Being Brave Has Always Been The Brief

In an industry that prides itself for flipping and turning 30, 15, 6, 2-second interruptions into stories. Solutions and pockets of ingenuity that respect the consumer’s hard-earned money and time. Creativity is the industry’s currency. A virtue that demands change, and effort, and challenge. One that puts a premium on change, on making better. A virtue that feels challenged without a partner. Which is why being brave — has always been the brief.

To create not without fear of ‘baka mabaril’, but the belief that great ideas, and the possibility of great outcomes, always merit a trip to the shooting range. Even, and especially when, there are millions of pesos at stake. And the prize of rewarding hard-earned time and money with a little humor, meaning, and inspiration.

That being said, the same creativity and bravery we dedicate to pitches is the same sauce that life demands nowadays. Lalo na ngayon, when there is so much of everyone’s life and time to make better, and so many challenges to outthink.

We start off with questions like: How do we flip every minute we’ve now FINALLY reclaimed from EDSA traffic? Or how do we outsmart the hundreds of hours spent indoors—into hours that I don’t spend waiting for the ECQ to end? Minsan, higher stakes. How do I love myself better, knowing that I’ll be spending the next few months in isolation? How can I help? Real-life asks that demand our expertise!

To those who have been conditioned by the pressure of being brave and creative everyday, the transition to respond with the same urgency and courage, almost reactionary. Strat planners immediately jumping to the mirrors and their make-up to indulge their individuality and self-expression. Bosses who now spend as much time in conferences as they do building Lego fortresses with the kids. Creatives, left-and-right, diving back in to sketchbooks, and drumsets, and Photoshop with prompt. Drag-queen-Bat-Men ditching their alter egos as much as they can. And sometimes, people who use creativity and bravery to be kind. Offering talents and new-found time to assist advocacies who might need helping.

As is with the industry, Life demands that we create without fear. Even, and especially when, there is so much of our time and life at stake. To seize every opportunity to reward time with humor, meaning, and inspiration. To respond with zeal and effort, and ingenuity, and kindness, and even crazy, despite the challenge and the fear that it comes with. Being brave has always been the brief.

PS: Kung kaya natin lumusot sa butas ng karayom for 30 seconds of TV, we can do it for most of life in the pandemic. If not all of it.

Good day. Stay brave.

Raffy Raralio

PJB