YOUNG, Kimberly Ann R.

Psych 180 THU - Module Assignment 2

Of Soaps and Diplomas

When you cruise along the roads of EDSA, you are bound to notice the bright and
attention-grabbing billboards and advertisements that decorate the streets. You can’t watch a
single show on Philippine TV without being bombarded by countless ads. And even when you’re
just mindlessly scrolling through your Facebook feed or watching a YouTube video, you can’t
escape ads; they’re everywhere! It’s not much of a reach to say that advertisements have become
a huge part of our lives, to such an extent that these have already begun influencing our
behaviors. According to a survey conducted in 2020, about 90 percent of the respondents were
willing to buy a product endorsed by popular influencers (Statista Research Department, 2021).
44 percent of the respondents reported buying these products because they were convinced by
the influencer’s promotion (Statista Research Department, 2021). Looking at these numbers and
experiencing this firsthand makes one think how we can be easily convinced and persuaded by
these advertising companies to purchase their products. This paper will analyze persuasion
appeals and techniques behind Safeguard’s advertisement featuring Norman King.

To properly delve into the topic, let us first describe the advertisement in question and
discuss the context behind it. The ad features Norman King, the first Aeta graduate of the
University of the Philippines. It starts with his entrance to his graduation ceremony, garnering
looks from bystanders and fellow graduates because of his attire (a traditional Aeta garb) and
looks. Similar to these scenes, Norman King recalls the discrimination he has experienced, citing
of moments wherein people would discriminate him and his fellow Aetas for their skin and
indigenous background. He explains how people would often see them (Aetas) as uneducated
and how this affects their livelihood (Al Jazeera, 2018). He recounts experiencing more
discrimination during his high school years than in college, saying that most people in Manila
accepted him (Bigtas, 2020). As he advances toward the stage to get his diploma, the advert
shows scenes of King's mother teaching him important values and lessons which served as his
mother's "pabaon" for him. The ad expertly likens King's experience to Safeguard's campaign
slogan ("pabaon sa buhay") to end the video, stating that a parent’s teachings at home will serve
as their children’s protection for life. Norman King graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Behavioral Science in the University of the Philippines Manila. It is a short but
meaningful video, one which will surely touch any viewer’s heart. How exactly can it persuade
audiences to buy their product?

The advertisement utilized both routes of persuasion. According to Levine (2020), using
the central route of persuasion encourages audiences to engage with the content and message of
the advertisement. The video has done so, in the sense that it made audiences ponder on and
evaluate their actions and thoughts. In a way, it seemed that Safeguard placed more emphasis on
their campaign slogan rather than on their product. By showing Warlita’s (King’s mother)
teachings and King’s own experiences, it encouraged viewers to think about what their own
“pabaon’s” are and what they could also teach their current or future offsprings. Consumers may
be persuaded to purchase Safeguard’s products in association. On the other hand, the peripheral
route of persuasion relies on superficial cues which are not entirely related to the content and
message of the ad (Levine, 2020). Audiences may be swayed by the video because of its
aesthetics: how it was directed, the scenes and lines included in the video, how it was edited, and
even the music used.

To analyze the advertisement further, let us look into the elements of the ad. First, the
protagonist: as discussed in class, consumers are more likely to believe the message being
persuaded onto them if the speaker is credible. By allowing Norman King to play his own self
and narrate his story in the video, credibility and trustworthiness is already being established,
given that he experienced these events himself. I believe introducing him as a UP graduate may
have also added to his credibility, knowing that most Filipinos believe in the notion that those
who study in or graduate from UP are top-notch. Relatability of the protagonist also helped in
sending the message across to the audience. The viewers may be able to relate to King’s
experiences in discrimination and journey to self-love and acceptance in their own ways. Some
may relate to his experiences regarding the color of his skin or his looks, with how beauty
standards are set up in our country. Some may relate to his experiences regarding his economic
status. Additionally, how the message was presented also made this ad more effective. Both
Filipino and English were used as languages in the ad, with the latter being used as subs and the
former spoken. This allows the ad to reach more audience, allowing more viewers to understand
the content and message regardless of educational background. As mentioned earlier as well, the
message itself is personalized, or rather the “attack” was more personal. It encourages consumers
to reflect on their own experiences. It appeals more to the viewers’ emotions, targeting their
hearts. And indeed, emotional marketing proves to be effective according to Khuong and Tram
(2015) in their study, reporting that emotional marketing was highly correlated to a consumer’s
decision to purchase a product. Moreover, it was recommended in the same study that
advertising companies create and use self-identification elements to make emotional marketing
more effective. The relatability of the speaker to the audience, the personalized message, and the
appeal to viewer’s emotions prove to be effective tactics in persuasion.

