There’s an age-old question that goes “Para kanino ka bumabangon?” (Who do you get up for?)

Over the course of your career, you may find yourself asking that question, over and over again, reminding yourself that you’re doing this for your family. For the people you serve. For your community. For a cause that you believe in.

You’re doing it for love.

While a lot of us at Team VCS are lucky to be doing something we love (Art! Video! Social Media!), there are those moments when we wish to achieve something beyond the likes, follows, or views. Our ikigai--the intersection among our passions, vocations, missions, and professions.

While Team VCS had done advocacy projects before, our managers thought that it would be beneficial to share our talents with other worthy causes and communities.

For Vitalstrats’ 15th anniversary last June 2019, VCS’ managing partners issued a creative challenge: creating art for the “others” in society--those whose voices need to be heard, the ones whose messages also deserve to be amplified, while still maintaining creative standards and practicing resourcefulness. Thus, Art for Others (AFO) was born.

Team VCS was divided into three groups and asked to come up with creative materials that would directly help an advocacy or beneficiary. The teams were given six months to come up with their output, which were presented last January 2020. Teams would then be judged based on creativity (5 points), problem solving (5 points), execution (5 points), and social relevance (5 points) for a total of 20 points.

Let’s take a look at what each team did for their AFO project.

On My Way: Poblacion Centro Wayfinding System

As of 2019, Barangay Poblacion Centro in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija, has a rather rudimentary wayfinding system. As a native of the place, Jan Agulto knew that only the town’s postmaster can identify the location of each residence given the lack of street names and house numbering in place. But what if there was a way to improve on this situation? That’s why Jan and his team decided to come up with a wayfinding system for the barangay.

To ensure readability for the street signs, they proposed the use of the HK Grotesk typeface,. To cut down on costs, the posts would utilize ecobricks. A color code per street would also make the design more understandable for the residents of the area.

As of January 2020, the team has forwarded the proposal to the barangay officials of Poblacion Centro for their consideration. They also hope that once this proposal is approved and executed, other barangays in Aliaga will also consider putting up their own wayfinding systems.

Art for Puppers (and Kittens, too): #MayFurever merchandise

Members of Group 2 with representatives of PAWS

Being part of an organization that looks after abandoned animals is a noble, fulfilling, yet difficult venture. These furbabies need space, food, medicine, and hope that they will soon be part of a loving home. It’s costly to stock up on supplies, and raising money takes a lot of effort.

Driven by a shared love for animals, Eia Ricasio and her team decided to dedicate their project to PAWS (Philippine Animal Welfare Society).

They saw an opportunity to craft witty, relevant, and creative merchandise that PAWS could sell as a response to consumer demand during the holidays.

After having met the fur-loving “hoomins” of PAWS, the group got to work crafting designs and slogans for tote bags, stickers, pins, and mugs. The winning main message? #MayFurever.

As of January 2020, Eia’s team has submitted their proposal to PAWS. They also assured the organization that they would be ready to adapt the designs for a more timely cause: PAWS’ ongoing relief operations following the Taal volcano eruption, which affected both humans and animals in the area.

Spreading Awareness, Sharing Hope: Love Heals All Wounds

Three of the group’s members after a visit to EYCA

Ending child prostitution and trafficking while taking care of former victims is a tough job, yet the hard-working volunteers at ECPAT (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking) and EYCA (ECPAT Youth and Children Advocates) have lovingly dedicated their time and effort to the cause.

ECPAT and EYCA worked with Felyne Siao’s group to craft merchandise designs and social media content for the EYCA Facebook page. Their campaign, “Love Heals All Wounds”, centered on the love that EYCA volunteers give the children in order to foster healing and peace after their traumatic past.

As EYCA’s volunteers admittedly did not have a lot of experience with graphic design, these merchandise designs were a big help to the volunteers and the residents of the home. Earnings from these merchandise will fund the studies of the ECPAT residents and aid the children who were about to leave the ECPAT home.

In order to provide more long-term aid for EYCA, the group also created a content strategy and social media posts for EYCA’s Facebook page, just in time for Children’s Month (December). These contributions are geared towards making content creation more manageable and strategic for the hard-working volunteers.

A win-win situation

Last February 13, at the end of the VCS Valentine’s Day Party, the winners of the first Art for Others were finally announced. The panel of judges included Ms. Sarah Rodriguez, Country Manager of Waze Philippines, Ms. Sharon Rose Masula, an Executive Producer & Director at GMA, and Mr. Nick Joseph Olanka, a TV and Film Writer/Director.

Based on the criteria, Group 1’s Poblacion Centro Wayfinding System won the award for best Art for Others project with a total score of 16.66. Group 3’s Love Heals All Wounds came in close second with a score of 16.33, while Group 2’s #MayFurever came in third with a score of 15.57.

But while there may be winners and runners-up when it comes to awards, the Art for Others project has given a new sense of fulfillment and victory for all the members of Team VCS. Truly, there is nothing as rewarding as the feeling of sharing yourself--talent, time, and treasure--to a cause or community that you believe in.

We look forward to our continued partnership with Barangay Poblacion Centro in Aliaga, PAWS, and EYCA, and we hope that through this event, we inspire more advertising professionals to create Art for Others.

Vitalstrats Creative Solutions (VCS) is a creative agency based in Quezon City, Philippines. VCS specializes in content marketing, advertising, and video production. We use strategic creativity to help our clients grow their brands.

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ART FOR OTHERS: GOING BEYOND STRATEGIC CREATIVITY