MANILA – All of us – old or young – has felt at some point of our lives the feeling of being out of place or alienated. Max’s Restaurant launches its latest ad campaign, which has now garnered over two million views since Saturday, that quashes alienation and encourages belongingness.
It opens with an alien invasion. Or at least that’s what it looks like with a UFO landing on Philippine soil and three creatures from outer space exit the craft. People are terrified of the mysterious visitors and hide in fear. The fear is then replaced by anger as the people protest against the aliens, demanding they leave their world alone.
The aliens, however, don’t want to take over the world; they just want to make friends. A lone security guard sees them, senses the alien’s confusion and fear, and protects them from the mob. He brings them inside Max’s Restaurant where they are surrounded by different kinds of people. Everyone, from the store crew to the guests, is unfazed by the presence of these aliens. They instead welcome them warmly as they enjoy their meals with their loved ones. The story ends with a simple message: Max’s Restaurant welcomes every kind of family, every day to the Max.
Consistent with the brand’s pivot to consciously introduce fresh and exciting materials to engage its customers – remember last year’s The House That Fried Chicken Built?. “When we released The House That Fried Chicken Built last year, it was a conscious decision to go for humor. With Every Kind of Family, we thought it would be fun to do something else entirely different, too. And when you add that desire of doing something different, and couple it with the fact that our customers are also changing and evolving, we knew that we were going to have something that was fresh, exciting, and memorable for our audience. Needless to say, we remain committed to balancing that creativity with the rich heritage of Max’s,” shares Jim T. Fuentebella, Chief Marketing Officer of Max’s Group, Inc., Max’s Restaurant’s parent company.
The cinematic, well-crafted campaign was exhibited by PETCH & PARTNERS, the same creative agency that also created The House That Fried Chicken Built ad. The short film conveys a powerful message that would easily resonate with each person, and at the same time, strengthen its promise of being a place where every kind of family is celebrated, every day to the Max.
“I think this new short film is a creative way for us to celebrate families while mirroring how the world is today. The use of the aliens is really just a creative way for us to get our message across. They symbolize our differences in backgrounds and opinions, but it is really a call to be open to each other, to treat each person with the respect and understanding you would give to a family member.”
The brand recognizes that the word “family” has evolved throughout the years and could mean biological families, adopted families, unconventional families, or even a close group of friends from school, work, or organizations. While the definition of the word has become less strict and formal and has, in fact, broadened with the times, at the root of it, it talks about the kind of relationship and the quality of human interaction that is shared with a particular group of people.
“Nobody wants to be alone, nobody wants to feel alienated or out of place. Each of us thrives on having healthy relationships with the people around us, and that’s an important thing for us to recognize and give value to. And in Max’s through this material, we want to encourage people to continue building those relationships, regardless of type or form, by coming together and celebrating the diversity of these new and modern families,” adds Fuentebella.
During the creation of the two minutes and sixteen-second spot, PETCH & PARTNERS Chairman and CCO Andrew Petch and Fuentebella revealed that they have planned and discussed everything thoroughly, down to the last detail. Even the creation of the aliens went through several brainstorming sessions to make sure that they look like an alien but original at the same time. In fact, Fuentebella reveals that he drew the sketch of the aliens himself.
Have you also noticed the time, 10:18 p.m., in the opening of the ad campaign? According to Fuentebella, it actually refers to October 18, his lola’s birthday, the founder of the restaurant. The team behind the spot knows that little details such as this stir the viewers’ curiosity and increase rewatchability. Petch jests, “Millennials love to pick up Easter eggs so it’s very important to put that in there.”
Indeed, the campaign resonated Max’s Restaurant’s core value that the brand started with 73 years ago and has maintained throughout the years – to cherish and celebrate the family-like relationships it has with its employees, partners, and customers.
Watch it here:
Campaign Credits:
Chief Executive Officer: Carolyn Trota-Salud
Chief Marketing Officer: Jim T. Fuentebella,
Max’s Group, Inc. Chief Operating Officer: Ariel P. Fermin
National Business Unit Head: Paolo Serranno
Marketing Director: Mark Gamboa
Senior Marketing Manager: Cynthia Bahia
Brand Manager: Jacqueline Peñaranda
Digital Marketing Specialist: Abigail Mary Sha
Director: Joel Limchoc
Cinematographer: Dix Buhay
Prod Designer: Adelina Leung
Asst Directors: Christine Blando/Cris Pasturan
Props & Effects Man: Bobot Atanacio
Caster: Enric Munchua/Netnet Remolin
Line Producer: Lei Villena
Executive Producers: Phoebe Nedia, Jing Lopez, Marivic San Juan
Prod Team: Dave Lacap, Sheinna Melaño, Trixia Magdaraog, Aldo Directo, Rene Milla
Offline Editor: Bien Felix
Colorist: Musse Cruz of Barebones
Post House: Riot Inc
Online Editor: Serj Bato
VFX Team :
3D – Dondi Fernandez , Geodi San Pedro, Joey Mariano, Jem Magay
2D – Daryll Apaga, Raymond Ric Tan, Mike Valdez, Project Manager: Dani dela Cruz
Sales Producer: Eng Baisac
Audio: Hit Productions
Arranger: Robbie Factoran
Engineer: Bogs Jugo / Tara Lim
Producer: Jem Lim / Roberto Seña
Media Agency: Liquid Thread
Agency Head: Gladys Basinillo
Media Director: Francis Cruz
Planning Lead: Chappy Sioco
Media Buying Director: Editha Ibanez
Media Buyer: Kate Tibayan
Social Media Head: Jason Ty
Social Media Manager: Chantal Nabong
Insights Director: April Yap
Innovations Lead: Jake Habittan
Client: Max’s Group Inc.
Creative Agency: PETCH & PARTNERS
Chairman/CCO: Andrew Petch
Creative Director/Founder: Rachel Villanueva
Senior Copywriter: Rachel Villanueva
Art Director: Jereek Espiritu
Account Director: Louise Meriguet
Production Company: Film Pabrika
Director: Joel Limchoc
Cinematographer: Dix Buhay
Prod Designer: Adelina Leung
Asst Directors: Christine Blando/Cris Pasturan
Props & Effects Man: Bobot Atanacio
Caster: Enric Munchua/Netnet Remolin
Line Producer: Lei Villena
Executive Producers: Phoebe Nedia, Jing Lopez, Marivic San Juan
Prod Team: Dave Lacap, Sheinna Melaño, Trixia Magdaraog, Aldo Directo, Rene Milla
Offline Editor: Bien Felix
Colorist: Musse Cruz of Barebones
Post House: Riot Inc
Online Editor: Serj Bato
VFX Team:
3D – Dondi Fernandez , Geodi San Pedro, Joey Mariano, Jem Magay
2D – Daryll Apaga, Raymond Ric Tan, Mike Valdez
Project Manager: Dani dela Cruz
Sales Producer: Eng Baisac
Audio Company: Hit Productions
Arranger: Robbie Factoran
Engineer: Bogs Jugo / Tara Lim
Producer: Jem Lim / Roberto Seña
