Back to boys
Meet the winners of SM Youth Go-See Season 3 and the newest brand ambassadors, Jaime Borromeo and Julian Rodriguez.
What happens when you bring together 14 teenagers and make them compete against one another? Think less Hunger Games and more like America’s Next Top Model and RuPaul’s Drag Race with crazy creative challenges like pulling off a 360-degree dynamic fashion editorial and conceptualizing their own advocacy video campaigns. You get: a set of supportive best friends, new stans, endless cop-worthy lewks, and eight entertaining webisodes aired in the span of two months.
SM Youth Go-See just finished its third season and it might have been the best one yet. “More than the physical attributes, we look for potential ambassadors who have the heart and passion to inspire people through their stories,” says SM Youth senior digital marketing manager and SM Youth Go-See producer Bjorn Bedayo. “I designed the show to focus on the stories of the contestants more than the competition, so that our audience can really get to know our potential ambassadors and connect with them on a deeper level.” The audience became peers as they followed the journey of the contestants and interacted with them through their social media channels, giving advice and all-out support. It’s this strong bond not just among the contestants but also with the fans that makes SM Youth Go-See so, so influential.
During the live finale held last June 1 at the Cove in Okada Manila, final five contenders Stephanie Aquino, Julian Rodriguez, Sabrina San Diego, Jaime Borromeo and Karla O’Hara shared the runway with current brand ambassadors and got to meet their fans-turned-friends up-close and personal. By the end of the night, Julian and Jaime were crowned as the winners of SM Youth Go-See season 3 and the new SM Youth brand ambassadors.
When asked what it means to represent the SM Youth brand, 17-yearold Jaime Borromeo said it’s all about being “a role model that inspires today’s youth to be whatever they want to be and to chase their dreams.” Jaime had consistently good performances throughout the season, which made him a strong contender. But what really made him a crowd favorite was his commitment to accepting himself for what he is and being so relatable in the process. “I want to show everyone that it is okay to let down their walls and just be themselves,” Jaime says.
On the other hand, Julian Rodriguez had quite a journey throughout season 3 of SM Youth Go-See. He entered the competition without any knowledge of the industry, but by facing challenges with a creative mind and a professional attitude, he showed the most growth and eventually deserved to be one of the faces of the brand. Julian says, “SM Youth ambassadors are just normal and passionate people who challenge themselves to be better individuals every single day,” and that’s something he’ll continue to strive for even with the competition over.
Jaime Rodriguez and Julian Borromeo will star in SM Youth’s upcoming lookbooks, campaigns, events and fashion shows for the rest of 2018. They are the youngest ever to win the competition and they’re joining the prestigious group of SM Youth brand ambassadors Tommy Esguerra, Richard Juan and past Go-See winners Kaila Estrada, Kyle Perry, Erika Kristensen and Macauly Lofgren.
* * * For more information, visit www.facebook.com/smyouthlifestyle or follow the hashtag #SMYouthGoSee on social media.