THE ARAW VALUES ADVERTISING AWARDS’ TRAILBLAZERS & MILESTONES

by Linda C. Gamboa; Assistant Board Secretary & Executive Director
of Advertising Foundation of the Philippines & ARAW Awards Project Director

ARAW, or the Advertising Recognition Awards, was launched at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on the occasion of the Asian Advertising Congress hosted by the Philippine advertising industry (which also coincided with the biennial Philippine Advertising Congress) as a fitting highlight of the auspicious event. Amar Gambol, Chairman of the Advertising Suppliers Association of the Philippines (ASAP) and concurrently Vice-Chairman of the Philippine Board of Advertising (or PBA, re-named to AdBoard in August 1989), was at the helm of the Asian Congress and the Philippine Ad Congress. The ARAW Creative Awards became the closing and celebratory event of the Congress, and all the biennial Philippine Advertising Congress events thereafter.

In early 1998, the ARAW Values Advertising Awards was envisioned by the AdBoard, with keen values advocate Javier Jose “JJ” Calero at its helm. It was implemented for the first time in early December 1998, with Antonio “March” Ventosa, then of the industry advertising agency sector or AAAA-P, as the ARAW Values Awards Chairman. The ARAW Values Advertising Awards, or ARAW Values Awards, or AVA Awards’ key objective is to encourage values advertising within the industry in order to assist in nation-building and related national development goals of benefit to people and country. Hosting of the biennial ARAW Values Awards was based on the rotation of association - members of the AdBoard, and thus, was managed by the AdBoard up to its 4th biennial season. In early 2006, the AdBoard, with Ma. Teresa “Matec“ Villanueva at its helm, decided to formally turn over the ARAW Values Advertising Awards to the Advertising Foundation of the Philippines (Ad Foundation), the social development institution of the multisector marketing communications industry, for its management, considering that said values oriented awards program is part of the foundation thrusts.

Ad Foundation managed the values laden ARAW Values Awards program in early December 2006, which also marked its 5th biennial season, up to the present, the ARAW Values Advertising Awards’ 11th implementation season.

 

 ARAW Values Awards, its Trailblazers & Milestones; 1998 to 2019

Over the years, the ARAW Values Advertising Awards had at its helm various industry leaders, assisted by the ARAW Values Awards Organizing Committee composed of select volunteers from the multisector industry. Melding together the creative, marketing communication and production talents and expertise of various individuals, with stateof-the-art technology of the industry and multimedia resources, the industry nurtured the ARAW Values Advertising Awards development and sustainability as a unique, values laden competition of today. As the ARAW Values Advertising Awards expanded its development, it likewise mirrored the growing social responsibility of the Philippine advertising and marketing communications industry and its capabilities for advocacy marketing, And thus, the ARAW Values Advertising Awards has, in its own little way, promoted and inculcated positive values for social changes, of benefit to national development goals for the well-being of people and country.

The development of the ARAW Values Advertising Awards, evidenced in the increase of multisector industry participation into the Competition divisions, and the expanding base of participants other than our multisector industry, to include individual students and other non-government organizations such as other foundations and organizations, augur the continuous growth and life of this unique and meaningful industry awards program, and the ARAW 7 Cornerstone Values as its solid pillars.

1st ARAW Values Awards

Period
December 1998

Organizing Chairperson
Antonio “March” Ventosa

Association - Host
AAAA-P

 

  • Theme: Enriching Filipino Values Through Responsible Communications

  • First implementation of ARAW Values Advertising Awards, with the ARAW 7 Cornerstone Values as Competition Category and as Judging Criteria

 

2nd ARAW Values Awards

Period
December 2000

Organizing Chairperson
Angelica Suiza

Association - Host
PANA

 

  • Theme: Enriching Filipino Values Through Responsible Advertising

  • Enhanced industry participation into the Competition division

  • Started partnership with Punongbayan & Araullo as the Awards Competition’s Independent auditing firm

 

3rd ARAW Values Awards

Period
December 2002

Organizing Chairperson
Arnedo “Dodie” Lucas

Association - Hosts
ASAP & MORES

 

  • Theme: Are Filipino Values Becoming Extinct?”

