Campaign KV

Slides from the pitch deck showing #TeamVCS’ creative process

The ARAW Values Advertising Awards, which celebrates campaigns that promote positive societal change, recently recognized Vitalstrats Creative Solutions (VCS) with a Bronze Award in Advocacy Communications for our Voters Education Campaign.

But beyond the recognition is a deeper truth. This campaign struck a chord because it reminded us of something often overlooked: the way our vote shapes everyday lives.   

At a time when political conversations can be divisive or drowned out by personality-driven noise, we anchored the campaign in one unshakable message:

“Sa darating na eleksyon, huwag mo akong kalimutan.”

(In the upcoming elections, do not forget about me.)

Communication Challenge

In the Philippines, elections are often driven by personality over policy. Voters tend to identify with familiar faces, popular figures, or influential families, creating a landscape where celebrity and social media clout can overshadow meaningful platforms. This is further complicated by the rise of misinformation, with social media now a dominant force in shaping public opinion, often amplifying false or misleading narratives.

Amid this noise, it became crucial to cut through personality politics and digital distractions to remind voters of the real-world impact of their choices. The Voters Education Campaign set out to disrupt this cycle, refocusing the conversation on the everyday lives and communities most affected by electoral outcomes.

Creative Strategy

VCS launched the voters education campaign as a pro-bono initiative, developed in close collaboration with the Advertising Foundation of the Philippines, Ads Standards Council, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, Philippine Association of National Advertisers, Out of Home Advertising Association of the Philippines, United Print Media Group, The Philippine Star, Business World, Manila Bulletin, and Executive Decisions Integrated Marketing Communications Firm.

Guided by our mission as a full-service creative agency that crafts real-world solutions through strategic creativity, we chose to approach this campaign with thought and empathy.

To make this vision a reality, we showcased different people in an attempt to put a face for various sectors and evoke empathy. We framed civic duty as a deeply personal and emotional responsibility, one rooted in remembering the individuals and communities most affected by the choices we make at the ballot box.

Campaign Execution

The campaign's slogan—Sa darating na eleksyon, huwag mo akong kalimutan (In the upcoming elections, do not forget about me)—was featured across various platforms in an effort to reach diverse audiences and remind voters of how their choices directly affect the lives of everyday Filipinos.

The campaign was brought to life across diverse formats to maximize reach and emotional resonance:

Social Media Art Cards

We designed the campaign to spotlight everyday Filipinos, pairing their portraits with direct, emotionally charged copy. Using tactile textures and grounded tones, each post felt warm and intimate offering a quiet moment of reflection amid noisy social feeds.

Radio Spots

The audio spots were aired during peak commuting and working hours reaching motorists, frontliners, and everyday Filipinos in the middle of their routines. The tone was soft and contemplative, offering a quiet call to action amid the usual noise of daily radio. Instead of demanding attention, the message invited listeners to pause, reflect, and consider the deeper weight of their vote.

Digital Video

The visuals of the video were intentionally crafted to evoke deep emotion, featuring individuals from often overlooked communities—PWDs, laborers, and fishermen—highlighting the direct impact of elections on those who are rarely seen or heard in mainstream narratives. Each frame was designed to humanize these groups, making their stories impossible to ignore, and reminding viewers that their vote holds the power to shape the future for all, not just for those in the spotlight.

Print & Billboards

Bold, black-and-white, high-contrast posters were strategically placed in high-traffic areas. With no distractions, the stark imagery and powerful message demanded attention, urging passersby to reflect on the impact of their actions and the importance of their vote.

Together, these materials formed a unified call for empathy, urging voters to remember those whose lives are most impacted during election season

The Stakes: What Happens When We Forget

When we vote without considering the full impact, the consequences ripple far beyond the ballot box. Each decision carries weight, shifting the balance of power in ways that can leave the most vulnerable behind.

Weakened Democratic Structure
Elections here in the country can quickly turn into a popularity contest. We find ourselves voting on who makes the most noise, deafening us from the real message. Leadership takes skill outside of grandiose language and charisma. We harm ourselves by placing incompetent people in positions that call for exceptional and wide-ranging expertise.

Worsened Socioeconomic Divide
Voting may be a right, but for many, it’s also a privilege that demands time, access, and information—resources not everyone can afford. When the most vulnerable are least equipped to engage, their voices are the first to be forgotten.

Poor Government Accountability
With a weaker grasp on a candidate’s information and platform, it raises the question of accountability: are officials solely responsible or do voters share in that responsibility?

Our Values at Work

This campaign embodies one of VCS’s core creative beliefs: advocacy is strategy in action. For us, creativity and advocacy are not separate pursuits—they work hand in hand. Creativity is at its most powerful when used with purpose, it is to deliver a meaning while capturing attention.

At VCS, we see storytelling as both a heart-driven and structured craft. When these elements come together, we move beyond surface-level messaging to create work that is rooted in truth, shaped by insight, and driven by intent.

Whether building brands or elevating causes, we strive to create work that resonates deeply, drives conversation, and inspires meaningful change.

Results and Recognition

The ARAW Bronze Award for Advocacy Communications affirms our belief that purposeful creativity matters. It’s a reminder that when creativity is grounded in empathy and intention, it can move people not just emotionally, but into action. This recognition acknowledges the execution of the campaign while also placing great value on its message.

While this campaign wasn’t designed around performance metrics, its organic reach and resonance within the community spoke volumes. We witnessed how authentic storytelling can travel far and wide without paid amplification. Civil society groups took it upon themselves to amplify the message. Everyday voters, moved by the stories and the simplicity of the call, reshared the materials on their own platforms.

The response reaffirmed something we’ve long believed at VCS: that creativity rooted in advocacy has the power to inspire collective awareness and action. This campaign didn’t just spread, it connected. And for us, that’s the real measure of success.

What You Can Do

Raising awareness can only do so much. The real question is: what can you do to vote with purpose, empathy, and responsibility? Voting with purpose, empathy, and responsibility begins with recognizing that our greatest tool is our own agency. Our vote may be fleeting, but its consequences are not.

Know your Candidate 

To vote wisely, we must look past personalities and focus on platforms. What concrete plans do they have? Are those plans realistic given the country’s current situation?

We should aim to support candidates who aren’t only concerned with helping those in our immediate circles, but who are committed to serving the broader public. While no leader will ever be perfect, it is our responsibility to choose someone who is willing to make the effort.

Critical Thinking Matters

The election is also a good time for self reflection as it represents each one of our values on the grandest scale. This is the time we ask ourselves: who are we voting and why are we voting for them?   

Remember Who You Vote For 

Our vote is a public responsibility. While our time in the voting booth may be brief, the consequences of our choices echo far beyond it: touching lives, opening or closing doors, and defining futures. When we vote this May, let us remind ourselves of the people whose voices are too often unheard and consider their needs before our own.

Your Ballot, Their Future

As we step into the polls, our message remains: “Sa darating na eleksyon, huwag mo akong kalimutan.”

Let’s remember who our choices will affect and vote with empathy, intention, and responsibility.

Huwag Mo Akong Kalimutan: Designing Empathy Into a Voter Education Campaign