True to its testament of driving digital differently, Propelrr, digital marketing agency in the Philippines, celebrated its 10th anniversary with a virtual but festive online celebration via Zoom last June 26, 2020, with the theme #TENaciousAt10!
One would expect a rather glamorous occasion for achieving a decade old milestone in the digital marketing industry, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was deemed necessary and best to celebrate the event in the safety of the team’s own homes. This, however, did not stop the team from preparing and celebrating this momentous event together.
To get a sneak peek, here’s a short video to see what happened during Propelrr’s tenth anniversary:
The main idea behind TENacious At 10 came about as Propelrr’s trait of being firm and stubborn amidst trying times. This new normal that we all live in now has greatly affected our daily lives and business.
At Propelrr, though, we would often say, “ever upward!” This is why we took it upon ourselves to be a team that soars and rises above the storm. This 10-year anniversary is proof of that.
Online Anniversary Kick-off
Rather than walking on the red carpet, like old times, the online celebration began with the team members all dressed up in their work-from-home (WFH) outfits in a special 10th-anniversary Zoom meeting, to commemorate the event.
After everyone settled down, our Masters of Ceremony took center stage. They’re none other than our Business Unit Heads for Tech and Marketing, Dexter Loor, and Veronica Beguas.
We started off the celebration with our Founders Gary Viray and Mitchelle Viray delivering their warm welcome remarks, encouraging each member to press on, in spite of the current situation caused by the pandemic.
Best Dressed for the Work-From-Home Party
After the Founders’ heartwarming speech, each team had their own chance in the spotlight by introducing each of their team members, flaunting their work-from-home outfits.
Prior to the festivities, the team was tasked to participate with the motif “Work-From-Home,” which was formal attire for the top and house clothes for the bottom.
Everyone submitted their Outfit Of The Day (OOTD) and creative shots to be presented to the team during the party. The winning entry would get a live 60-second shopping spree at any store of his or her choice or a Work-from-home package with a total worth of Php 10,000.
The Admin Team started the virtual runway with tenure Accounting Officer Nicole Cadorniga. Although the team with the least number of members, Senior HR Officer Hazel Yu really stood out from the crowd with her business casual top and colorful rainbow towel bottom.
Hazel’s work-from-home outfit: a formal teal blazer and a colorful towel bottom for the Daily Grind.Hazel said her outfit was inspired by all work-from-home individuals who have a habit of rushing to get as many things done in the morning before logging in to work and switching the camera on for a morning team alignment meeting.
Next to introduce themselves were Propelrr’s Technology Team led by Back-end and Front-end team leads, Jarniel Cataluña and Elwin Dela Cruz.
While our software engineers handle the technical code and data side of digital marketing, this doesn’t mean they don’t have a sense of style.
Everybody, girls and boys alike, fell in love with Hennah’s long-coat!For example, mobile software engineer Hennah Marie Yu’s look consists of a coat she borrowed from her dad paired with her pajamas, turning it into something you’d comfortably wear.
Christmas in the Summer: Vino missed the summer and Christmas season so much that he couldn’t decide what to wear. Mobile Development team lead Vino Angelo Bolisay also stood out in his tuxedo top and Speedo footwear, complete with Christmas lights for Instagram-worthy aesthetics. He said he misses summers at the beach and longs for Christmas time as well. An unlikely pairing that gets an A+ for creativity!
Last but definitely not the least, the marketing team was introduced by the team’s tenure members: Dominik Banzon and Jeny Agrade.
The Marketing team doesn’t just embody creativity in their work, but all the more in their look.
Gelo transformed his Onesimus coat into a cropped top-coat. What a bold and brave fashion move! Our resident social media specialist and budding influencer, Angelo de Vera, best defines this with his DIY coat which he cut and fashioned into a blazer. Now if that isn’t daring and creative, we don’t know what is!
A formal top and pajamas have never looked this good, right? Our social media team lead serving us looks for tonight! Our social media team lead Jeny Agrade wasn’t going to miss out on this opportunity to show off her dress and pajama combo. She admitted that the last time she wore her top was during her graduation—good thing we had this competition then, so she was able to wear it again.
Paul in Japan “Working from Home” (Left); Caleb’s mid-day chores shoot (Right).
Arron’s Winning OOTD for the Best “Work-from-Home” Dressed Competition.In the end, Arron Arcilla of the Tech team emerged the victor, sporting his white tuxedo and jersey shorts look. When asked what his plans for the prize were, he jokingly mentioned buying a gaming chair to replace his monobloc which he currently uses for his WFH set-up. Not bad, right? Well deserved after the effort he put into his 10th-anniversary outfit.
