MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The creative industry is brimming with tons of amazing ideas, so it’s no surprise that there’s never a shortage of great campaigns to admire and celebrate.
From gripping stories and new perspectives that embody what a brand stands for to new fun ways people can engage with a brand, here are campaigns that caught adobo Magazine’s eye this week:
On Running’s victorious swansong for world’s greatest woman triathlete
On has always featured athletes that embody the brand’s goal: revolutionize running and celebrate its wonders of it. It’s always been important to them that they always stay true to the athletes’ own unique and real experiences. And this is what they’ve once again achieved with their new original short.
“Nicola’s Spirit” is an inspiring and captivating look into the lead-up to what may be the last ever race of Nicola Spirig, who is arguably the greatest female triathlete of all time. This film wasn’t just successful because Spirig ended up beating her personal record or becoming one of only two women in history to break the 8-hour barrier in long-distance triathlon. Rather, it was also because it perfectly conveyed the dedication, perseverance, and passion that her entire athletic career has shown and continues to inspire.
RC Lens, Sid Lee Paris, and Players for Society’s record-breaking blood drive
The number of blood donations in France has been decreasing every year, to the point that 500 more donations are needed in the country daily. So, the RC Lens football club, with the help of Sid Lee Paris and Players of Society, decided to do something about it.
In addition to organizing a major blood drive in the club’s beloved home stadium, the players wore special jerseys during a key match against Nantes last April 30. Since all the players had an A, B, or O in their names, positive negative signs were added to those letters on the jersey to indicate blood types. On the front, their club motto “Sang et Or” was modified to “Notre Sang est Or” which means “Our blood is gold.” As soon as the match ended, hundreds of fans had booked reservations to donate, and the drive resulted in a 26% increase compared to previous blood drives in the city.
H&M’s Pride celebration of the love found in chosen families
To celebrate Pride month, H&M shone a spotlight on a vital part of what makes the LGBTQ+ community what it is: chosen families. With many people in the community finding a lack of acceptance, understanding, and kinship from the families they were born with, the importance of the love they find in the non-biological family they choose is an important thing to honor.
So, H&M’s recent global campaign captured the joy and solidarity of finding that by featuring chosen families from Spain, South Africa, the U.K., and other parts of the world. It highlights how family isn’t just about blood, it’s about finding people who choose to love, celebrate, and support you unconditionally.
The Department of Tourism’s unique take on celebrating the Philippines’ beauty
What do you expect to see in a tourism campaign? Probably aerial shots of landmarks, stretches of the shore, and closeups of locals’ smiling faces. However, the Philippines’ Department of Tourism’s latest campaign skipped all that.
While the campaign was met with conflicting reception from viewers, it definitely had a unique take on how to advertise Philippine tourism. In the recent campaign film they released, artistic dancers were featured wearing white suits painted with parts of a picture that came together as they danced, resulting in images of iconic symbols and sites that make epitomize the Philippines’ beauty, such as the Philippine eagle, the Banaue Rice Terraces in Benguet, and the Chocolate Hills in Bohol.
Nutriasia and DDB Tribal’s ode to non-traditional family’s love and pride
NutriAsia and DDB-Tribal Worldwide Philippines celebrate Pride month by recognizing non-traditional families that take pride in the love that they share. The “Masarap na Love, Masayang Celebration” campaign video features a young girl who enjoys twice the maternal love in her childhood because of her two caring mothers.
The condiments manufacturer has always emphasized the importance of food when it comes to creating a loving home and having family bondings. So, in this video — which ends with the family celebrating with a hearty meal to mark the anniversary of the two moms — the campaign emphasizes that there is no one right way to build that home and family to share a meal with.
In addition to this week’s campaign picks are special mentions of campaigns that have been shortlisted by the Gerety Awards, which judges entries through the female lens and rewards advertising campaigns that resonate most with a female audience.
KFC Pride Thru by Ogilvy Philippines
Last Pride month, KFC celebrated love and equality by transforming their Bonifacio Triangle Branch into a mini Pride parade in support of Metro Manila Pride. Through this campaign by Ogilvy, customers were able to have their own Pride march from their cars as they passed the branch’s Drive-Thru.
Masked Media for National Union of Journalists of the Philippines by Ace Saatchi & Saatchi
To address the growing threats to press freedom in the Philippines, the National Union of Journalists ran the “Masked Media” campaign. Ace Saatchi & Saatchi designed a face mask with a red hand, as if someone was keeping the wearer silent, to represent the repression Filipino journalists have been facing.
McDonald’s Classroom by Leo Burnett Group Manila
Leo Burnett Manila’s activation, the “McClassroom”, effectively responded to the hurdles that teachers faced during the height of the pandemic. With restaurants everywhere still unable to operate at the time, they had the brilliant idea of turning 200 idle McDonald’s party rooms into sanitized spaces — complete with free wifi and McCafe —that teachers could use to conduct online classes and prepare modules.
The Dissolving Bottle by BBDO Guerrero
BBDO Guerrero’s redesign of sustainable shampoo bars, The Dissolving Bottle, makes choosing the eco-friendly alternative more intuitive for consumers. Since shampoo bars are not as common as liquid shampoo sold in plastic bottles, BBDO Guerrero created bars that looked like the shampoo bottles everyone is used to, making it easier for people to recognize and reach out for them
Dove Blackout Mirror by Ogilvy & Mather Philippines
Ogilvy & Mather Philippines’s campaign for Dove, “Blackout Mirror”, came in the form of an Instagram story that mimicked a phone’s screen while one is going through their feed — scrolling through and liking posts of various women — before it fades to a black screen, only showing the user’s reflection. It then prompts the user to take a break from social media and appreciate their own beauty instead of just the beauty they see on others’ curated social media presences.
