P&G’s Safeguard®, a brand with a heritage of providing long-lasting protection for families, has launched a new campaign called “Pabaon Sa Buhay” (Protection for life)– reinforcing the brand’s belief that the lessons learned at home have the ability to shape and protect a child for life.
The campaign idea is built on the core tension that every parent faces in bringing up their children. Having to balance the desire to keep them close and protected with the need to let them go out and explore the world to learn and grow by themselves.
Created for P&G by Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore, the centerpiece film of this campaign follows the journey of Norman King through his childhood, leading up to his university graduation. Norman’s story is far from the ordinary. Norman is an Aeta, an indigenous tribe in the Philippines. As the first ever Aeta student to graduate from the University of Philippines, the film showcases the challenges Norman faced throughout his childhood, and how he overcame them with the lessons imparted from his mother, Warlita. While Norman is the hero, the main focus would be on the pabaons (life lessons) that were passed onto him by his mother.
Norman and Warlita’s story exemplifies the power of a mother’s pabaons and the power of parenting. Through the campaign, Safeguard expresses every parent’s hope of providing their children with life-long protection.
The film beautifully captures Warlita’s desire to protect her child from harm, yet also equipping Norman with the right lessons needed to navigate the complexities of life on his own.
What makes the campaign even more special is the cast of the film. As the team at Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore engaged with Norman and Warlita’s story, they developed a deep appreciation of the Aeta way of life. Together with the client team at P&G, they decided to stay purist in the intent of bringing this story to the world. To that end, they chose not to cast professional actors to play any of the role. The film features an all Aeta cast, a possible first in the Philippines for any brand.
Pepe Diokno directed the short via Unitel x Straight Shooters Media Inc.
