whapakk.

Saturday morning, the Nuffnang team got back from Subic, from the pleasant chaos that is called the Ad Congress. It was a tiring three-day event that was filled with interactions, entertainment, freebies (erm, booze), and activities; everyone knew that coming in, but there were a few pleasant surprises when I was there that made me extra glad that I attended the convention.

Even the "boring" part, I didn't find boring.

So I guess, I’d just list down the top five things I loved about this year’s Ad Congress:

5. My new Zippo lighter. Marlboro had this booth near the entrance loaded with the prettiest promo girls from the event (Tanduay’s girls were a close second), a gazillion packs of different Marlboro cigarette variants, and a game they called Decode where you can win Marlboro-branded goodies. I got a Zippo lighter from them. That’s enough to make me happy. (I got another lighter from them a day later at the huge Marlboro party, and while the lighter wasn’t that special, the groovy boomst-boomst was.)

Green means you've been to the Marlboro booth.

4. The Smart Buddy sim card that I received just in time. Smart cut off my line because I maxed out my credit again. There were a lot of messages I had to send out, and while I was walking around the venue thinking about what to do with my then-useless phone, I tried participating in Smart’s activities for the day. They gave me a Smart Buddy prepaid sim card for my efforts, which solved my problems at least for that weekend and at no cost, too.

3. Pedicab and Sandwich performing back-to-back at the Philippine Star lunch. I’m such a fan boy.

When Sandwich plays, everyone listens.

2. The ABS-CBN trade show. ASAP has become such a regular Sunday thing for me (not that I always watch the show, but when I’m at home and I’ve got nothing to do, my TV’s tuned in to ABS-CBN for the show; specifically, my eyes are tuned in to Rachelle Ann Go and Maja Salvador) that I overlooked the fact that when all these celebrities come together for a show, it’s such a monumental gathering of stars. ASAP isn’t just a show – it’s a weekly reunion of the best artists ABS-CBN has to offer, and I felt blown away when they decided to bring it to the Ad Congress.

Kimerald!

Tatlong love team.

1. The Mainit performance. Got rice? That’s bigas. Hot damn.

Y'all betta make way for Knowa Lazarus.

For real (because you probably said “fuck you, damn right” when I put up that Q-York thing there at #1): 1. All the friends inside and outside the advertising industry who attended. Almost everyone was there. Wherever I looked, there was at least someone I knew who was enjoying the event, as well. I met some benchmates from college (Criselle, Nel, Guads, and Carlo), Martin (from high school), lots of friends from the advertising agencies (too many to mention), and a whole lot more. I said ASAP was a weekly reunion of sorts? Ad Congress was a much, much bigger reunion for me. And that’s what I loved the most from the convention.

Me and Criselle: it's been what, six, seven years?

So that’s it. Cheers to Philippine advertising and see you all in two years. (Or until I knock on everyone’s office doors again just to say hoy.)