I believe the advertisement was able to effectively persuade, or at the very least influence
a consumer’s decision to purchase Safeguard products for these reasons. The ad allows the
audiences to connect with Norman King and his experiences. By doing so, trustworthiness and
credibility are established. And although there were no obvious product placements seen in the
video (except the brand logo at the end), the connections that viewers made with the speaker and
the emotions felt while watching the ad become linked to the brand. In turn, when consumers see
the Safeguard logo or their products, they will be reminded of this ad and the emotions and
thoughts that came with it when they first watched. Because the overall message and content of
the ad was positive, they would also see Safeguard products as positive, urging them to buy these
items. Additionally, the distinct feature of the speaker (that he is the first Aeta graduate of the UP
system) is also imprinted on the minds of the audience. Because this piece of information is now
related to a Safeguard ad, they would be reminded of the brand every time they remember this
fact.
In all honesty, I cannot identify in which ways this advertisement can be further
improved. Personally, their advertising team chose the most effective ways to persuade audiences
to support their message and buy their products. Rather than focusing on this particular ad, I
suppose one suggestion I have is for the whole campaign itself. I wish they had continued with
this campaign and created a series of ads featuring Filipinos like Norman King, ordinary
Filipinos who defied the odds and achieved impressive feats. It would have pushed their “pabaon
sa buhay” agenda more. By doing so, more Filipinos like Norman King would have been
recognized and this campaign would have had a stronger and longer lasting impact.

To end this paper, I would like to reiterate the huge influence of advertisements on our
behavior. It is important to be wary of them; not all of these ads and propagandas are truthful and
helpful. However, it also doesn’t mean that being persuaded to do or buy something is already
bad. Ads are everywhere and with the continued rise of technology, we will continue to be
bombarded by these advertisements. Advertising teams and companies really use their best and
most effective methods to encourage and persuade a customer, so it’s only natural to sometimes
be persuaded. It doesn’t necessarily and automatically mean that you’ve been duped or fooled; it
just shows that you are human.

References:

Al Jazeera. (2018, August 9). Indigenous Filipino encourages empowerment through education |
Al Jazeera English [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnhXmt5RBTU.
Bigtas, J. (2020). First Aeta UP graduate Norman King talks about his journey on ‘Bawal
Judgmental’. GMA News. Retrieved from:
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/hashtag/content/746846/first-aeta-up-graduate-norm
an-king-talks-about-his-journey-on-bawal-judgmental/story/.
Khuong, M. N., & Tram, V. N. (2015). The effects of emotional marketing on consumer product
perception, brand awareness and purchase decision — a study in Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam. Journal of Economics, Business and Management, 3(5), 524–530. doi:
10.7763/joebm.2015.v3.240.
Levine, R. V. (2020). Persuasion: so easily fooled. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba
textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from
http://noba.to/y73u6ta8.
Safeguard Philippines. (2018, June 19). Safeguard: Pabaon Sa Buhay (Protection for Life)
[Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRgPp-jiHxo
Statista Research Department. (2021, September 7). Philippines: Willingness to buy an
influencer-endorsed product by age 2020. Statista. Retrieved from
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1202673/philippines-willingness-to-buy-an-influencer-
collaboration-product-by-age/.
Statista Research Department. (2021, October 19). Philippines: Reasons for buying a product
endorsed by an influencer by gender 2020. Statista. Retrieved from
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1202220/philippines-reason-buying-products-endorsed
-by-influencers-by-gender/.