L’oreal’s marketing competition heats up as students from the country’s top universities fight for a chance to go to Paris and compete for the world.

their own marketing brand managers. The students were challenged to come up with innovative new products and pitch it to L’oreal. The grand prize? A trip worth 10,000 euros, as well as the L’oreal Brandstorm Cup. In 20 years, over 50,000 students have participated. Four years ago, the local branch of the competition was opened to three schools — University of the Philippines-diliman, Ateneo de Manila University, and De La Salle University.

GROWING PAINS

Two years ago, in my senior year of college, I competed in Brandstorm with two good friends of mine. That year, they were looking for an innovative new product for Diesel, something that bridged the gap between rough and smooth. Right off the

bat, we thought we had a fighting chance. After all, while each of us did well enough in school (though still far from even the “cum” in “cum laude”), we were also active in student orgs. We thought we possessed the smarts and the savvy to go all the way. Basically, we thought we were the sh*t.

But as it turned out, we weren’t. When the proverbial sh*t hit the fan, we imploded. Instead of kicking the competition’s ass, we bickered. Instead of conceptualizing new ideas, we had drawn-out arguments about the most trivial things.

After making it to the school finals, we crumbled during the defense. We were contradicting each other and having passive-aggressive arguments onstage. It was a mess — and yet, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

You see, a trip to Paris might not have been in the cards for us but what we learned

eventually went a long way in the workplace. Things like, “You can work with your friends but only if you set boundaries early.” Or “Arguing is healthy but throwing insults not so much.” Also, “Don’t contradict each other during a panel presentation.” I mean, obviously.

It was our crash course in the corporate world. We had a taste of the pressure, the triumph, the rewards, and the politics. The gloves were off. I still tell people that it was one of the best things I did in college. Even though I didn’t go the corporate route my friends eventually took, it’s partly the template I use in navigating my way through the workplace.

BODY BEAUTIFUL

This year, L’oreal has teamed up with The Body Shop for another exciting challenge. The teams have been tasked to create an iconic and innovative product or product range for The Body Shop that respects and amplifies the brand values: against animal testing, defend human rights, protect our planet, activate self esteem, and support community fair trade.

As with every year, the cream eventually rises and L’oreal ends up with six teams. Young Star recently hung out with the new crop of Brandstorm babies for a round of Getting to Know You.