| Title | OBRA TYPE FACE |
| Brand | AYALA MUSEUM |
| Product / Service | IMAO |
| Category | G01. Typography |
| Entrant | WUNDERMAN THOMPSON Makati City, THE PHILIPPINES |
| Idea Creation | J. WALTER THOMPSON PHILIPPINES Makati City, THE PHILIPPINES |
| Production | WUNDERMAN THOMPSON Makati City, THE PHILIPPINES |
| Name | Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Golda Roldan | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Manging Director |
| Dave Ferrer | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Chief Creative Officer |
| Brandie Tan | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Executive Creative Director |
| Villarica Manuel | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Art Director |
| Albert Millar | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Copywriter |
| Eugene Sucayan | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Project Manager |
| Kriss Luciano | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Creative Service Associate |
| Carol PeBenito | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Agency Producer |
| Michael Gonzales | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Digital Imager |
| Ferdinand Ortiz | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Digital Imager |
| Christopher Cristobal | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Digital Imager |
| Mico Laeno | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Creative Technologist |
| Geoffrey Estevez | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Illustrator |
| Aldrin Alejandro | Wunderman Thompson Philippines | Editor |
The Philippines is home to many Filipino National Artists. But, when you ask on the streets, people can name only a few. Some, don’t even know a single one. Ayala Museum, one of the country’s cultural patrons, wants to change that.
THE OBRA TYPEFACE. Forgotten National Artists Remembered Through Type. Each typeface is named after a Filipino National Visual Artist, and each character is designed according to their art style. The first one to launch was the Imao Obra Typeface. It featured Imao’s signature style that featured the sarimanok (a mythical bird), fishes, the moon, and many other Muslim motifs. In the future, many more National Artists will also be featured as a part of Obra Typeface. The font is available for anyone to use and can be downloaded at www.obratypeface.com Everyone is free to apply the font, wherever they please. By doing so, the works and names of each artist will enter into the mainstream, familiarizing many with the artists.
The team dissected the design elements of Imao’s work—its intricate curves, ethnic motifs, and Muslim inspirations. Each element was incorporated into the characters—letters, numbers, signs. The result is a typeface that embodies the essence of Imao’s craft. An elegance rooted in immense cultural value. The Imao Obra Typeface was launched in May 2019 and is still running today. Obra Typeface was made available online for anyone to use and many used the font to create their own designs. These works were then displayed inside Ayala Museum, but in the guise of a pop-shop. Here, people could purchase the works directly from the supplier, as if shopping inside the mall, helping increase the awareness of the campaign.
Press and media picked up the campaign after its launch, resulting in 8M potential reach. (Source: Digimind) The font has also been downloaded over 2,000 times and used by many artists all over the country—creating their own unique Imao-inspired works. From a name only known within the museum circle, Imao became a talking point on social media, with conversations initiated by ordinary Filipinos.