CAREERS MEDIA: Calero throws in the towel after 42 years in the ad industry

Mr Javier J.L. Calero, one of the pillars of the Philippines advertising industry, has announced his retirement by stepping down as chairman and chief executive officer of J. Walter Thompson Philippines. A 42-year veteran of JWT Philippines, Mr Calero - or "JJ" as he is more commonly known in the industry - began his career in JWT as the first hired trainee in the agency; an account representative, in 1958. His training and learning never stopped as he built up his expertise in account servicing, strategic thinking and management with stints such as area director for JWT in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. He was appointed general manager in 1976 and two years later was appointed president, taking over the posts of chairman and CEO in 1989. JWT is one of the biggest ad agencies in the Philippines, with billings of 2.2 billion pesos. Mr Calero saw through a number of significant campaigns for JWT Philippines. In the late '50s up to the '70s, JWT was involved in the launch in the Philippine market of a number of brands, which are now household names including Tide, Superwheel, Dari Creme and Close-up. Close-up was particularly notable, as the brand broke the long-held monopoly of Colgate in the local market. "After we succeeded, other less expensive brands also made it; it was a breakthrough," Mr Calero said. Today JWT still handles the Close-up account, as well as Sunsilk and other brands under the Unilever group. The agency also produced social campaigns such as the Masagana '99 campaign, which sought to raise the productivity of Filipino farmers and more recently, an anti-child abuse campaign. These campaigns, said Mr Calero, were "very, very gratifying." All became well-known among the local populace and even won several industry awards. "We're here to help the client communicate properly. That is our mandate, not really to win the awards, but to get the product (or idea) sold." Mr Calero's expertise and interest in social communications also led to his involvement with the Washington-based International Foundation for Electoral Systems, to which he will now devote more of his time. The foundation is working for the democratisation of electoral reforms all over the world. Mr Calero said he first got to know the group when the agency helped them and the Philippine Commission on Elections prepare a campaign against vote-buying during the local elections. When Indonesia had its first open elections last year, Mr Calero likewise assisted in drawing up an educational programme for voters. This included a campaign to teach women to go out and vote for the candidate of their choice. Mr Calero also said that with his retirement he plans to continue teaching advertising and marketing at the University of Asia & the Pacific in Manila. "I am leaving Thompson but I am not retiring from life. I'll be doing other things. I'm not going into retirement to play golf all day - I think I would very quickly wither on the vine if that happens," he said. Asked about the changes in the advertising industry through the years, Mr Calero said that technology is the most obvious but the "understanding of the consumer is constant." "The person who understands the consumer most is the guy who is ahead of the competition. Get inside the consumer. That has never changed," he told MEDIA. "Now there's much more sophistication in getting that information. How to use that information is still the big challenge. That's why advertising is both science and art. You can robotise it to the 'n'th degree but if you don't have the spark that breathes life, it's nothing." Advertising greats such as Mr James Webb Young of JWT had a great ability to understand the man on the street and to find out what makes him tick, Mr Calero said: "It's the sense of observation. One has to be absolutely interested in life."

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