Grace Poe. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines鈥擜fter Grace Poe topped the 2013 senatorial race, many Filipinos suddenly turned political analysts overnight to share their views on the factors behind her phenomenal rise.
Among a confluence of factors, her 鈥淭ao Poe鈥� ad can be singled out as one that played a key role in introducing the neophyte candidate to the most number of Filipinos, said a veteran advertising man.
鈥淏aduy鈥� or corny was how most people would describe the ad where pun was made of her surname and the 鈥榩o鈥� and 鈥榦po鈥� words that Filipinos use to show respect for elders. The ad opens with 鈥淭ao poe! 鈥� Sino poe sila?鈥� Si Grace Poe鈥� Kayo poe ang anak ni FPJ? 鈥� Opoe.鈥�
It was trending on Twitter, Facebook and SMS almost right after it was shown on television in late February.聽 It also spawned various parodies on Youtube. Even in text messages and plain conversations, people would say 鈥淥K, poe,鈥� 鈥淪ige poe,鈥� 鈥淏akit poe,鈥� and 鈥溾�橫usta poe.鈥�
Louie Morales, touted as one of the advertising mavericks in his prime, explained that Poe鈥檚 ad was the perfect one to launch a new political candidate. It is strategic in the awareness and name recall department, and it brings out Poe鈥檚 respectful and humble character, he said.
鈥淔ilipinos are known to vote in terms of persona. They have to feel that they know you鈥nd the stuff you鈥檙e made of. Thus, the candidate has to be likable and relatable. In Grace Poe鈥檚 case, this worked perfectly well because, aside from being the daughter of a Filipino movie hero, she also has excellent core values and a very charming demeanor that Filipinos definitely like in their candidate,鈥� Morales said.
The TV ad, shot on location at the Moraleses鈥� ancestral house in Quezon City, incorporated the FPJ factor. People took note of FPJ鈥檚 Panday movie poster hanging on the wall of the house. The ad ended with the tag line, 鈥淭atak FPJ.鈥�
But some people faulted the ad for its lack of highfalutin or meatier messages or copy.
Even Grace Poe admitted that she became the butt of jokes because of the ad.
Notwithstanding, Poe recognized the fact that the same ad was responsible for all kinds of people knowing her. Children in the streets would ask her, 鈥淜ayo poe ba si Grace Poe?鈥� There was instant recognition and name recall that most new candidates would die for to have.
Morales, who did the ad, also did her dad鈥檚 (Fernando Poe Jr.) TV commercials in the 鈥�80s such as San Miguel Beer ads.
Morales said during this year鈥檚 election campaign, the political campaign ads that became successful were those that Filipinos found believable, having captured the real personas of the candidates.
鈥淎t the end of the day, the magic is not about grandiose concepts or strategies, but in finding out what makes your candidate real and relevant to the ordinary Filipino,鈥� he said.