I Heart Cebu!

I ‘heart’ CEBU.

The locally widely-promoted slogan that Jay Aldeguer’s “Island Souvenir” has set a tone in the local fashion industry is effective in echoing a Cebuano’s pride and love for his or her island of birth or adoption. A mundane shirt in white or black can become an extraordinary apparel once it is placed with the usual red but artistically designed symbol of love in the center with the name of the island at the bottom. The first word of the three-word-simple-statement slogan can be replaced with the name of the wearer instead of the single-lettered-word-first-person pronoun. And voila! One can have a shirt custom-printed to emboss his or her name on it with a brand of Island Souvenirs hidden at the signature label. And to top it off, have the shirt photographed with a patriotic smile.

Island Souvenir has done a good job in promoting a native or a traveler’s pride of Cebu in a form of a shirt with a name imprinted at the top of the two other characters in parallel. Thinking about the product, one can easily create it using the right materials. And another fact is the slogan is not copyright-protected. Any clothing factory can easily copy it and sell it at a price lower than what Island Souvenir demands from its patrons and captured customers. I can even ask my uncle to print my white or black shirt with the similar design.

But what makes that product coming from Island Souvenirs a best-seller is that it offers customization. There’s a personal feel to it. Moreover, Island Souvenirs has already made a brand that wearing a shirt of the same design from other unknown brands can make one less patriotic or less chic.

I ‘heart’ Cebu – the name of the slogan really creates a buzz. The target market is wide– from the trendy high class to even babies. My one-year-old niece even has a shirt like that. Island Souvenirs has even held a fashion event for it and a Facebook Like contest online.

This article may be deemed a subtle promotion to I HEART CEBU campaign of Island Souvenir. I am not promoting it because the company asked me to. For one, I have no connection with the company. My friend, who happens to be the chief designer of Aldeguer’s clothing company, is, perhaps, my only indirect connection to the brand.

And another thing, I don’t have a I Heart Cebu shirt… yet. Sounds odd?

But what prompts me to write an article about the campaign. There are two reasons only. Firstly, the slogan is simple yet brilliant.

The thing about it is that the campaign touches the core; the heart of the people who have pride for the place he or she dears so much. And no, not only in Cebu has it. Even in Bohol, the big billboard with the slogan “I heart Bohol” can even be found. I don’t know if it still has there though. The last time I went there was on April of this year.

And the other reason– I LOVE CEBU– that’s why I love this campaign: I heart Cebu.