as a fundraising effort for art education.

I met Jesse Ford six years ago when he was looking for animation interns for GHP's "The Dawg" project. We got together with other computer animation students from the Academy of Art College and San Francisco State University. Unfortunately, we weren't able to finish the project because students had different schedules and people just came and went.

Jesse saw my shadowbox work at PilDesign's P2:Independence show at the San Francisco Public Library in 2004. He wanted to set a series of art fundraisers in a cafe setting. Along with my work, the exhibit will feature GHP's past and current projects and the work of Tom Klump, who designed GHP's promotional material. Cafe Infusion housed our work and sold mango smoothies and fruit omelets which part of the proceeds went to the benefit.


(L-R) Graphic Designer Tom Klump, Artist Raymond Virata, Groug Hug Productions' Founder Jesse Ford... this picture is so... Benetton!

Spike, Better with Wine

Proof

There have been conversations and debates about the validity or purpose of defining Filipino design aesthetics. Most people feel that it is really important. At the same time, some think that is not necessary. Those who support the research believe that it is important to express our culture through our design work. They strongly feel that by fusing their culture into their client-related projects, they would not just enhance their portfolio but this approach could also benefit the design community. On the other hand, those who are less enthusiastic feel that having Filipinos and Filipinas in the field is good enough and it should end there.

I strongly believe that the divide will end once we prove the worth of contributing our Filipino culture to the design world. I think the best proof of this is if a major company (example: Nike or Apple) begin to incorporate Filipino design aesthetics into their mainstream work. And it would help, too, if the designers utilizing our aesthetics get paid a lot. I am not advocating "selling out" our aesthetics to the "Man." I am simply saying that if our look and feel begin to be utilized the same way as Swiss or Japanese design in day-to-day visual communications project, people would begin to see the validity of the research into our Filipino culture.