Thursday, May 07, 2009

Ako Mismo?

Marcos: Ano ba'ng pinakamalaking problema ng Pilipinas? Komunismo? Pasismo?
Common Tao: Hinde. Ikaw mismo. Pati misis mo. 

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The about us page of the "Ako Mismo" campaign contains some of the most idiotic drivel I've read online. Everything that is wrong with "advocacy campaigns" is present there. 

DDB's newest advocacy campaign has been getting a lot of attention to the agency's amazement. This has in fact given them more conviction to stand behind their cause and continue their crusade for positive change.

Then the folks at DDB are easily amazed. Only an idiot would take out ads on primetime, people it with big stars, pimp a web address, and then be surprised that people turn up. "Feeling grassroots" is what they are, expressing amazement that a campaign executed by a top ad agency gets attention. Spare me. 

But what really gets my goat* is that the campaign is basically NOTHING. Nothing in that site tells me what I am supposed to do or how that will help make my country better. Is typing in a "committment" supposed to change the world? Is signing up for a fucking dog tag supposed to change my country?

This "advocacy" is an insult to real people out there lobbying for laws, reporting on atrocities, organizing communities. To somehow think that a bunch of ad men with a faux viral campaign will change the world simultaneously scales the heights of naivete and plumbs the depths of cynicism. 

Now here's a better organization. And while they may not have the reach of Ako Mismo, I can personally vouch for (most of) the people who comprise the MGG. Heck, I love Ely and Arnel and Angel as much as the next guy, but give me Juana Change anytime.  

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*Please, I have so few goats left. 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Haha! As with everything with the media today, everything is dumbed down to the lowest common denominator.