michaelmyerspjs

[michaelmyerspjs]

#RizalRevolution: Rizal’s Ideals in the Digital Age

RZL110-B60 Module 3 Integration Project

Our project, #RizalRevolution: Rizal’s Ideals in the Digital Age, was developed as an interactive social media campaign aimed at reconnecting today’s college students with Jose Rizal’s legacy in ways that are both relatable and impactful. By leveraging popular platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, we transformed Rizal’s messages into a series of visually engaging posts, interactive polls, and short videos. Through this approach, our goal was to bring Rizal’s values of education, freedom, and justice into conversations on today’s pressing issues that modern Filipinos face daily.

The inspiration for our project was rooted in the belief that Rizal’s legacy is not just a historical artifact but an active call to address modern-day issues. While Rizal lived in a colonial period, his fight for freedom, knowledge, and social justice resonates deeply with the problems we face today. To effectively communicate this, we created a social media campaign that positioned Rizal not just as a distant hero from the past but as a voice for change in today’s digital landscape.

Our campaign included a series of Instagram Reels and TikTok videos that connected Rizal’s pursuit of education with the current need for accessible and affordable schooling in the Philippines. Education remains a major challenge for many Filipino students today, so drawing a parallel between Rizal’s commitment to learning and the struggles that modern students face made Rizal’s ideals feel immediate and relevant. These videos included quotes from his works alongside images and video clips of actual students dealing with challenges like rising tuition costs and inadequate resources. This format highlighted how Rizal’s message of empowering Filipinos through education still applies today and can motivate action for change in our own communities.

We also created a range of graphics and quote cards featuring some of Rizal’s most powerful statements about justice, freedom, and social responsibility. The goal here was to take Rizal’s messages, which may sometimes seem removed in their original texts, and translate them into visuals that could quickly catch the eye and hold meaning for a modern audience. Each graphic was designed with a contemporary aesthetic to stand out on platforms where students spend time, like Instagram and Facebook. Alongside these images, we used interactive elements like polls and Q&A sessions to encourage students to engage more deeply. For instance, we asked questions such as, “Do you think Rizal’s vision for the Philippines still holds true today?” and “How can we continue Rizal’s work in our society?” The most popular poll we ran asked students if they thought Rizal’s ideas were still relevant. This poll received hundreds of responses, revealing that young people today still find Rizal’s legacy impactful and worth discussing. 

These interactive elements not only made the content more engaging but also provided students a platform to share their own views on Rizal’s relevance in modern society. In seeing the results and reading others' responses, participants were reminded that Rizal’s vision of freedom, education, and justice is not just part of the past but something that can inspire real change today. Through this approach, we were able to create a campaign that didn’t just teach students about Rizal but invited them to become active participants in reflecting on and applying his values. 

The hashtag #RizalRevolution played a central role in bringing students into the conversation. By inviting them to share their own interpretations of Rizal’s ideals, we saw an influx of posts where students connected his principles to topics like freedom of expression, gender equality, and environmental activism. This user-generated content not only increased our campaign’s reach but also underscored Rizal’s relevance across a broad spectrum of issues that modern Filipinos are passionate about. It was rewarding to see that students began to identify with Rizal in a way that went beyond textbooks, seeing him as an advocate for their own struggles and ideals. Through this campaign, our team also realized that social media can serve as a powerful educational tool, especially when it comes to reaching young audiences. Unlike traditional methods that often feel detached from daily life, this approach allowed us to meet students where they already spend a significant amount of time. By repurposing Rizal’s values to fit within this digital space, we helped bridge the gap between historical reverence and modern-day activism. 

One important lesson we learned was the need to keep the content both engaging and educational. Since social media content needs to be brief, we initially struggled with balancing in-depth information about Rizal’s life with quick, relatable messages that would hold viewers’ attention. Over time, we found that focusing on one clear theme per post worked best, such as discussing Rizal’s commitment to justice in one video or his value of education in another. This focus allowed us to create bite-sized content that could resonate deeply without overwhelming our audience. Another valuable insight was the importance of interaction in making Rizal feel more real to students. While students might learn about Rizal in class, actively participating in discussions on #RizalRevolution gave them a sense of ownership and connection. Seeing students share their own thoughts and challenges under the hashtag reinforced that Rizal’s legacy is adaptable and that they too can embody his principles. 

In the end, the #RizalRevolution campaign succeeded in its main goal: making Rizal accessible and relevant in the digital age. By using social media, we sparked new conversations and created a community where Rizal’s values could be seen as dynamic principles, not static ideals. Through this platform, we engaged hundreds of young Filipinos, showing them that Rizal’s fight for freedom, knowledge, and justice is just as relevant now as it was over a century ago. Looking forward, this campaign has the potential to expand and evolve, incorporating other historical figures or Filipino values that resonate with today’s youth. A continuation of #RizalRevolution could also include collaborations with schools or influencers who focus on Filipino heritage, allowing for an even wider reach and deeper impact. This project demonstrated that Rizal’s ideals have the power to inspire a new generation if we find the right ways to communicate them. Ultimately, #RizalRevolution taught us that Rizal’s legacy isn’t limited to history books; it lives on when we make it part of our own narratives. By reimagining Rizal’s messages in a way that felt personal, we opened a path for young Filipinos to see themselves as part of his ongoing revolution for change. 

