The Campaign

Philippine Airlines, the national airline of the Philippines, partnered with Philippines Foundation to initially donate a hundred boats to the fishing villages of Leyte. But we wanted the boats to have an even higher purpose – a dual purpose if you must. Hence we turned the fishing boats into learning boats. We painted the boats with school lessons for elementary school children so that when the boats are docked, they become outdoor classrooms. We collaborated with teachers and the Department of Education to ensure that we conformed to the curriculum. Artists from Manila (the capital of the Philippines) were flown in to Leyte, to turn the lesson plans into creative graphic designs that fit the boats’ architecture. Each boat is different, and teachers can use them to conduct classes in English, Art, Math, Science and more. To date, we have committed to turning 1000 boats into 1000 classrooms.

Execution

After the thematic launch of "The Heart of the Filipino" as the 75th anniversary campaign in March, we set out to Leyte for this one of a kind project. With classes coming to a close for most schools, we made sure to connect with majority of the school-age children in Leyte by timing our outreach on weekends. As expected, we also encountered a lot of out-of-school kids during our oculars and interviews. This project is perfectly timed to launch during the dry season, making sure that no typhoons will derail any preparation or execution, keeping in mind that we are working with fishing villages. Our project is on-going and is still currently receiving donations, and designs from more artists. As for scale, we started with a hundred boats. Now, we have a thousand boats in the making.

Our vision of turning a thousand boats into a thousand classrooms is very much alive. The first 100 boats are already being used and the other 900 will be rolled out in different areas with the help of incoming donations. Each boat can generate more than $2400 a year for the fisherfolk. The project has also helped rejuvenate Philippine Airlines’ brand image and values. It shows the brand as one that embodies the best of the Filipino character: caring, warmth, generosity, helpfulness and resilience. The project has been featured in local and international news and media sites such as The Huffington Post, Ryot, Mumbrella, Bloomberg, ANC News, The Philippine Star, People Asia and When In Manila. Because of the organic PR coverage that the project is getting, we are still receiving more donations, having raised nearly half a million pesos in just a few months.

The Situation

Philippine Airlines is currently celebrating their 75th year anniversary. With this, they have re-launched their brand as "The Heart of the Filipino". The Learning Boats project brings to life this new brand positioning and strengthens their equity. This kind of initiative is rather breakthrough and unexpected from an airline. And after years of Philippine Airlines being in crisis because of the emergence of low-cost carriers and poor airport conditions in the Philippines, this campaign rebuilds the trust and affinity of the consumers to the brand.

The Strategy

The target audiences of this project are the residents of the coastal fishing villages in Leyte, as well as potential investors and project volunteers. We also wanted to communicate PAL’s 75th year initiative to the general public, particularly Filipino consumers. We wished to start a conversation on social media that’s why we uploaded the case film on the brand’s Facebook page, which currently has 2 million likes. The project has been since picked up by local and international news and media sites, and even featured in world-recognized charitable organizations. We also collaborated with partner foundations such as Global Philanthropy Group based in the USA, and also tapped Filipino celebrity ambassadors, as well as international celebrities such as Sophie Summer, Britain and America’s Next Top Model.