Background

In line with the World Expo 2020’s theme, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industries sought to promote the country as a creative and compassionate nation through the “Bangkota Pavilion”—the word Bangkota meaning “coral reef,” to show how Filipinos, much like corals, overlap and interact with people around the world in order to move forward.

As the World Expo is set in Dubai, the Bangkota aimed to attract overseas Filipino workers in the UAE and Middle East, many of whom are unaware of the 4000-year journey our people have taken—and continue on—to get to where we are.   

While technology is often the go-to narrative in “creating the future,” it was important to dig deep into what makes the Filipino unique: our creativity. Creativity is inspired by our innate desire for progress, to explore beyond the world we live in. It was creativity that got us where we are today. 

And the best way to tell this story? Through creative storytelling, which reaches not only those within the Bangkota, but also viewers across the globe. 

Creative and Media Ideas & Executions

Movement, be it across waters or through dance, is what allows us to connect with others. Movement is a crucial link to our past, and what informs us of who we are today. Working with this insight, we told the story of the Filipino—as a sublime choreographer of cultural traffic, transformation, and cultural sustainability—through movement and music.

“Our Gift to the World” is a five-minute film that captures the fusion of human interaction 65,000 years ago in the Philippine archipelago, as well as the 4,000 years of water-oriented culture that shaped the Filipino identity of hyperconnectivity. 

 Produced in the height of the pandemic, the film is a collaboration among a carefully selected ensemble of performing, visual and digital artists, all who worked remotely across continents. Music was composed in Manila; dancers and choreographers rehearsed to in isolation in the United States; and the director planned photography while in Korea. The team came together for a two-day shoot in Manila, with the rest working remotely. Post-production was done in Hong Kong. 

The film is divided into five segments that tell specific stories: “Gold,” the discovery of gold in our country; “Blue,” about our journey across seas; “Green,” on our country’s abundant ecosystem; “Red,” our self-discovery through trade and reinvention; and “Polychrome,” on the birth of communities that forged a nation. 

All segments features movements inspired by traditional dances such as the Pangalay (from the Sulu archipelago, in the southwestern region) Binanog (from Panay-Bukidnon, westernmost of the Visayas islands) and Subli (a religious dance originating in Batangas.) The film’s music is a modernized articulation of Filipino ostinato, with its sound and musical phrases—such as the kulintangan (a drum and gong ensemble indigenous to the Mindanao islands,) agong (gongs used in the Maguindanao region), and gabang (bamboo xylophones, used by tribes in Palawan, Visayas)—rooted in history and tradition. Certain cultural artistic elements, such as the “binakol,” a popular twill fabric from the northern region of Luzon (Ilocos) featuring psychedelic patterns, was woven into the film. 

Within the Bangkota, “Our Gift to the World” was projected on a 180-degree immersive surface, giving visitors a front-row seat to a cinematic and artistic take on the Filipino origin history. The full-length video, along with five online-exclusive, bite-sized versions that highlighted each section, were also posted on the Department of Trade and Industry’s social media pages. 

Presence of Brand Purpose

The Filipino proverb “ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalin, ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan,” (“A person who does not remember where he came from, will never reach his destination”) rings true more than ever. “Our Gift to the World” proves that Filipino’s unwavering resilience, ingenuity, and creativity are deeply ingrained in our culture and identity. So ingrained, that no matter where we are in the world, we dip into this ancestral well of creativity in order to progress forward. 

The film is a reminder not only of what the Filipino people have gone through: it serves as inspiration of why the Filipino can overcome adversities, adapt to any environment, and more importantly, flourish. Such a reminder is of utmost importance, especially for overseas Filipino workers, who themselves are on unique journeys of their own. 

Business Results

Despite launching during a pandemic, “Our Gift to the World” was met with positive results, meeting its objectives of generating awareness, sparking conversations, and instilling pride in Filipino creativity. 

Reception was overwhelmingly positive. More than one million visitors viewed the film on-site. Arts magazine Kanto called it ‘beautiful,’ and local and international media called it out as the highlight of the pavilion. 

The film was also posted on DTI’s Facebook Page. To date, it is their most successful organic piece of content. Its engagement rate was 5.7% higher than the industry benchmark, and has 81% more shares compared to other organic videos in the client’s channel. It was viewed much longer than other videos in the channel, with an average view duration of 2:43, totaling 67.4 viewing hours (compared to the average 30.1 hours.)

Based on our social listening tool (Talkwalker,) the whole Bangkota experience was able to drive conversation that had a reach of over 3.5 billion—over 20x the conversation size of other country exhibits.