[michaelmyerspjs]

Radiant rainbows symbolize hope, healing, and comfort- a promise after sorrow. A gratitude for the overwhelming emotions we felt during the lockdown of the coronavirus pandemic when all felt anxiety, fear, and pessimistic. Children are missing from playgrounds, schools, and streets when isolated in their homes. No contact from the outside world and no playmates to interact with, two years of their childhood taken from them. They played silently, maybe even solely, despite delivering joyous laughter in their towns. 

Amazon's TV Spot, "Rainbows of Hope," delivers a child's delight. The amusement and welcoming of the child to the outside world, much like how the outside world would greet them: explore, discover, and await adventures that it may deliver to them, filling their curiosity. A girl, an artist, exhibits her talent by drawing on her sidewalk with chalk- a "Thank you" written over a rainbow. A simple yet, encapsulating moment for the little girl who shared her gratitude towards the Amazon delivery driver as he looks down and beams of smile for the kind gesture and sees the proud artist smiling at him by the window (Amazon TV Spot, "Rainbows of Hope," n.d.). 

Connecting with people when everything seems so distant is problematic, tiring, and constant. The substance of the internet is often numbing and mundane. Amazon convinces the viewers' expectations of something innocent and pure, simple but powerful, the smile and gift of a child. Those who seek comfort from the outside world and those who wish to see the outside world- the assurance that it will be just the same, but a little different in ways that even a common act of online shopping could play a vital role in the pandemic; the audience as the customers. The witnessing of a new age of technology and innovation, where something can be somewhere to someone. 

Amazon is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence (Inline XBRL Viewer, n.d.). Although they wish to deliver a message of hope and a symbol of enduring service to their loyal customers, Amazon provides their smile. The smile on their box and on the faces of those who serve the people and protects their belongings. As any company that wishes to uphold its dignity and image to the public and its competitors, they deliver a satisfactory image that gives a more profound message than just an execution of a job. 

Despite the definitive description of an advertisement video where often fabricated and dolled-up image is featured to attract audiences and customers, there were no more media manipulation than slyly attempt to improve the community rather than sell themselves to the audience, provide the services being promoted cannot be judged perceived as a frugal commercial- a creative and child-like thought considered that not only did the adults and working-class struggled, but the children who seek the adventures of the world. 

References:

amazon. (2020, April 22). Delivering Rainbows [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVvphILiYQc

Amazon TV Spot, “Rainbows of Hope.” (n.d.-b). iSpot.tv | Realtime TV Advertising Performance Measurement. https://www.ispot.tv/ad/noAR/amazon-rainbow-of-hope

Inline XBRL Viewer. (n.d.-b). https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000101872423000004/amzn-20221231.htm

[michaelmyerspjs]

Cadbury - "This doesn't need to end"

PT6 Journaling Your Response to Advertising

It was like a Hollywood film, a painting with the most serene and innocent-looking subjects. Looks closer and listen carefully; you can hear the eeriness. The deafening silence of the streets and the abandoned building because all the noise is within the walls- the families' homes. Homes, not houses, because we are all in there.

Cadbury's coronavirus ad capsules the memories behind the doors of homes: stories of a bond's personality, kindness, and generosity. Despite the sudden lockdown that caused people to isolate themselves from the outside world, the short ad shuns light on the memories made within the walls we call home. The film launched during a 90-second spot during Gogglebox on May 1 and was supported by a social media campaign. All media was handled by Carat. The film will be available afterward on Cadbury's social channels (The Drum, 2020).

During the pandemic lockdown, many families anticipated news, reports, and updates from the government through their electronic screens. Families gathered around the living room people and read articles on websites, lacking a physical newspaper to conform to the tradition. We, the people in isolation, those with hope and the prospect of having our everyday life back, were the audience and the subject. To tell us a message that the bond we formed, the memories we made, how we grew and struggled during those times- "this doesn't need to end."

The video was a message, no advertisement of Cadbury's products. The statement was clear, and the goal was certain: to tell the world that just like us, they, too, struggled and recovered during the pandemic. The video advertisement highlighted the absence of featuring their export, but the intended idea was to relate to their customers and audience. And promotion of generosity.

Media manipulation is joint in naive and eager companies to gain possible customers and attract the masses. The ad managed to capture the viewers' attention without anything false. No false words that credit, waiting with bated breath, of competitive industries. It used the audience as their subject, their stories, their voice- the voice we recognized, the one we listened to because we apprehended the words uttered. The viewers heard their message: "This doesn't need to end."

References:

Cadbury. (2020, May 1). Cadbury - This doesn’t need to end [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU9bENZ_0Uc

The Drum. (2020b, May 4). Cadbury: This Doesn’t Need To End By VCCP. https://www.thedrum.com/creative-works/project/vccp-cadbury-doesn-t-need-end