  • Honored 3 post - Martial Law years of values advertising pioneers: Jose “Totoy” Avellana (+), Herminio “Minyong” Ordoñez (+), and Antonio R. Samson

  • Started the “People’s Choice” Special Awards, for general public participation

  • Had roving exhibits in : Metro Manila & Cebu City, that promoted ARAW Values Awards and the industry’s social responsibility

  • Sustained ARAW Values Awards partnership with independent auditing firm. Punongbayan & Araullo, for the competition

  • Started ARAW Values Awards’ TV network partnership with ABS-CBN

  • Delayed telecast attained the highest number of nationwide viewership rating of 19 %, the highest up to the present ARAW Awards telecasts

  • Realized a net income of almost Php 200, 000.

 

4th ARAW Values Awards

Period
December 2004

Organizing Chairperson
Tomas “Tom” Banguis, Jr.

Association - Host
AAAA-P

 

  • Adopted the stylized sun, with 9 rays, as main visual and as its logo

  • Introduced as its slogan, “Let Filipino Values Shine”, as its theme

  • Sustained the TV network partnership with ABS-CBN, with its delayed telecast nationwide in mid-December 2004

 

In early April 2006, the Advertising Board of the Philippines (AdBoard) formally turned over the ARAW Values Advertising Awards to the Advertising Foundation of the Philippines (Ad Foundation) for the latter’s management.

5th ARAW Values Awards

Period
December 2006

Organizing Chairperson
Chairman: Raul S. Alvarez
Co-Chairman: Antonio R. Samson

Associations
AdBoard
Ad Foundation

 

  • Transition Period on ARAW Values Awards management shift

  • Managed by Ad Foundation & its ARAW Values Awards Organizing Committee composed of select foundation & industry members, as heads of working units with specific tasks

  • Theme: May Panlaban ka ba sa ARAW?

  • Logo: Stylized sun , in a stylized, rectangular frame

  • Thematic concept, creatives and communications campaign development were undertaken, pro bono, by Merlee Jayme of Jayme Syfu & partners

  • Multimedia campaign for maximized promotions: TV & Cinema, Radio plugs, Print Ads, Press releases, Set up its own interactive website, Outdoor ads & Promo collaterals (umbrellas and sunglasses as give-away to entrants, tarps and posters, roadshow presentations to industry associations, souvenir brochures), with a PR/ Media Plan prepared and managed by PR. Information & Promotions Chairman Jun Nicdao of Manila Broadcasting Company and the KBP

  • Sustained partnership with Punongbayan & Araullo as its independent auditing firm

  • Attained SRO audience for its Awards Night at C. P. Romulo Auditorium – RCBC Plaza, for the first time in the history of the ARAW Values Awards Program

  • Publication of an ARAW Awards souvenir brochure-program, undertaken by Ad Foundation’s Linda Gamboa, with the help of Raymond Nacino,then an AdBoard staff assistant, documented the entire history of the ARAW Values Advertising Awards

  • Sustained its TV network partnership with ABS-CBN for staging and delayed telecast of the Awards program as a co-production venture

  • Its delayed telecast nationwide generated net revenue share of Php 1.0 M for the coproduction partners, the first time since 2000

 

6th ARAW Values Awards

Period
Late November 2008

Organizing Chairperson
Johnip G. Cua

Association
Ad Foundation

 

  • Foundation enhanced its structured ARAW Values Awards Organizing Committee

  • Adopted a permanent logo as permanent identity/brand of the ARAW Values Awards program: the stylized sun of 4th ARAW Values Awards logo, together with its theme, “Let Filipino Values Shine” as part of the permanent logo

  • Introduced “Students Choice” Special Awards, that paved the way for a Students’ Competition Division in the next ARAW Values Awards season

  • Also sustained “People’s Choice” Special Awards for enhanced public awareness and active participation of the industry ARAW Gold winners in the delayed telecast nationwide

  • Adopted tactical slogan, “Values Rock”, for recall, with multi-colored baller bracelets, engraved with ARAW 7 Cornerstone Values as give-away to entrants and guests

  • Sustained the TV network partnership/co-production venture, comprised of the Awards Night staging event and its delayed telecast nationwide

  • Acquired ABS-CBN’s “Dolphy” Theater as the ARAW Values Awards’ home theater per special concession - agreement with ABS-CBN management and the Ad Foundation

  • Introduced simple cocktails, with drinks and finger food, hosted by Ad Foundation and a few sponsors

