Manileños take Milan adobo Design Winners Head for Top Italian Design School Amazing how far your ideas can take you. Sometimes, as far as Italy. Just ask Mark Anthony Pasco, a creative visualizer from Egg Design and Mary Angeline Bagbaldo, an art director from Campaigns & Grey. They are cowinners both of the recent adobo Design Competition. The contest—organized by adobo and sponsored by the Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (NABA Academy of Arts and Design), Societa Dante Aligheiri Comitato Di Manila, Lufthansa Airlines, the
adobo; Dave Ferrer, JWT executive creative director; David Guerrero, chairman and chief creative officer of BBDO Guerrero Ortega; Gavin Simpson, executive creative director, Ogilvy & Mather Manila; Giampiero Gastaldi, a top Italian lensman and the NABA representative; veteran fine art photographer Neal Oshima; and Marta Pedrosa, a famed architectural designer. The judges looked for original ideas that were executed well, relevant and appropriate to its chosen medium. After an afternoon of intense discussions, they unanimously declared Pasco’s and Bagbaldo’s efforts as the farand-away standouts in the poster design category. Guerrero noted that while most of the entries were lovingly and painstakingly crafted, in the end, Italy-bound winners Mark Anthony Pasco and Mary Angeline Bagabaldo, with Lufthansa Country it all boiled down Manager Christopher Zimmer, Marketing Manager to the concept. Minette Corpus and adobo Editor-in-Chief Angel Simplicity and clarity of message Philippine Daily Inquirer, Microsoft and the Philippine Creative Guild—invited students, enthusiasts and all graphic design practitioners to aspire for the global high bar of creative excellence by interpreting the theme: “The Filipino has what it takes. Creativity is the new Filipino currency.” Submissions were either posters or entailed the use of motion graphics. All entries were then re- led Simpson straightaway to the viewed by a multi-faceted panel winning entries, noting that Pasco of judges, each an authority in and Bagdaldo would be good hires their respective fields. They con- for ad agencies. (Sorry, Gavin, Camsisted of Cynthia Dayco, editor of paigns & Grey already beat you to
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Bagdaldo.) Gastaldi observed that a number of the entries were heavily influenced by graphic design of previous generations and found himself looking for fresh approaches. Alas, no motion graphic entry passed muster among the panel so it was further decided that the two young designers would each receive the top prizes. Likewise, there no winners in the wearable graphics category, due to insufficient number of entries. Lufthansa Airlines is flying both winners to Milan, Italy for a summer scholarship at the prestigious NABA School where they will be immersed in month-long graphic design courses. Bagbaldo, a Visual Communication graduate from the University of the Philippines, recalled how she spent almost two hours a day for month before she was satisfied with her submission. “I used several postage stamps as my main visual,” she states, “because, if you think about it, they can
go anywhere around the world.” In her winning poster, each row of stamps presented a uniquely whimsical reverence to common, everyday items , albeit with a Filipino touch. “Cabbage Patch Dogs” depicted the inexplicably acceptable method sticking several hotdogs-on-a-stick onto a head of lettuce. “My Sweet, Sweet Spagetchup” showcased the Pinoy’s penchant for the sugary, catsup-laden version of the pasta dish. And who isn’t familiar with “The do-it-yourself Shower Tabo”? (That’s a showering can, for those who have yet to meet this semi-permanent fixture of Filipino bathrooms.) In contrast, Pasco’s almost-stark subm ission took him only half an hour to finish. But that’s not to say that his idea was any less compelling. A painting major, also from the University of the Philippines, his design consisted of a smaller-than-life size image of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal as minted on the one-peso coin. Hand-drawn sketch lines were then added to lend him the appearance of—surprise, surprise—a painter at his canvas. “Based on the contest’s theme,
“Creativity is the new Filipino currency.”
1st Row: PDI AVP & Marketing Director, Jocel Adorable, Katrina Encanto, Arbee Bagbaldo and adobo’s Angel Guerrero. 2nd Row: PDI VP Advertising, Pepito Olarte, Hermie Cabrito, Mark Pasco and Philippine NABA Representative, Giampiero Gastaldi