More Fun in the Philippines?

So yesterday’s hot news was the Department of Tourism’s new tourism slogan, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines.” Within minutes of its official announcement, it had become the #1 worldwide trending topic on Twitter. In fact, it’s still the #1 trending topic in the Philippines, as of writing. Until now, people are talking about it, and for good reason.

General feedback has been mostly positive. From what I’ve read, people like the conversational treatment of the slogan. Personally, I think it’s a tad too long — the shorter a slogan is, the better, for easier reference and recall. BUT it certainly rings true (will get to this later) and unlike our previous slogans, this one is a complete thought — It’s more fun in the Philippines, period. No, it’s not the most original or inventive slogan in the world (in reference to its ripping off a Swiss ad slogan) but, y’know, it doesn’t need to be. What it needs to be is understandable, relatable, and “owned” not only by the Tourism Department but by the country as a whole. On that front, I think this slogan succeeds.

As for the logo, the first thing that struck me was that it was very ABS-CBN, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The text is set in (presumably) Harabara, which I think is the perfect typeface for the slogan. Neutral fonts are too formal and businesslike so they are out of the question. Handwritten fonts might come off as juvenile, if not hipster-y. Ethnic-style fonts, while pretty, are limiting and might pose readability concerns. So I do like Harabara very much because it has the right balance of readability, ease, and versatility. I also like the addition of the banig graphic although I must admit that it took some time before I caught the Philippine map in the pattern. I’m not a fan of how the Philippine map has been deployed in clothing and other merchandise but there’s no denying that it has become an icon of the times. To feature it in the logo’s banig is brilliant.

I presented the logo and slogan to my communication campaigns class yesterday and the students I asked said they appreciated the message and the colorful logo. One student wasn’t sure about the comparative use of “more fun” and preferred a slogan that promoted the country independently of others. Another student opined that “more fun” is relative — what is “more fun” exactly? So I projected onscreen the campaign images from the website:

The commuting and getting upstairs images are kind of witty. I’m not sure about the last one though. The creators might not have anticipated it but these lines automatically launched a meme on Twitter: Complete the statement: __________________________. More fun in the Philippines. I had a riot going through the tweets of my contacts, especially those that poked fun on Filipino idiosyncrasies and local woes like traffic, rallies, and general inefficiencies. But we’re Pinoy — if we can’t fight the system or solve the problem, what can we do but just laugh it off, over a Twitter meme.

But I do think there are honest-to-goodness reasons why it really is more fun in the Philippines. And if you think about it, it’s the simple things (that we take for granted) that make the Philippines something else. Here are some of my picks:

  • Ice cream. The local market has upped the ante by offering limited edition series and gourmet flavors. Not to mention, froyo and gelato stalls have made a strong presence in our shopping centers. But nothing can ever top our beloved sorbetes. And I’m talking about the kind peddled from street carts, not the glamorized version (“made with coconut milk”) sold in the supermarket. Screw waffle or chocolate-dipped cones, our humble apa (wafer cone) is the perfect complement to a queso-flavored scoop of sorbetes on a hot day. And every day is a hot day over on this side of the planet.
  • Chocolate. Forget those Belgian truffles, nothing compares with our very own Chocnut, Serg’s, Nips, Flat Tops, Curly Tops, and Goya.
  • Sunshine Green Peas. This merits its own bullet. Seriously, I can live off of this stuff forever — and I hate green peas.
  • Pako. The fern, not the metal spike. Of course I love me some arugula and romaine lettuce, but good ol’ pako salad certainly whets the appetite. 
  • Christmas. This needs no explanation.
  • Churches. There’s a beautiful church (most likely in front of the municipal/city hall) in all corners of the country. Whenever I travel locally I make sure to check out the churches in the area.

And speaking of travel, my 2012 shall continue in the same vein as 2011. Thanks to the recent seat sales of Cebu Pacific, Zest Air, and Air Philippines, I have already made travel plans 8/12 months this year!!! If it’s feasible, I want to go someplace every month. It doesn’t have to be by plane; I just want to see more of the country, or at least Luzon.

The Philippines is rich in beauty, but there is much to be desired in terms of our tourism efforts. So yes, I am delighted with this current tourism campaign and I also admire how proactive our Tourism Secretary is. This campaign is certainly a positive way to kick-start the year.

Let’s go travel the Philippines!