MANILA, PHILIPPINES — With the final Lotus Awards ceremony all wrapped up, ADFEST 2023 comes to a close. Asia’s most celebrated regional creative festival by awarding this year’s final batch of winners for campaigns that pushed the envelope and elevated APAC creativity. And among the esteemed Lotus metal recipients are agencies hailing from the Philippines.
During the second presentation of Lotus Awards, two agencies based in the Philippines made the final cut of winners: BBDO Guerrero and TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno.
Taking home a Bronze award for “Brand Integration & Sponsorships/Partnership” under Entertainment Lotus is BBDO Guerrero. The winning campaign that landed the agency the metal was “Project Re-Dew” for Mountain Dew.
Championing the recovery of Siargao island, which was left devastated both in terms of livelihood and infrastructure after Typhoon Odette, BBDO Guerrero and Mountain Dew Philippines collaborated to turn some of the typhoon wreckage that remained into symbols of hope. “Project Re-Dew” saw the upcycling of Mountain Dew PET bottles into resin that could bind scrap wood left behind by the disaster. These were then turned into “Scrapboards” — an ode to the surfing community and the livelihoods surrounding it that embody the island’s spirit.
This campaign went beyond the symbolic, though. Not only were they debuted as trophies for the first local surfing competition since the typhoon. The Scrapboards, along with other surf-inspired pieces created using the upcycled resin and scrap wood, were also handed over to the NGO Rise Siargao, which helps rebuild homes for Odette victims, so that the NGO can auction them off with the money going towards the island’s further recovery.
TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno was also presented with a Bronze award as its “McDonald’s Carabao-Thru” campaign proved to be an award-worthy entry among the hopefuls in the Events, Guerrilla Marketing, & Stunts category under Outdoor Lotus.
When you picture restaurant drive-thrus, especially when it comes to those of major fast food chains, what comes to mind is automatically people ordering their meals from the comfort of their vehicles. But that isn’t always the extent of it, which was the case for Pulilan, Bulacan, the home of the Kneeling Carabao festival.
The agri-industrial town celebrates this festival — joined by over 800 carabaos each year — to celebrate the backbone of Pulilan: the farmers. So, in honor of the tradition and the farmers, TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno and McDonald’s created a parade detour for them where they were invited to the Ride-Thru. No car or motorcycle needed, just their trusty carabaos. This heartwarming campaign was the perfect way to show that the iconic fast food chain welcomes all rides — from four wheels to four legs.
These wins add to the ones that Philippine agencies bagged on the first awards night of the festival, where Leo Burnett Manila, BBDO Guerrero, and GIGIL all repped Filipino creativity on the stage.
Here’s a complete list of Philippine winners from both Lotus Awards ceremonies:
OUTDOOR LOTUS
Events, Guerrilla Marketing, & Stunts
BRONZE – “MCDONALD’S CARABAO-THRU” for MCDONALD’S RIDE THRU by TBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO, MANILA
ENTERTAINMENT
Brand Integration & Sponsorships/Partnerships
BRONZE – “PROJECT RE-DEW” for MOUNTAIN DEW by BBDO GUERRERO, MANILA
BRAND EXPERIENCE LOTUS
Events
BRONZE – “FUEL STATION” for NETFLIX by GIGIL, MANILA
Use of Digital & Social Platforms
SILVER – “UNBRANDED MENU” for MCDONALD’S by LEO BURNETT GROUP MANILA, MANILA
DIGITAL & SOCIAL LOTUS
User Generated Content
BRONZE – “UNBRANDED MENU” for MCDONALD’S by LEO BURNETT GROUP MANILA, MANILA\
DIRECT LOTUS
Online & Digital Platforms
GOLD – “UNBRANDED MENU” for MCDONALD’S by LEO BURNETT GROUP MANILA, MANILA
Use of Games
GOLD – “UNBRANDED MENU” for MCDONALD’S by LEO BURNETT GROUP MANILA, MANILA
MEDIA LOTUS
Use of Audio
SILVER – “THE FAKE NEWS BROADCAST” by KBP for BBDO GUERRERO, MANILA
Use of Digital Platforms
BRONZE – “UNBRANDED MENU” for MCDONALD’S by LEO BURNETT GROUP MANILA, MANILA
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of ADFEST 2023.