  • Had an SRO audience at the Dolphy theater

  • Had Multimedia and thematic campaign for maximized promotion

  • Generated net income share of Php 875,000+ for Ad Foundation from the delayed nationwide telecast in mid –December, a co-prod of ABS-CBN and Ad Foundation

 

7th ARAW Values Awards

Period
Early November 2010

Organizing Chairperson
Manuel “Meckoy” Quiogue

Association
Ad Foundation

 

  • Enhanced the structured organization of the ARAW Values Advertising Awards Organizing Committee, tapping more Ad Foundation Life Benefactors/Founding Pillars and multisector industry leaders into the various working units

  • Created the position of Deputy Chairman and team of Organizing Committee Advisers and consultants, composed of past ARAW Awards Organizing Committee Chairmen

  • Established target/goals: desired number of Competition participants, gross & net revenues from post- ARAW Values Awards telecast(s)

  • Tactical slogan adopted: “You can tell the values of a nation through its Ads”

  • Sustained multimedia, thematic campaigns promoting the program and its highlights

  • Introduced the Students’ Competition Division

  • Introduced a well-defined set of the ARAW 7 Cornerstone Values into lay-man’s terms for enhanced set of guidelines and appreciation of the Cornerstone Values as competition categories and judging criteria

  • Institutionalized the Competition Rules

  • Conduct of study that established the ARAW Values Advertising Awards as a unique Philippine advertising industry competition, nationwide and worldwide

  • Delayed telecast schedule in early December of the same year to generate more advertising support in terms of “spot” buys and volume sales

  • Increased Competition participation, surpassing its goal of 350 entrants

  • Increased net revenue share of Ad Foundation from delayed telecast, of Php 1.2 M

 

8th ARAW Values Awards

Period
7 December 2012

Organizing Chairperson
Meckoy Quiogue Deputy Chairman: Lorenzo Barros

Association
Ad Foundation

 

  • Sustained the well-structured Organizing Committee, with time-lined financial work plans, targets and organizational milestones

  • Initiated early start of structured Committee work in March, for well- designed plans and its implementation starting May up to its culminating events of the Awards Night in early November and its delayed nationwide telecast in mid-December of the same year.

  • Sustained co-production agreement with ABS-CBN for Awards Night delayed telecast, introducing partnership with The Filipino Channel, for global feed in 7 TFC territories

  • Adopted 2010 tactical slogan, “You can tell the Values of a Nation through its Ads”

  • Sustained multimedia, thematic campaign promoting ARAW Awards and its delayed telecasts

  • Competition entries from industry, inter-collegiate students, government and NGO’s reached 382, the highest since 1998

  • Separated ARAW Values - Bronze Awards ceremonies from ARAW Values Awards Night Showcase (highlighted with presentations of winners in Students Competition and ARAW Values Advertising (Silver, Gold and Platinum) Award winners

  • Net income share of Ad Foundation from co-production of delayed nationwide telecast in mid-January 2015 and TFC global feeds reached Php 1.5+ M

 

9th ARAW Values Awards

Period
20 November 2014

Organizing Chairperson
Edgar G. Sunico
Deputy Chairman: Lorenzo Barros

Association
Ad Foundation

  • Implemented well-structured ARAW Values Awards Organizing Committee, with increased Competition entries (target goal of 500) from industry and students, increased Competition entry fees and increased gross and net revenue targets ( Php 7.5 M and Php 3.5 M, respectively) from delayed telecast and global feeds

  • Theme: “Where did our values go? Makikita mo sa #PagsikatNgAraw

  • Implemented a well-designed, massive multimedia, thematic campaign using traditional media, digital platform and Social media: Radio, TV, Print Ads and press releases, Outdoor Ads to include OOH, Digital Ads, Website, Social Media (You Tube, Facebook, Twitter, Viber, Instagram) and Promo Collaterals (tarps, posters, merchandizing flyers, special supplementary issues, and Awards Night souvenir brochures-programme)

  • Held special presentations and roadshows to and during industry association events, fora, and congresses; inter-collegiate events and fairs, etc.

