Long before the infamous “Nyahahakbkxjbcjhishdishlsab@!!!! Basta RC Cola!” commercial (yes, that’s the ad’s equally weird title) and the heart wrenching Jollibee shorts, the Philippine advertising industry has already had a track record on creating advertisements that resonate well with Filipinos. Mcdonald’s “Who’s Lolo’s Favorite?”, Palmolive’s “I Can Feel It”, Coca-Cola’s “That Irresistable ‘Coke’ Beat, PLDT’s “Suportahan ta ka”, Surf’s “Lumen Anthology” and Sprite’s “I Love You Piolo” are some of the classic commercials that probably still rings a bell until today.
And to celebrate the ever evolving and improving advertising industry, here are our top 5 favorite ads of 2021.
It’s More Fun With You by Tourism Philippines
Perfectly using a soulful rendition of a classic OPM and cinematic treatment often seen on short films, this ad from Tourism Philippines makes good use of their copy, “Sa tuwing mamamasyal, iba ang ligaya kapag kasama ang mahal!”. It could just be the pandemic and everyone’s urge to travel the way they used to before, but every tourist spot we miss was perfectly captured. Here’s to hoping that we get to visit each and every spot with our loved ones soon!
Pepsi Hit sa Sarap Blockbuster by Pepsi Philippines
With a star studded cast featuring Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, Pam Swing, Mimiyuuuh and Ricci Rivero, this Pepsi commercial features these five actors, in 3 short movies with only 1 script. Intriguing right? From comedy to the usual heavy drama teleserye and even horror, it features how Pepsi makes Noche Buena extra special with the copy, “Anumang klase ng pasko, gawing hit sa sarap with a Pepsi Kainan.”
#TeamUnstoppable Philippines with Margielyn Didal by Samsung Philippines
Who could ever forget our very own Olympic sunshine, Margielyn Didal? After taking the world by storm through her quirky and fun attitude in the recently concluded Olympics, Margielyn Didal shares her story in this short documentary feature of how she braved through struggles and reached for her dreams in skateboarding.
Pa-star ang Orocan Timba namin! by Orocan Philippines
This ad screams GIGIL, the same ad company responsible for that viral RC commercial. In less than 2 minutes, it is guaranteed to make you feel confused then doubling up in laughter all together. From a simple “bath scene” to the extremities of what you can imagine for a “timba” advertisement, this surely has it all. Plus, it has an interactive part that surely is good for customer recall.
Defaced Billboards by Netflix for Trese
Taking our top spot for our favorite ad of 2021 is no other than, the ‘Defaced Billboards’ by Netflix for the animated adaptation of the Filipino comic, Trese. And guess who’s behind it? None other than the brilliant people from GIGIL. Taking advertising to yet another level, they released what seemed to be “real” videos of supernatural creatures destroying the film’s billboards and posters which eventually got not only fans of the comics but almost everyone talking. This hybrid of supernatural and reality campaign perfectly captures Trese as a whole.
Filipinos are inherently creative. Despite the challenges, it has been a great year for the Philippine advertisement industry and we are definitely looking forward for more!