Started late last school year, TomWeb’s ‘Basta Tomasino’ Advocacy Campaign resumed operations last July 21 for a week-long Pre-Launch activities.
“If God permits it, hopefully, we can hold the Grand Media launching in September,” said TomWeb! President Luke Oliver A. Menor.
TomWeb!, the University’s official online-based organization, introduced their advocacy campaign before the previous school year ended by hopping to some college’s events and selling the campaign baller bands there. They’ve also started their Media promotions with the Faculty of Engineering, also late last year.
With the official website already in check, and the baller bands already in demand, TomWeb! saw it fit to jumpstart this year’s campaign by setting up a Pre-Launching booth at the Central Student’s Council (CSC) ‘Sigaw Dilaw’ campaign in anticipation for the Aba UsTE na ko Freshmen celebration.
A promotional video was also aired during CSC’S Aba Uste Na’ko! Freshmen night last July 24, as a culmination of its Pre-Launch.
“We wanted to introduce the campaign to the Freshmen, and at the same time re-introduce it to the University,” Menor said “CSC’s Sigaw Dilaw were for the freshmen, so it was a good exposure for us.”
‘Basta Tomasino’
‘Basta Tomasino’ was the first overall school-spirit campaign that UST has had in years. Its official website, bastatomasino.com, headlined outstanding Thomasian alumni, and student achievers as spokespeople for the campaign.
Felino Palafox of the Worldwide Architectural firm Palafox Associates, who was an Architecture graduate of UST, for one, preached that ‘Basta Tomasino, Global.’ UAAP veteran Dylan Ababou of the Growling Tigers said that ‘Basta Tomasino, Mapapagkumbaba.’
Aside from its ‘wall of fame’, the campaign also featured photos and blogs of random Thomasians sharing their ‘Basta Tomasino’ statements.
“This campaign is for the empowerment and pride of the entire Thomasian Community,” said Menor.
Part of the proceeds will go to the Aeta Youth Scholars of the UST’s Office of Community Development.
‘Baller Bands’
“We used baller bands basically because its cheaper than statement shirts; something that Thomasians can afford,” said Menor, “It’s also more dynamic and unique.”
TomWeb! is the first organization to use baller bands for an advocacy campaign. “Basketball players used them first, for extra boost. And that’s what we want to provide Thomasians, the extra boost,” said Menor.
“Baller Bands were supposed to be just for advocacy campaigns, Cancer Fight campaigns and Bullying Campaigns to name two, but people started using it just for fashion’s sake and it kind of diluted its essence,” said Lian Buan from the organization’s Editorial Board, “so we wanted to bring back its purpose – to make a statement, to campaign for something real.”
