MANILA, PHILIPPINES — What started out as a meme became a dream come true when Cream Silk announced their newest ambassadors and partners, Ben&Ben. Beyond hitting campaign numbers and earning a spot as the highest in the category, it became both about catering to the heed of the fans, but it also served as an opportunity to break gender stereotypes. A first for the brand and from Unilever Philippines.
kung sino man ang gumawa nito, mabuhay ka 😂 pic.twitter.com/o8n9kCna30
— Ben&Ben (@BenAndBenMusic) February 22, 2021
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The inception of the campaign began when a Ben&Ben fan edited a picture of Paolo and Miguel, lead vocalists of Ben&Ben, onto a bottle and a sachet of Cream Silk. Not only did the internet love it but also did the band. As soon as they saw it, Cream Silk and U-Studio Manila quickly responded and teased Ben&Ben about turning the meme into a reality. The brand has a long-standing history of working with strong and empowered women as its endorsers, but for the very first time, took a leap of faith to defy gender stereotypes by working with Ben&Ben.
“This work is a testament that exciting briefs don’t just come from brand teams. As marketers, it is our duty to listen to what consumers want and deliver a delightful brand experience they will never forget” said Macce Samarista, Country Media Manager and U-Studio Editor of Unilever Philippines.
“We were scared at first. Having male ambassadors just seemed too far-fetched and never really crossed our minds, but we went with our gut-feel and we are very proud to have done so. We have always worked towards inspiring women to defy limits, but with the world we live in today, there is a deeper purpose in advocating for inclusivity in everything that we do,” shared Carlos Corrales, Category Business Performance Manager of Unilever Philippines.
“It’s a meme come true for everyone! Not just for the brand but most especially for the consumers and the fans. They are the real inspiration of this campaign and we couldn’t have done it without their support,” said Garvey Zacarias, Associate Creative Director of U-Studio.
With the clout and support of the Ben&Ben fanbase called “Liwanag,” and loyal Cream Silk users, the campaign generated a total of 103M impressions, 9.75M views, and 8.35M in engagement.
“We love pushing brands outside of their comfort zone! Just like Ben&Ben, we’re breaking stereotypes by adding male endorsers to what seems like a forever-female exclusive brand,” said AB Coronel, Associate Creative Director of U-Studio.
“Kathang isip? Not anymore! All it took was a reply from Cream Silk and the clamoring of the Liwanag for it to happen. It’s amazing what could materialize when artists have the full support of their fans,” added Nick Adoptante, Senior Art Director of U-Studio.
With a shared passion for creativity and breaking boundaries, Cream Silk, U-Studio and their partners, NuWorks, Mindshare, Bridges PR, and Sony Music Philippines celebrate the amazing feat and camaraderie. The unexpected impact and scale of this project shows that creativity has no bounds, and together, they are looking forward to creating more groundbreaking initiatives for the remainder of 2021.
Watch out for more by following Cream Silk on Facebook and Instagram @creamsilkph and https://www.youtube.com/c/CreamSilkPhilippines.
