The creative legend behind ABS-CBN’s station IDs

The shooting for ABS-CBN’s Christmas station ID in 2009 was already underway when Typhoon Ondoy wreaked havoc in the country.

The most destructive typhoon took the lives and homes of many Filipinos. And the team doing the Kapamilya Network’s annual Christmas music video had to quickly make changes.

“I had to rewrite the lyrics and change the story because the country needed something inspiring after that tragedy. I was crying while writing the song on the roof deck,” recalled ABS-CBN creative management head Robert Labayen.? ?

When it premiered, Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng Pasko with music by Marcus Davis Jr. struck the hearts of millions of Filipinos here and abroad. Audiences resonated with the theme and message of the song. To date, the music video has almost nine million views on YouTube and continues to be played and sung every year.

Labayen was surprised when he visited the US, Filipinos knew and could sing it, while people on social media expressed how they were touched by the song.?

 “It was so rewarding to see those reactions from people,” said Labayen, who considers the Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng Pasko station ID as his best work in his entire career.? ?

Labayen recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Creative Guild of the Philippines for his outstanding works and contributions in the advertising industry.? 

The recognition came as a surprise for Labayen because he left the mainstream of the advertising industry 10 years ago and people have the notion that such honor is usually bestowed on older people.?

 “I don’t feel like I am retiring any soon, but I was told that you don’t have to be 60 years old to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. It has been given to younger people before,” he said.? 

His entry into the advertising world could be described as accidental. After finishing sociology in Bicol University, Labayen came to Manila with hopes of becoming a writer for movies.

It was his cousin who told him to try advertising. At that time, he did not have any inkling about the profession. He applied as copywriter but was rejected by 20 advertising agencies until he got his break from a small shop called Head Quarters in Cubao and later on by J. Romero & Associates ad agency.?

From his first work for a rat glue paper product label to many radio and television commercials for various consumer goods, Labayen collected many awards for his brilliant works that helped change the destinies of many brands. One of his defining moments was when he brought home 17 awards in one night for various ads he did with his colleague Mario Monteagudo.? ?

He spent most of his years working at Ace Saatchi & Saatchi ad agency, where he got to work with some of the industry’s best creative directors like Mon Jimenez, Jimmy Santiago and Cid Reyes. He later became a managing partner at J. Walter Thompson Manila before joining ABS-CBN in 2004.? ?

“I was going through a midlife crisis. I wanted to do something patriotic. I thought that I would be able to fulfill that desire if I worked at ABS-CBN,” he said.

“We are no longer conscious about ourselves. Instead of talking about how good we are, we talk about how good Filipinos are. In our most recent works, the scenes are not scripted or staged,” he said. ?

Aside from Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng Pasko, Labayen also considers Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas one of his best works in ABS-CBN.? ?

The song, which became the theme of ABS-CBN Regional Network Group’s Choose Philippines campaign and sung by Angeline Quinto, became popular and its music video with the shadow group El Gamma Penumbra went viral on social media. It is being sung in many schools, especially during the Linggo ng Wika.? 

 “I want Filipinos to be proud of the Philippines. I get irritated when I see our fellow Filipinos putting down their country on Facebook. It’s okay to point out things we can correct but we don’t have to be too carried away,” he said.

Every day, Labayen and his team produce about 50 television plugs in a day. But the highlights would be the network’s summer, rainy and Christmas station IDs, which Filipinos have learned to anticipate each year.? ?

Through ABS-CBN’s wide and extensive broadcast, cable and online platforms, Labayen gets his fulfillment that the works of his team get to be seen and embraced by Filipinos here and abroad.? 

“If your campaign gets to influence at least a single person, it’s okay. That one person may be the president of the country in the future. I always tell my team how we can help the country through our work in ABS-CBN. We all have the same conviction. We win awards not because we are creatively excellent, but because my teammates are authentic. They like doing things for our country,” he said.?