Ad execs instant celebrities at ABS-CBN’s Ad Congress party

The combined forces of advertising and media rocked Baguio City, when ABS-CBN hosted an after-dinner party during the recent 18th Philippine Advertising Congress.

A rare kind of "creative" quake hit the city of pines when key personalities from the advertising industry jammed onstage with ABS-CBN stars for several song and dance numbers. The party dubbed Whatta Singkwenta! saw the fusion of performances from the two industries that heated up the massive dining area of Club John Hay’s Convention Center.

The program’s concept was also a fitting tribute of the network to the advertising industry in celebration of its 50 years in television to recognize its significant contribution to the network’s success. True to its Kapamilya theme, ABS-CBN tailored-fit the occasion to the people in the advertising sector which it considers its kapamilya.

Comedy queen Ai Ai de las Alas, clad in a hilarious tangga outfit designed with huge lips covering her belly, opened the program with a standup comic act, which the audience gamely lapped up. Temperature started to rise when sexy stars Michelle Bayle and Jenny Miller performed a sizzling showgirls showdown, followed by a standing ovation to the stirring Broadway musical medley rendered by celebrated theater talents like Robert Seña, Audie Gemora, JM Rodriguez, Lynn Sherman, John Arcilla, Michael de Mesa, Dessa, Dulce, Calvin Millado, Audie Gemora and ABS-CBN’s special projects manager Mickey Muñoz.

Hosts Edu Manzano, Charlene Gonzalez and ad man Ricky Gonzales, creative director of Jimenez Basic Advertising raffled off cash prizes to the delegates, in between performances. Fifty delegates won P50,000 each. The grand prize was P250,000.

Piolo Pascual created a stir with his song number as female fans flocked to the stage, while some unabashedly went upstage to take photos with him.

But the heat of the night went fever-pitch when advertising titans such as Yoly Ong of Campaigns and Grey, Gigi Garcia of Ace Saatchi, Susan Dimacali of McCann Erickson took centerstage and wowed the audience with their song numbers together with Charo Santos-Concio, the network’s EVP and head for entertainment group.

Meanwhile, the retro medley of BBDO’s David Guerrero, TBWA’s Tong Puno, Unilab’s Chi-Chi Barrios and Jun Vivar, Campaigns Advertising’ Boy Pangilinan, Image Advertising’s Louie Morales and ABS-CBN’s Nicanor Gabunada and Orly Galang also drew the crowd even wilder with their showbiz-y stage presence.

This was followed by a slew of dance presentations with Minda Lansang, president of Mindshare; Gigi Garcia, vice president for client service of Saatchi and Saatchi Advertising; Susan Dimacali, president of BBDO Guerrero Ortega; Abel Seraon, general manager of Unitel Productions; Madonna Bueno of Unitel; Matek Gargantiel, executive vice president of Jimenez Basic Advertising; Menlou Bibonia, vice president of San Miguel Corporation; and Mio Chongson, client service vice president of BBDO Ortega, winding up to the tune of Mr. Suave.

Toward the end of the program, the network’s celebrities together with the advertising guest performers gave in to the clamor of the audience to dance otso-otso and when called onstage, even ABS-CBN chairman and CEO Eugenio "Gabby" Lopez III and president/COO Freddie Garcia joined the dancing of the phenomenal hit.

Other celebrities who performed were Aga Muhlach, Vhong Navarro, Sunshine Cruz and Korina Sancez. Jazz singer Siobhan Pettit, who was flown in by the network from Dublin, Ireland, rendered a set of Burt Bacharach hits.

ABS-CBN was a platinum sponsor of the 18th PAC, with Gabby Lopez as chairman of the event. The network’s party was the most attended in the 18th year history of the Ad Congress. ABS-CBN left no stones unturned in throwing a big bash for the delegates in keeping with the network’s 50th anniversary celebration. The Whatta Singkwenta party was also a way of giving back whatever blessing ABS-CBN has reaped this year.

The program was organized by ABS-CBN’s integrated sales and marketing department, with the network’s special projects division headed by Chit Guerrero. Chair of the ABS-CBN Ad Congress committee was Jose "Pitoy" Garcia, also the network vice president for sales and marketing.

"Everything went well and it was more than what we expected," says Garcia. "I had a very cooperative working committee. We did it without any hitches. We had very good coordination and communication. It was smooth-sailing all the way. It was successful from any way you look at it."

ABS-CBN also won the best booth competition during the trade exhibit of the three-day event. The contest was judged by advertising bigwigs Tessie Celestino, Susan Dimacali, Alvin Manacsa and Lilit Reyes. ABS-CBN stars were also present at the booth every day to sign autographs and pose for souvenir shots with the delegates. Most requested was the ABS-CBN loot bag which is a traveler’s kit in itself containing a sweater, hip flask, cosmetic bag, calculator clock, radio, towel and survival kit.

Outside the venue, ABS-CBN Interactive put up a giant video wall which showed every event happening inside. Given away were cash prizes and the latest model of Nokia 6600 cellphones.

ABS-CBN Publishing gave away copies of its magazines like Metro, Chalk and Star Studio among many others, and even set up a picture booth where delegates can have their souvenir Ad Congress pose on a magazine cover.

The Regional Network Group (RNG) showcased the country’s beauty and bounty through a photo gallery, One Philippines. Also displayed were state-of-the-art facilities of ABS-CBN regional TV and radio stations and the network’s top-caliber local talents from different provinces. Over-all, the booth demonstrated RNG’s role in linking the different islands of the Philippines through ABS-CBN’s provincial TV and radio stations, local shows, homegrown talents and festival coverage.