Are you part of the 1.2 million viewers who have seen the video of Liza Soberano on YouTube where she talks about her life as an actress who had no choice but to follow orders from her management?
On Sunday, the former Star Magic artist, now managed by James Reid’s Careless Music, released a 14-minute vlog. In the video, Liza confessed that she struggled with all the restrictions she’d undergone while working as an actress.
“I am 25 years old now and I think people forget that I’ve been working for 13 years now, since I was 12 years old,” she began.
“I’ve been in six feature films, over 500 episodes of teleserye, and have only really dabbled into three main genres – romance, comedy, and drama. Since I was 16, I had only really worked side by side with one main co-star, with the same production company, rotating around the same three directors. During all those years, I was never really asked for my input, my thoughts, my ideas,” she went on
“I’ve sacrificed myself, I’ve sacrificed my freedom, I’ve sacrificed my happiness to present Liza Soberano to the world, and I think I’ve earned the right to finally be me,” she said. “To finally be able to do things for myself as Hope Soberano.”
The confession trended on Twitter for several days, and launched a barrage of word wars among netizens. But little did they know, the video was part of a new campaign she’s doing for Maya. Some people were surprised, some felt irked, and some still have their jaws still wide open (insert a thought bubble).
In hindsight, the campaign served its purpose – which is to make noise and get people’s attention.
On Monday, Liza, yes, she still wants to be called Liza, was launched as the new face of the country’s leading digital banking app. And while watching Liza talk onstage, in a very eloquent manner, albeit nervous, I thought she was doing a good job.
She said that she decided to take control of her career and take on new challenges – such as shooting her first Hollywood film alongside young Hollywood stars Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse.
Liza’s collaboration with Maya also opens a new door for her as she finally gets the chance to be on the other end of the lights and cameras, co-creating the brand’s latest campaign. At Maya, Liza wears two hats – brand ambassador and chief advocacy officer.
As a brand ambassador, Liza co-created Maya’s new marketing campaign, breaking the mold of traditional celebrity endorsements and changing the game for marketing financial services.
As chief advocacy officer, Liza will champion shared advocacies for financial inclusion with Maya and lead key initiatives. This starts with joint initiatives for Save The Children, the world’s leading independent organization for children, which Liza has been the ambassador of since 2021. At the same time, she will help drive the advocacy agenda within Maya from their product roadmap to company culture.
“The past year has given me an opportunity to reflect on what I want for my life and my career. And when it comes to brands, I’ve decided to be more intentional about my partnerships. I want to work with brands that resonate with me personally, with products I actually use, and with companies I believe in,” Liza ended.