Maluluto na naman tayo sa sarili nating mantika
MANILA, Philippines—“Money” (Thaksin) Villar’s campaign will be fodder for marketing case studies for many years to come. For what is it other than a perfectly executed marketing strategy aimed at “buying market share.” It would be interesting to dissect how many millions of pesos he has to spend for every share point that he is gaining. Right now, because of his shameless, scandalous spending, he is a “top-of-the-mind” product, which is the reason he is rating favorably in surveys. That is what advertising is all about: conditioning the public mind. Sadly, in advertising, which is what the Villar spots are, the line between truth and claims gets blurred by the frequency of airing. And with “Money” Villar’s cash, claims and posturings can be turned into “truth.” It certainly doesn’t mean that Villar is the right person for the presidency. It only means that the highly paid advertising team that did those commercials are very, very good. They certainly deserve kudos and the money their product (Villar) is paying them.
However, buyers/voters should learn this early that the presidency is not like their shampoo, soap or whitening lotion, which they can junk when they are dissatisfied with the result.
Villar, as he has shown through his cavalier attitude toward the ethics cases being raised against him and his actuations towards his peers, will be no different from GMA. Kapit-tuko.
The people endorsing him? You can’t blame Dolphy, kailangan niyang kumita (he needs to earn), he has several, high-maintenance families to feed. Willie Revillame, he only recognizes money. How about Satur Ocampo and Liza Masa? How sad that they have sold out as well despite the company that “Money” keeps, and I thought all along they were espousing social and gender equality. Is this their platform of government?
So caveat emptor! Let the buyer (in Villar’s advertising campaign, the voter) beware. You vote for him because you are swayed by his barrage of strategic and well-executed advertising, then we truly, truly deserve the “leaders” we are getting. Just like GMA’s immoral, stolen presidency, maluluto na naman tayo sa sariling mantika. This time, because of our own doing.
—JOCELYN GONZALES,
[email protected]