Virtual Dinner
What would an anniversary celebration be without dinner? You might be wondering how we could pull this off under these circumstances.
Since this was a night of elegance, the management shouldered all team member’s three-course menu; so that everyone could participate and make the night special.
In the spirit of unity and camaraderie, the Propelrr team ate their home-cooked and delivered food together via Zoom. There was even a segment of “Whose Dinner Is This?” wherein the members’ prepared meals were flashed onscreen. This way, the rest of the team could see and envy them.
Here’s a look of what the team had for dinner:
We had an ingenious plating of crackers topped with tuna spread and cheddar cheese with a dash of lettuce, some nachos, and salad for appetizers and entrees. Doesn’t that just make your mouth water?
For the main course, we recommended a roast beef slab with generous amounts of barbecue sauce complete with vegetable and mashed potato sides, plus buttered chicken with a lemon zest kick for a hearty and heavy meal.
For dessert, some of our showstoppers were mango cheesecake and ube chiffon cake, which reminded us of all of the birthday celebrations at the office that we truly miss.
Here’s to hoping we’ll eat more cake and spend time together, again, soon.
This was a simple yet meaningful celebration that proved no distance can stop us from being together.
Propelrr’s Special Edition of “Deal or No Deal”
Gary and Mitch playing virtual Deal or No Deal with the whole Propelrr team. Shortly after dinner, the whole team surprised the Founders, Gary and Mitch, with an online version of the game Deal or No Deal.
Each aviator disguised their profile picture and name with briefcase numbers; so that our players couldn’t tell who is behind each number. After a briefcase was picked, the member assigned showed his/her assigned prize while giving a heartfelt message to the Propelrr family.
Everyone expressed their sincerest gratitude to the team for helping them grow not just as professionals but more importantly as individuals. In the same way, Gary and Mitch also imparted their wisdom to the team, which was a breath of fresh air and encouragement for everyone in the room.
Favored 10 Raffle
CEO and President, Gary Viray randomly drew the Favored Ten raffle.In between dinner and speeches, there was also a raffle giveaway wherein 10 lucky team members bagged assorted gifts and WFH essentials.
Most of the winners became instant online sellers, as their respective teammates auctioned their prizes on Zoom chat and called dibs.
Kidding aside, Gary and Mitch decided to hold the raffle even though it wasn’t Christmas, to spice things up and get everyone excited for the anniversary.
Aviator Awards Night and Service Awardees
Michael Millanes introducing the Propelrr Aviator Awards to the team. Due to the current situation, the annual anniversary celebration and much-awaited Propelrr Aviator Awards, which recognizes exceptional team members for their notable contributions to the team, had to be postponed to a later date.
2020 Propelrr Aviator Awardees will receive an award, plus a surprise gift chosen by the Founders themselves. CEO and President Gary Viray emphasized that the award placed importance on personally handing the trophy to the awardee. This will be carried out immediately after the pandemic.
In spite of the sad news, the 2019 Propelrr Aviator Awards recipients gave their personal message to the team, encouraging them to continue striving for excellence, as they look forward to passing their respective titles soon.
Jarniel Cataluña receives recognition for his five years of service to Propelrr.Putting that aside, this also served as the perfect time to honor Propelrr’s service awardees for their five years of commitment and relevant contribution to the team. They were: Jarniel Cataluña of the Tech team for his expertise on Web Development and Reynante Santos of the Admin team.
Jarniel recounts his Propelrr role as his first job way back in 2015 and how grateful he was for the team’s continued faith and encouragement. This experience helped him grow as a software engineer, but it also allowed him to thrive as a team player and as a better person.
A Toast to Tenacity
As always, the Propelrr team ends their night with a virtual toast!As the Propelrr anniversary celebration concluded, Gary offered his traditional toast to the whole team.
It was a toast to being firm no matter the situation and being headstrong as digital innovators fixing our eyes towards the next decade. Nihil timendum est (fear nothing)!
With the night still young, the Propelrr family stayed on Zoom for a while to bond and talk, as we usually do at the office. This may not have been the most ideal of scenarios in celebrating a decade together, but it doesn’t mean making the occasion any less special.
Propelrr will continue to be tenacious as ever, as it had been in the past decade. Indeed, no amount of social distancing can stop us from being #TENaciousat10.