  • Sustained co-production agreements with ABS-CBN for the Awards Night staging, the Awards Night’s delayed telecast nationwide, and with The Filipino Channel (TFC), for global feeds in 7 territories

  • Sustained partnership with P & A Grant Thornton as the independent auditing firm

  • Held ARAW Values Advertising Awards cocktail - reunion, a hosted gathering by Ad Foundation and a few sponsors, at the Dolphy theater quadrangle after the ARAW- Bronze Awards ceremonies and before the ARAW Awards Night showcase

  • Sustained 2 separate ARAW Values Awards programs at the ABS-CBN’s Dolphy Theater on the same day, with a gap of some 2 hours; the earlier presentation of ARAW Bronze Awards and the ARAW Awards Nights (for Students’ Competition winners and ARAW Silver, Gold, and Platinum Metals, and Tanglaw ng ARAW special award recipient)

  • Introduced the Tanglaw ng ARAW Special Award, with Eugenio “Gabby” L.Lopez as the 1st deserving Award recipient for sustained support to the growth and development of the ARAW Values Advertising Awards

  • Introduced a hybrid system for the ARAW Values Awards, that featured online submission of Competition entries and conduct of the Competition Finalists-Metals Round judging through USB’s provided to the various panels of judges, that paved the way to the development and implementation of a dedicated online jury system in the next ARAW Values Awards season

  • Realized the highest number of Competition entries: 369 from industry and 25 from intercollegiate students, or a total of 394

  • Realized some little net revenue, Php 450,000 from the Competition entry fees, for the first time throughout the ARAW Awards Competition history

  • Endorsed the change of ARAW Rules Committee to ARAW Competition Management Committee to the Ad Foundation board, to ensure institutionalization of the ARAW Values Awards Competition Rules

  • Realized the highest net revenue share from the delayed nationwide telecast in mid-December 2015 since its partnership with ABS-CBN in 2002 --- Php 1.95+ Million for Ad Foundation

 

10th ARAW Values Awards

Period
29 November 2016

Organizing Chairperson
Ma. Belen M Fernando
Deputy Chairperson: Len Pozon

Association
Ad Foundation PANA

 

  • Adopted tactical slogan; Kapag Naliligaw, Tumingin sa ARAW

  • Put in place an Oversight Committee, with the Ad Foundation Chairman at its helm

  • Conduct of multimedia, thematic communications campaign: radio, TV, print, digital platform, outdoor advertising and OOH, press releases, ARAW interactive website, Social Media, Roadshows, PR & Publicity

  • Introduced dedicated website for online Competition submission of entries and implementation of online Finalists-Metals Round jury system

  • Had the highest number of Competition Entries, a total of 495 from industry and students, from its target goal of 500, that established a new record on the highest number of Competition entries to the ARAW Values Advertising Awards

  • Sustained partnership with P&A Grant Thornton as ARAW Awards Competition’s independent auditing firm

  • Sustained the Tanglaw ng ARAW Special Award, bestowing this to Javier Jose “JJ” Calero

  • Sustained co-production partnership with ABS-CBN for ARAW Values Awards nationwide delayed telecast, but with lower net revenue share (Php 750,000 +) arising from ABS-CBN’s increase in rates and adoption of a new marketing scheme

 
 

The Lull in the Biennial ARAW Values Awards Implementation:

Implementation of ARAW Values Advertising Awards on a biennial basis, which should have been in 2018 for its 11th season, was postponed to 2019 by its 11th ARAW Values Awards Organizing Committee, chaired by Blen Fernando once more. There were quite a number of special events in the multisector industry and in the country, foremost of which is the Philippine hosting of the SouthEast Asian Games. Compounding this is the decision to conduct further studies for an ARAW Values Awards program that will be more inclusive and responsive to the evolving landscape and needs of the times.

While preparations for the ARAW Values Advertising Awards started in early 2019, the ARAW Awards schedules for a November 2019 culmination was further postponed to late January 2020, with its delayed telecast for mid- or late February 2020. The rationale: clamor of the industry for submission of Competition Entries’ deadline extension to early November, the SEA Games hosting schedule from mid-November to early December and the long Christmas Holiday season in the country.

Postponing the 11th ARAW Values Advertising Awards became an opportunity! The ARAW Values Awards Organizing Committee’s unanimous decision in July 2019 led to the birth of the 2019 ARAW Values Technical Awards. With its Competition Rules completed in early October and its immediate pilot implementation, an ARAW Values Awards program, highlighted with the presentation of various ARAW winners in 7 Technical fields of expertise is eminent by early January 2020. A milestone indeed for the 11th ARAW Values Awards!