The document reflects on the author's early experiences in advertising, highlighting the challenges faced by the 'below the line' team in a predominantly traditional media landscape. It emphasizes the importance of questioning client requests and creatively approaching projects to stand out and demonstrate dedication akin to 'malasakit.' Additionally, it draws inspiration from Steve Jobs' unconventional educational choices, suggesting that exploring personal interests can lead to unexpected opportunities and innovation.

1. When I started in advertising -
Celphones were not common -
Only for the military, other government
officials or really rich people
PC screens were black with green text
Only a few had Internet
- Maybe just the big bosses.
THERE WAS EVEN NO POWERPOINT!
I was about your age –about 15 years & 30
pounds ago
But we can keep that a
secret.

2. In my FIRST BIG agency, I was part
of the smallest, least recognised team:
McCann Direct
Least profitable
= almost no mass media (little TV, few press ads)
= almost no media commissions for our projects
Doing the hardest, most thankless jobs:
Long copy for brochures
that no one else wanted to do,
that took forever to produce,
that no one really read or appreciated
(except maybe my mom)
.

3. Adding insult to injury,
they also called us
THE BELOW THE LINE TEAM
beneath the ABOVE THE LINE team
who were the stars, who supposedly led the thinking
BUT
I actually stayed 5 years on the job,
because I believed in the other term we were also known
by:
THE NON-TRADITIONAL TEAM

4. Non-trad media as we know it today -
YouTube, Facebook, Yahoo Messenger, Blogging,
SMS -
DID NOT EXIST
But the word NON-TRADITIONAL already inspired
me
I was sure I wanted to be that!!!
.

5. The leader of that team admitted to being
insecure.
We always argued, even though he was
my boss.
But I knew I could learn a lot from him.
He‟s actually one of my best mentors
ever.
One of the first – and most important things – he taught
.
me…

6. “When client asks us
to do a letter or a brochure,

7. A typical agency will answer,
„Okay. How many words?‟
In our case, we have to ask, „WHY????‟

8. QUESTION IT
PICK IT APART
POKE
IT
PROCESS WHAT CLIENT SAYS
PROBE IT
BUILD ON IT NOT JUST FOLLOW IT

9. BECAUSE IF WE SIMPLY FOLLOW CLIENT
HE COULD EASILY HIRE SOMEONE ELSE
WHO COULD DO THE EXACT SAME THING
AND TAKE THE JOB FROM US
OR FROM YOU

10. If we do it differently, client can say:
“This agency keeps doing things no one else can.”
These people want to grow my business,
not just theirs.
They are concerned.
.

11. Incidentally,
CONCERN means
MALASAKIT* in Tagalog
*interestingly enough, its root word also means pain

12. You can see Malasakit in Filipina
maids
who take pains to care for Singaporean kids
.
Now, if we can make clients feel we also take pains for their
brands,
which are actually their babies, wouldn’t we also have them
captive in our hands?

13. If you look around,malasakitcan sometimes translate to
dedication
Passion that sometimes manifests
itself as, um, TEMPER
(Though just imagine how much worse it would be IF I didn’t have Coke
Light!)

14. YOU GUYS, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAVE
TEMPERANCE
Moderation
Balance

15. if you mix temper with temperance =
Always VARIETY
Never monotony
Client cannot say,
“They’re so predictable, I can guess what they’re going
to do,
so maybe I shouldn’t even bother asking them.”

16. Nope, that will not happen.
Because we will aim to surprise
not just clients –
but even ourselves.

17. What if I do this differently
Or try this new font
Or suggest something else to
client
The likes of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, etc. asked
themselves that.
Because it‟s as important as asking WHY!!!

18. Years before he became famous,
the very young Steve Jobs asked,
“What if I quit college, it‟s too
expensive for my parents. I should
just concentrate on learning what I
really want to learn.”
He still studied. But he was not enrolled, he just sat in on the
classes he liked.
Including Calligraphy, which he enjoyed because he found it so
beautiful.
Years later, when developing his dream computer in his garage,
he remembered his Calligraphy classes
and knew he wanted a computer with interesting typefaces.
And so Apple‟s interface was born, which differentiated it from all
other PCs in its time..

19. Steve says who knew those
calligraphy classes would amount to
something.
Who would have thought
something that simple
would make a difference!

20. I shared that story because even if you don‟t want
to believe me,
you can at least believe Steve.
We discover more opportunities
out there for us
When we explore the possibilities
already within us

21. “Hmm, I didn‟t think
I could do that -
but what if…I can?”

22. What if indeed…..