Related Posts: 7 Tips on Havaianas’ Flipping for the Beach Contest
I was happy to be one of the judges for the “Havaianas Flipping for the Beach“ contest. Thanks to all OAP friends for all your support! I learned a lot as a judge and I want to share my learnings with you.
Learning #1: Follow the instructions to the detail or you’ll get pre-screened. There were a total of 300 entries which were pre-screened to 21 finalists. The agency handling the entries removed those who did not follow instructions. Most of the criteria were focused on being unique so Boracay and Palawan entries were removed. If you join a contest, your first goal is to get past the pre-screening committee. I guess this is true for all contests — writing or photo.
It was so cool to judge alongside Simeon Jun Ventura, Jr. , Editor-in-Chief of Mabuhay Magazine, Liza Ilarde, Editor-in-Chief of Travel Life, Anne Arcenas Gonzalez, Managing Director of Terry S.A, and Marbee Go, Travel and Tourism Editor of Manila Bulletin among others…
Learning #2: Impress the judges by making your presentation stand out of the crowd.
The most creative entry made a lasting impression thus, influenced the scoring of the judge. The judging were very subjective based on the background of the judge. In this particular contest, there were 9 judges to average out that subjective bias. Your second goal in a contest entry is to impress the judge with a presentation that would knock the judge off her chair and say wow.
I loved the presentation and personality of this particular entry. I rated this entry a 91% because of the uniqueness of the experience and creativity presented in the Camotes Island entry. The entry was able to present the author’s unique activities and experience and the beach being one unique destination through a big postcard collage-type presentation. Most of the other entries were forgettable because the authors formatted their entries like a travelogue versus a celebration of the uniqueness of the place.
LEARNING #3: Give the judges what they are looking for.
The judges were looking for evidences that will address the judging criteria. For this particular contest, the criteria were: Uniqueness of Experience (50%), Uniqueness of Beach Destination (20%), Uniqueness of Activities in the Destination (20%), and Presentation/Creativity of Entry (10%). Give the judge very good reasons why he should rate you high in each criteria.
The Balicasag photobook was also a memorable one. The Balicasag Island is a nearby island in Bohol. This was the highest rating I gave out, 93%. Inside the book was a collage about their experience and showcasing why Balicasag Island is an awesome place to visit.
Learning #4. Show versus Tell.
There is a big difference between telling the judge what the place is about versus showing the judge what the experience looks and feels like. I’m trying to practice this in OAP by making each reader of the blog experience what it feels like to be there through excellent photos, and concise description of the place by using nouns more than adjectives. (It is hard and I try to improve my writing each day).
This should apply to videos, as well. However, we were disappointed with the submitted video entry because they were more of AVP-type versus a video showing the unique experience.
I wanted to acknowledge the effort of the person who submitted this Pagudpud entry, complete with props of seashells and sands from Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. Although, I have personal issues with people getting sand from the place because I adhere to the principle: “Take nothing but pictures and Leave nothing except footprints.” Pagudpud is not a unique destination anymore but the presentation was so good that it got past the pre-screening committee.
The 21 finalists featured the following destinations: Bohol; Cloud 9, Siargao; Coron; Busuanga, Isla Naburot, Guimaras; Anawangin (2x), Zambales; Pandan Island (2x); Misamis Oriental Aquamarine Park; Buslon Beach, Surigao del Sur; Sugar Beach, Sipalay, Negros Occidental; Balicasag Island, Bohol; Animasola and Sombrero Island in Burias Masbate, Camsur; Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte; Malapascua, Cebu; Cagbalete Island, Mauban, Quezon; Anini-y Antique Nogas Island, ; Hundred Islands, Pangasinan; Mabini Beach,Compostela Valley and Camotes Island, Cebu.
Learning #5: Why did I not submit my entry? It was easy for any travel writer and photographer to win this contest. Most of the entries were personal and blog-type entries so I could have joined the contest if I was not invited to be one of the judge. I was personally disappointed that Caramoan or Calaguas Island did not make it. I would love to go back there and promote the islands. I do hope Havaianas would organize Flipping for the Beach contest every year.
The distinguished panel of judges of Havaianas Flipping for the Beach 2008! Thanks to Terry S.A. for inviting me to be one of the judge in this prestigious contest.
7 winners will be announced very soon…
Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
The entries look they were made from the heart! 🙂 I’m excited to see the winners!
