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PT 6 - Journaling Your Response to Advertising

Sama-sama sa Distansya | #SafeAtHome

Globe Telecom Inc. is one of the most well-known and trusted telecommunication providers here in the Philippines, and people often feel the need to show comfort, love, and concern through virtual ways but especially through physical means. It brings people together in times of grave disasters and helps them cope with surviving those pressing times. But the pandemic happened, and suddenly, being at each other's company is prohibited. The advertisement is entitled “Sama-sama sa distansya,” It is an ad that is all about expressing how important it is to stay apart from each other in that moment of time because they care for each other. The advertisement greatly emphasizes the necessity of distance, The line “Diyan ka muna, at dito ako, magkalayo dahil close tayo” perfectly sums up the actions we needed to take to keep our loved ones safe, even if this meant separating from them. However, the advertisement not only focuses on the struggles and sorrow the people experience but also the highlights of those times we needed to stay distant such as having more time to communicate with family and friends; it may have been through a virtual setting; nonetheless, it enabled people to take their time and get to know each other more. It was able to portray that the time and distance given to us didn’t prevent us from being creative, creating art, and sharing our talents as individuals to make others smile at a distance. This advertisement caters to all of the people who experienced living in the time of the pandemic. Targeted most especially to those who had to stay in the hospital, away from their families, to care for patients needing care, those elderly who had to live alone, and all that had to suffer from the pandemic’s consequences. Accordingly, The products advertised for them do provide functionality that will greatly benefit them. As Globe Telecom Inc. offers services that allow people to communicate at great distances, the advertised services are fitting for the state of the world. This shows the endless possibilities of connecting with family and friends. Finding new opportunities thus gives hope to all that seem hopeless and dejected by the pandemic. Despite being an advertisement for Globe Telecom Inc., it was far from a money-grab, manipulative, and misleading advertisement. This is because it focuses on creating something that connects and resonates with the viewers. Knowing how hard the situations people are going through, they were able to express that the viewers are not the only ones going through these difficult times, making the advertisement relatable for the viewers; rather than pitying the audience, it shares the emotion of its audience representing that as a company they are willing to help us and go through these matters together. There were no words and depictions of direct advertising of their services, only encouragement and support towards their clients, enabling the audience to check their services from their own interests. 

References: Globe Telecom Inc. (2020, April 17). Sama-sama sa Distansya | #SafeAtHome [Youtube Video] In Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZNnrEKbyJ4

 Get back to what you love.

Worldwide, Google is one of the top search engines (Forsey, 2023), but more recently, it has also branched out to various technological services. Consequently, during the pandemic, Google is used for information gathering and to identify certain regulations regarding the pandemic. This advertisement is about getting our lives back on track with the help of Covid-19 vaccines. The video shows that people are not confined to virtual and online activities or settings anymore by not having to look up common pandemic activities, Closed establishments are finally able to get back on business again and being able to plan in-person meetings, “Get back to what you love” is the title of this advertisement. With the discovery of the Covid-19 vaccines, people are able to return to normal at a slow and steady pace, equipping people with an immunity to the infectious disease. This promotes the benefit of getting vaccines not only to get back to what you love but to keep the people surrounding you safe. That being the case, this advertisement is intended for everyone. Primarily because everyone has an impact on the situation, the number of cases, and the pandemic as a whole. Greatly highlighting how no one is excluded from this change in order to return closer to what we used to love and do. Hence, the advertisement encourages the audience to know more about the said vaccine, which is tremendously important in order to get the right vaccine and stay safe. Combating the misinformation and controversies regarding vaccines, in this case, the Covid-19 vaccines. In an article written by Silva (2021), an approximation of 23% denied taking the vaccines that gravely affect the overall immunity of the country towards the said infectious diseases. Although questioning vaccines are valid, it is detrimental to spread false stories and news regarding vaccines lacking any credible sources. The prevalent and rampant spread of misinformation regarding Covid-19 and its vaccines causes peril and danger to the health of many; false accusations such as vaccines causing autism (Skafle et al., 2022). This misinformation and false accusations are as dangerous as the pandemic in itself due to people getting themselves into more risky and unsafe situations. This is why Google’s advertisement makes an impact by informing their clients to know more about vaccines for the sake of their health and well-being. It was attention-grabbing but not in a manipulative way. The audience’s attention is grabbed because of the way the advertisement is made short, easy to comprehend, and calls the audiences to do their own action by encouraging self-research. The advertisement was also structured more as an awareness video, thus, spreading more information rather than construing it to promote the company. Although there is a link provided, the link given is to know more about the Covid-19 vaccines to minimize misinformation.

References:

Forsey, C. (2023, February 9). The top 11 search engines, ranked by popularity. HubSpot Blog. Retrieved April 19, 2023, from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/top-search-engines#:~:text=1.,Google&text=With%20over%2080%25%20of%20the%20search%20market%20share%2C%20Google%20is,almost%2095%25%20of%20mobile%20traffic. 

Google (2021, March 24)  Get back to what you love [Youtube Video] In Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3y1hJPVavY

Silva, K. (1970, April 17). The controversy surrounding vaccinations, then and now. Penn Today. Retrieved April 19, 2023, from https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/controversy-surrounding-vaccinations-then-and-now 

Skafle, I., Nordahl-Hansen, A., Quintana, D. S., Wynn, R., & Gabarron, E. (2022). Misinformation about covid-19 vaccines on social media: Rapid review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(8). https://doi.org/10.2196/37367