WORKS by four Philippine National Artists — Larry Alcala, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Abdulmari Imao, and Vicente Manansala — now adorn telecom company Globe’s newly launched 5G Wi-Fi routers.
The designs were unveiled by Globe executives at the a:museum of Ayala Malls Manila Bay on April 2, with the goal to make local art more accessible. The routers’ skins show the following artworks: Barangay by Larry Alcala, Pageant of Commerce by Botong Francisco, Marahuyo by Abdulmari Imao (finished by his son Toym Imao), and Birdman by Vicente Manansala.
Darius Delgado, Globe’s chief commercial officer, said at the launch that the new products are a result of studying customer behaviors and trends.
“There’s a niche market in the younger segment — young professionals, married couples, those who choose not to have a big family. When you look at their behaviors, it’s all about vintage and retro,” he explained.
“What better way to address that new passion of the younger generation by immortalizing the best work of our Philippine National Artists in a breakthrough product?” Mr. Delgado said.
For Abigail Cardino, brand management head for Globe AT HOME, the routers were born from the goal of making “every aspect of the experience exceptional.”
“There’s an LED touchscreen at the center that shows diagnostics for when the internet is not working well. It’s a fusion of technology and artistry, having this new feature alongside the works of our Philippine national artists, who are masters of their craft,” she said.
Developed in collaboration with global tech company rainx, the Wi-Fi unit aims to deliver “fiber-like speeds without the need for traditional installation.” Users can also instantly connect by scanning a QR code on the device’s built-in screen.
Mr. Imao, whose father was unable to finish Marahuyo in his lifetime, found that completing the work and allowing it to be one of the four skins of Globe’s 5G Wi-Fi routers, is a way of democratizing art.
At the launch, he talked about the messenger spirit of the Sarimanok, which is the central figure in the work of art.
“In one of our folk tales, it was an ordinary rooster that was all white, just like the basic Wi-Fi router unit. It used to bring letters from a heavenly princess down to an earthly prince. At one point, there was a strong storm, and the chicken lost its way. The heavenly king took pity on the bird and sent a rainbow in order to guide the white rooster home. When it crossed the rainbow, it caught the colors while delivering the message,” Mr. Imao said.
“That’s literally what we’re doing here — a plain white router which has suddenly caught new colors.”
Mr. Delgado added that the days of hiding ugly modems are gone. “You will not see a household taking care of their units, because they’re not aesthetically pleasing. You tend to hide it. This is different because it’s a personal device that you’d want to showcase,” he said.
The new Globe AT HOME 5G Wi-Fi router costs P1,100. Subscription reloads range from P299 to P1,299. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