Marbee is a good friend of ours.. 🙂
Regards to Rache, Aidan and Syoti!
i couldn’t help but notice that none of the judges were wearing Havianas. 😛
This is a very nice contest! must have been hard to narrow it down to 21 finalists. Am looking forward to see who wins!
If I had known there was a contest of this kind, I would’ve joined and entered my family’s vacation photos and videos in Calayan Island. And a contest like this really would do wonders to Calayan’s almost-nonexistent tourism industry. But then again, it would break my heart to see Calayan Island sink into the kind of crass commercialism that Boracay has sunk into.
It’s so hard to contain an essay in a 90-second video…I barely had 200 words included in my composition…huhuhu : (…How i wish the time length was adjusted…peace…hehe
Well, anyways, I just hope that my video entry had reached Manila…hehehe
Anyways, goodluck to all the lucky winners…
CIAO!
bigla akong nahiya sa entry ko.. haha
bro,
pa-cute ka doon sa 2nd pic.
hahahaha!
sa iyo pala nag-mana talaga sa posing si aidan!!!
kay jan-na, pareho tayo hehehe.
my entry was printed on a plain A4 size paper, and pictures were glued into another pieces of A4 size paper, without any props or any effort to make it stand out thus, the presentation value is zero hehehe. but it was fun.
zherwin!!! hahaha nakakaloka.. hehehe kala ko OA na ung sa akin, un pala plain lang ung nagawa ko. hehe anyway.. masaya din.. hehe ganda nung mga sample entry na pinakita sa taas. good luck to the 21 finalists! MABUHAY
tama ka Manila Boy, pacute nga siya dun sa 2nd pic…
pareho pala tau napansin…hahahah…
jan-na…malay mo ung Pandan Island entry mo is one of em…
remember?
when will be the announcement of winners?
I saw in the 21 finalists that there is an entry featuring Hundred Islands..
Hoping it is my entry*fingers crossed*.
Godbless and more power!
Wow, hope I win,,, naka pasok yata ang entry ko sa top 21… btw, wen pala announce ang mga winners? Anyway, win or lose, it was a great experience to join and to help our country’s local coastline destination to be rediscovered! I love to travel Philippines talaga! Yahoo!
Coron; Busuanga – Isn’t this place in Palawan?
Then how did it pass the pre-screen
when Palawan and Boracay entries were removed by the agency in the first place??
And you consider these beach destinations “unique”???
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte
Hundred Islands, Pangasinan
Bohol;
Cloud 9, Siargao
Malapascua, Cebu
Great….
“Most of the other entries were forgettable because the authors formatted their entries like a travelogue versus a celebration of the uniqueness of the place”.
* Uniqueness of Experience = 50% (which may be in a a form of a travelouge)
* Uniqueness of Beach Destination is ONLY (20%).
So if I’m a judge, which one weighs more basing on the criteria? Are we looking for the “UNIQUENESS OF THE PLACE” here? Or “UNIQUENESS OF EXPERIENCE”??
Yeah right, and these judges don’t even wear Havaianas. Do they even know what the term “flip flops” means? LOL!
who won? la pa rin bang winner? Christmas na mamaya ah! hahaha! bkit ang tagal announce ng winners? excited pa nman ako… haayy!
anyway God bless everyone! And let us pray for the victims of typhoon Frank….
antagal! huhu..
May bago ng styles ang havs,wala pa ring winners itong promo na ito.. Err..
parang bitter si austin..
wow, thanks for mentioning my album 🙂 mine is the balicasag 🙂 btw, i just got a package from lbc today and i found out that i had won! yey 🙂
Waaahhh.. nakatanggap din ako ng LBC from havaianas… sa wakas nanalo din ako…
Pero ng nabasa ko ang letter, mali ang name ng person sa heading ng sulat, pero sa akin naka address ang envelope ng LBC…
To Katrina P. de Dios ng Ortigas Pasig City, sayo ang letter na natanggap ko… You are one lucky girl ‘coz you are one of the seven winners of this promo!
Well the above commenter, Kate is Katrina P. de Dios. Not sure if she got her winning package already.
My sister-in-law Joanna Lei got the winning package of another winner named Lemuel… but the complete winners list was published on the Philippine Star today.
hey rowena, this lemuel, does your sister-in-law still has the package? finally i found the reason why i haven’t received the notification yet, but still our trip pushed through in anawangin.. just wondering what happened to my package.. please pm me through this email: lemuel_lucas03@yahoo.com, thanks! (^^ ,)