UP Diliman Tops the 11th IMC Students' Competition
by: Aye Ubaldo

It was a showdown, and it was tough.  From the get-go, this year’s 11th PANAF IMC Students’ Competition was not designed to be a joy ride.  On the contrary, addressing the global debate on the relationship between child obesity and advertising is nothing short of controversial, if not arduous.  

Coming out on top, UP Diliman won the Grand Prize with SuperStanya!, while Assumption College placed 1st runner-up with Batang Gulayat, followed by 2nd runner-up Lyceum of the Philippines with Batang Packed.  Merit Awardees were Ateneo for Gulay for the Win and Polytechnic University of the Philippines for NutriAksyon!

Despite the weighty theme, an astounding number joined the11th PANAF IMC Students’ Competition, “Life On the Line”, (L.O.L.), up from seventeen entries in 2009, to this year’s thirty universities from Metro Manila to Central Luzon, to Batangas and the Visayas region. 

As is the norm, schools register online at the PANA website to get an entry number which they use to identify their submissions, effectively barring them from identifying their respective institutions.   None of the judges – from the first screening until after the final tabulations have been sealed – have any idea of the schools’ identities.

From ten semi-finalists to the cream of this year’s lot, the final five took to the stage last
November 13 at the Unilab Bayanihan Center and faced seven of the country’s most creative and critical, analytic and strategic experts in advertising, marketing, media, and the academe. 

Prieto consistently grilled the finalists on the basis of their budgets per meal, cost and time implementation, and execution, while commending the Lyceum of the Philippines’ Batang Packed on the use of nutritionist monitoring. Ngo was critical of Ateneo’s Gulay for the Gold, and how the campaign differentiated its gulay campaign with what the milk brands are currently doing.  On the other hand, she commented that Lyceum was the only group that used a cohesive approach to the brief: more than diet, it recommended a lifestyle change.   On Assumption’s inclusion of Facebook for Batang Gulayat, Villar stated that its digital use was impressive.

Of Superstanya, the winning campaign from UP Diliman, Ferrer commended the group for its cohesive presentation from a creative side, keeping the graphic look of the presentation consistent.  Malaya praised its clean execution, including its collaterals.

The 11th PANAF IMC Students’ Competition is another step in PANAF’s advocacy of providing the academe with activities designed as supplemental training in the field of integrated marketing communications.  

“This is to welcome graduates without shocking you at how different the real world is.  This is to guide you with more exposure (to the industry),” declared Charmaine Canillas, addressing the students.  Canillas is the current Chairman of PANAF.

“Children cannot learn when they have poor health, an uneducated child is a loss to the country,” added Malaya.  ***

Panel of Judges of the 11th PANAF IMC Students’ Competition:

Jonathan Malaya - Former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Education, university instructor of Public Speaking, English Literature, and Political Theory at Assumption College-San Lazaro and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Manila.  Author of four books including the critically acclaimed So Help Us God: The Presidents of the and Their Inaugural Addresses.

Rudy Villar, Jr.- Senior AVP for the SM Group Corporate Marketing Division, PANA Vice-president, a member of the board of the Advertising Board of the Philippines, and a regular panelist of the Ad Standards Council, one of the pioneers of ABS-CBN Bacolod, and an advertising veteran from McCann Erickson Philippines, among others.

Sandy Prieto–Romualdez, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Chairperson of Hinge Inquirer Publications, President of Inquirer Publications, Inc., and Member of the Board of Directors of Inquirer.net, Trans-Radio Broadcasting Inc. (“Radyo Inquirer”) and MegaMobile.  Prieto-Romualdez is a recipient of many global awards on business, publishing, and advocacies. She was also by Forbes Magazine as one of Asia’s 48 “Heroes of Philanthropy.”

March Ventosa, Managing Director of Studio 23 Inc., Creative Programs Inc. and ABS-CBN Publishing Inc, the UHF TV, cable channels and print media group of ABS-CBN Corporation, respectively. Ventosa was managing director of Leo Burnett Manila, President of ARC Worldwide & Blackpencil Advertising.  He was also a chairman and president of the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines or 4A’s, and a board director of AdBoard. He is the founding chairman of the Araw Values Awards and is currently the vice president for Television of the Kapisanan Ng Mga Broadkaster Ng Pilipinas.

Bebot S. Ngo, Joint CEO for Publicis JimenezBasic, the creative agency for icon brands and market leaders like Jollibee, Skyflakes and Lucky Me, to name a few.  Having led the Jollibee business team to its strongest market position, she was handpicked by Mon and Abby Jimenez to head MaxMarketing, the planning and research group for JimenezBasic. 

Dave Ferrer, Executive Creative Director of JWT Manila.  Ferrer is a multi-awarded creative in local and international competitions, including the first Cannes Gold Lion for the Philippines.  Ferrer is one of the youngest inductee to the Creative Guild Hall of Fame.

Jon A. Lara, Product Development Manager of GMA’s exclusive marketing arm, GMA Marketing Productions, Inc. He is now on his 10th year with the company, a part of MSG, the most dynamic marketing services group in the industry responsible for the development of innovative and ground breaking creative products for GMA and all of its platforms.

11th PANAF IMC Students Competition
Co-presenters: PANA, The Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippine Star
Major sponsor: Manila Broadcasting
Minor Sponsors: MicroData, Sterling Paper and Unilever Phils.