Champions of Change: Colgate’s #SmileStrong Campaign Calls for Optimists to Take Action
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| Candy Pangilinan, Single Mom, Special Needs Advocate |
One of the common characteristic traits of Filipino is being
flexible. Even when they are facing natural disasters, violent conflict, poverty,
and experiencing a number of deep-seated societal issues, Filipino’s still
knows how to deal with it in order to survive.
Optimism in Action: Giving people a reason to smile about
the future
Colgate aims to reinstate the optimistic spirit behind
Filipino smiles, but in such a way that galvanizes them into progressive
action. Optimism in Action means people making an effort to enact positive
change, tackling challenges and issues head on with a strong smile, fully
believing in the bright future they aim to create.
Everyday many people are putting their optimism in action,
mostly flying under the social media radar until now: Colgate’s #SmileStrong
campaign highlights and celebrates the remarkable efforts and achievements of
such people, while encouraging the optimist in everyone to take action with a
bright smile and win the hearts of others in the process.
#SmileStrong spotlights three expectation individuals, or
Muses, whose Optimism in Action sparked positive change among their respective
communities and social spheres. Arizza Nocum, Candy Pangilinan and Brina Maxino
share the same bright smile; born out of their own individual hardships and the
strength they mustered to achieve what convention told them they couldn’t.
Muses of positive change
Arizza Nocum is a peace advocate, leader, and entrepreneur
who co-founded KRIS, a non-profit organization promoting peace through
education. Operating as libraries/educational centers for disadvantaged youth
in conflict-ridden areas, KRIS is the manifestation of Arizza’s hopeful vision
that people of different faiths can better understand each other through shared
learning.
Arizza Nocum, KRIS Founder, Champion for Peace
Actress Candy Pangilinan is a single mom to 16-year old
Quentin, who has ADHD. Candy admits to her difficult experience in raising a
child with special needs, but finds that experience as rewarding as any other
parent would. She wrote a book, “Mommy Dear: Our Special Love”, which details
her journey on overcoming her fears and dealing with her son’s condition, and
continues to challenge the stigma of being a single parent using whatever
platform she can.
Brina Maxino, Special Olympics Global Ambassador, Valedictorian
Brina Maxino has Down Syndrome, yet went above and beyond
what was expected of her, she is now Assistant Teacher at PEAN Integrated
School and Special Olympics Global Youth Ambassador for Asia-Pacific. Brina
credits her bright and positive attitude to her parents, who fully believed in
her abilities and shaped her convictions that her disability was not barrier to
living a normal life.
Enacting #SmileStrong initiatives through media events and
activities
Colgate champions these three musses who smile through
uphill battle, who challenge the status quo with a positive outlook and shape
the future with their confidence.
Colgate’s #SmileStrong campaign seeks to demonstrate the
inspirational power of these remarkable individuals through a series of short
videos. These videos highlight how each muse’s optimism can be transformative,
their smiles powered by the belief and the drive to effect meaningful change.
“While a lot of Filipinos may just smile their troubles away, there are those who silently do what they can, with the circumstances they are dealt with, to make their lives, and lives of other people better. And they so all these with a smile!” say Ari Mandelbaum, Marketing Director of Colgate – Palmolive Philippines. “ The muses live the spirit of Optimism in Action every day, each with their own unique stories and struggles, but manage to rise above their challenges to serve as inspiration to society in their own ways.”
Join Colgate in realizing our inner optimist’s potential for
constructive change, so we can all #SmileStrong and share in the joy of those
victories, big or small.
To know more about this campaign and our muses, you may
check out: http://www.facebook.com/ColgatePhilippines/
