MANILA, Philippines – GMA Network Inc. made a global win for the only Filipino network produced entry in one of the year’s biggest international advertising festivals.
Wholly produced by GMA’s marketing arm, GMA Marketing and Productions Inc. (GMPI), the TV mini-sine Hating Kapatid clinched the Bronze Award in Products and Services under the food category in the recently-concluded Busan International Advertising Festival, commonly referred to as Ad Stars.
Hating Kapatid, which debuted on GMA’s free-to-air channels last Nov. 16, 2011 as part of GMPI’s sixth Christmas Short Film Festival, was produced in cooperation with Columbia International Food Products Inc. (CIFPI) for So Lucky Soda Crackers. It tells the story of motherless, school-aged brothers who had to take turns wearing an old pair of school shoes and pushing a cartload of veggies to sell.
Directed by Louie Ignacio, the mini-sine bested over 10,000 entries from 57 participating countries. World-renowned advertising professionals from Australia, Japan, China and other Western markets took part in judging over 1,400 finalists for this year’s Ad Stars.
GMPI president and COO Lizelle Maralag says that GMA’s marketing creative work is benchmarked on global standards. “We are extremely proud of Hating Kapatid as it brought the first global win for GMA Marketing.”
CIFPI VP for marketing Elvira Go agrees. “Working on a concept that will tug at people’s hearts and graphically show the essence of sharing has been a long time dream. Hating Kapatid was a risk worth taking.”
Go, GMPI product development manager Jon Lara and GMPI product development specialist Dennis Tan attended the awarding ceremony last Aug. 24.