Branded for life

MANILA, Philippines - With internships and job opportunities abounding, there seems to be no better time to experience the real world in bits. With a good stock of passion and a little bit of luck, getting the job of your dreams doesn’t seem so far-fetched.

Here in the Philippines, what would arguably be the biggest dream-maker for young marketing hopefuls is the L’Oreal Brandstorm. Now in its sixth year, L’Oreal gathered students all over the country to come up with creative solutions to product marketing challenges. The 2014 Brandstorm required participants to innovate a product line for Kiehl’s men to address the growing market’s needs. Among the six teams that competed in the finals, three teams emerged as national winners but the first prize went to Team BMW. They will compete in the international finals in Paris, France on June 12 for a chance to win 10.000 euros.

After surviving weeks of intense market research and presentations, these modern-day marketing executives in the making definitely deserve to kick back, relax and celebrate the victory. 

Team BMW

Benjamin Baladad, Manuel de Leon, Wacky Narciso of Team BMW knew each other since high school. It was only in college that they grew close and eventually ended up working together for this year’s L’Oreal Brandstorm. The group bagged the National Winner title with their innovative product line Full Command, a three-part regimen for hassle-free grooming for men. 

Being students of Business Administration in UP, the knowledge aspect was already covered. But the teamwork? “We allowed ourselves to get distracted but in a good way. We created an environment that allowed us to have fun while working,” says Wacky. 

The past few months of hard work paid off for Team BMW but the competition is far from over. They are now preparing for the international finals in France this June. There are still presentations to be polished and critiques from previous Brandstorm winners to be heard, but the team is already planning their trip to Paris. The first on their list? The French Open.

Team Breakthrough

Team Breakthrough’s wished to be the first Atenean team to reach Brandstorm’s finals came true. Not only that, they also finished in second place with their product line Kiehl’s Shaving Damage Arrest, a three-product regimen for a damage-free shave. 

The team worked perfectly; Mia Pangilinan was good with words, Jennifer Conlu was the expert at research and Nico Reyes knew how to make clear presentations. But their journey to the finals was far from smooth. There were times when they felt guilty for sleeping and even relied on caffeine for energy, but the team knew better. “Making ourselves look nice and healthy for the competition was just as important as brainstorming and researching,” says Mia. 

The group won a trip to Bali, Indonesia. With all the stress from the competition and possibly, their future jobs, the team looks forward to eat, pray, love. 

Team Out

Jules Herrera-Lim, Jeanina Ty and Marty Gonzaga of Team Out are no strangers to marketing competitions. There were a number of competitions to sign up for in University of the Philippines but nothing interested them as much as L’Oreal Brandstorm did. “We’re graduating this year and we want to end our marketing competition run with something that’s really of genuine interest to the three of us,” says Jules. 

Being good friends prior to the competition, the team’s chemistry came naturally. But they were not safe from the evils of Facebook and distraction. The solution: they got the catch-up stories over with and do the work after. Surprisingly, it worked for the team and they were able to finish their goals set for the day.

Their idea Mad Science, a collection of products to address the pains of men, came in 3rd place. The team won a trip to Boracay, a well-deserved break after all the hard work.

Photos by Karen dela Fuente, Makeup by GEX GARCIA for L’Oreal and JULIE FERRER, Shot on location at EDSA BEVERAGE DESIGN STUDIO