Cebu Pacific’s Travel Buddies reimagined route discovery by turning travel data into personalized, emotionally resonant experiences. Flyers were introduced to adorable destination mascots—one from a place they visited, another they were likely to love—resulting in a 17% booking rate and millions of engaged users, all without discounting.

McDonald’s ReClassified tackled waste and educational gaps by transforming discarded store furniture into ergonomic classroom pieces. Through thoughtful design, documentary storytelling, and multi-sector partnerships, it impacted thousands of students and boosted Brand Trust scores.

Both campaigns proved that creativity isn’t just for attention—it can change behavior, build brand equity, and deliver measurable business and social results.

Cebu Pacific and McDonald’s Philippines redefined brand experience through innovation rooted in local relevance. Cebu Pacific’s Travel Buddies turned the airline’s vast route network into an emotionally engaging digital adventure. Using first-party data and kawaii-inspired characters, flyers were matched with destinations they loved and new ones to explore—driving a 17% booking rate without relying on price cuts.

Meanwhile, McDonald’s ReClassified transformed store renovation waste into thoughtfully designed classroom furniture. Collaborating with eco-designers and students, the brand reimagined surplus materials into durable school essentials—turning a back-end process into a nationwide sustainability movement. Both campaigns used innovation not to sell, but to connect: sparking joy, inspiring behavior, and creating lasting value.

It’s been 13 years since eoplus first sprang into the post production scene as a tiny team of five. More than a decade (and 22 employees) later, they are still making their presence felt in the industry, diving head first into continuously learning from the visual effects projects they have always been passionate about. The company’s constant evolution from the inside reflects clearly upon their body of work. After all these years, their priority remains the same: to take good care of the team that takes care of the company, while still going above and beyond their clients’ expectations.

With over three decades of industry experience, Hit Productions is the leading audio and video post-production powerhouse in the Philippines. From iconic jingles, to localized dubs of international blockbusters, Hit’s work has steadily woven itself into the soundtrack of Filipino life and pop culture.

Bigger frame, bolder moves: that’s how Arcade reframed the game.
Their success story of 2024 started with a name change, sending the message to the industry: Arcade doesn’t just create films. They create culture, build brands, and change lives.

This bigger frame of mindset impacted every element of the Arcade business: mounting people-first productions, stepping up and showing up for the industry and the community, actively expanding our vision from commercial to cinema, and so much more.

And this year proved that a bigger mindset can drive revenue: 11.4% growth vs. 2023, almost triple last year.

Awards also followed: Back-to-back Kidlat Production House of the Year, and back-to-back Campaign Brief Asia’s THE WORK #1 Production House in Asia, too.

Ultimately, Arcade attributes its record-breaking success in 2024—from next-level production craft and soaring revenues— to one thing: putting its people front and center with a bigger frame in mind.

Creative Who Builds Culture

Arri Veloso is TBWA\SMP’s only female Creative Director and a distinct voice in its creative leadership. With 14 years of experience across Propel, Ogilvy, and Publicis JimenezBasic, she brings a culture-driven perspective guided by one question: “Patok ba ’yan?” work that connects and sparks conversation.

She co-leads a cluster with 8 creatives, 7 Accounts, 2 Strat planners, and plays a key role in Agency MANCOM. From DITO’s energetic launch to Calla’s TikTok cinematic universe and MaArte Fair’s AI-driven cultural reinvention, Arri turns ideas into pop culture. A Young Lotus delegate, multi-Kidlat medalist, and Effie winner, her impact extends beyond the work. She mentors talents, drives inclusive programs, and fosters creative confidence across disciplines. Outside advertising, she founded Pwitty Girls of Manila, a beauty influencer platform reflecting her instinct for shaping culture. Brave, collaborative, and always relevant, Arri builds creativity that moves both people and business forward.

Josef is a strategic powerhouse whose empathetic approach has shaped some of BBDO Guerrero’s most successful campaigns. As Planning Director, he leads strategy for major brands like BPI, DITO, Philippine Airlines, and Red Ribbon, applying deep human insight to unlock growth and connection.

In 2024, his work drove standout results: Red Ribbon saw an 8% average daily sales uplift; BPI gained 150% more first-time customers; and Philippine Airlines achieved lifts in recall and consideration with one of its most viewed film ever. His sharp thinking also helped win new accounts, expand current scopes, and retain high-value clients.

Beyond campaigns, Josef co-created PlayThings and MariTrends—tools that make strategy collaborative, participatory, and human-centered. He also contributed to industry-shaping efforts like the “Pinoy Gen Z on Gen Z” study and mentored the next generation of strategists.

Empathetic, insightful, and collaborative, Josef has become a pillar of the agency’s creative and strategic excellence.

Cebu Pacific and McDonald’s proved that emotionally intelligent, digitally driven creativity can drive tangible results.

Travel Buddies used first-party flyer data to match travelers with adorable destination mascots—boosting bookings by 17% and engaging 1.5 million users, all without discounts. Arches Everywhere activated social cravings by asking fans to find and doodle arches in the world around them, generating 82.2 million impressions, 100% positive sentiment, and a 7% lift in guest traffic

Both campaigns didn’t rely on paid media—they empowered fans to do the storytelling. Each brand turned a simple insight into a scalable experience: one reimagined a network as a collectible journey, the other turned doodles into a movement. Together, they demonstrate how digital platforms—when used with purpose, play, and relevance—can go beyond engagement to drive real-world behavior and measurable business results, while strengthening brand affinity in the most authentic way possible.

Since launching the McDonald’s App in 2020, VML has helped it becoming one of the faster rising assets for the brand. As more and more companies, look to shift towards loyalty and repeat business for volume and growth, VML leveled up the app’s role for the brand by coming up with key solutions for both. For AfterParty Unwind, we combined sharp strategic insight, with purposive gamification to access late night party goers and make McDonald’s their prime post-gimmick destination. With SuperFan Quest, we turned First Party consumer behavior data and turned it into a fun, personalized deal experience that really made users feel seen, celebrated and rewarded for being loyal customers, turning them from regulars into advocates.

FROM STORYTELLING TO STORY-SELLING — Growth by Grit, Not Guesswork

We didn’t just survive the shifts of 2024—we scaled through them. When budgets tightened and consolidation tempted the industry, we pivoted from storytelling to story-selling—powered by our Growth Ideation Framework that turnedbrand thinking into revenue-making.

The result? New AORs. Bigger remits. Mindful efficiencies.

Collaboration not Consolidation became our fiscal compass. We prioritized skill over scale, building momentum through specialized, synergized teams.

Internally, we led with intent. We anchored our people strategy on being always THR—Talent acquisition, Human development, and Retention of top talent—as our formula for a workplace that wins and sustains.

While others stayed afloat, we moved forward—with structure, soul, and sales to show for it. This is business management not as a back-office function, but as a front-line growth engine.

As an independent agency, Intersections has the freedom to challenge media norms —redefining how strategy, creativity, and performance come together. This independence powered two campaigns that proved media can do more than buy attention—it can create cultural and commercial impact.

For Netflix, we reignited interest in six post-MMFF through insight-driven targeting, fresh touchpoints, nostalgia-fueled creatives, and innovative media formats. The result: above and beyond performance versus targets, and recreating excitement with creative use of media.

For Watsons, we created Watsons Playlist, a concert-turned-conversion engine where access was earned through purchases. With stellar ROI in revenue and offset expenses, it became Watsons’ most impactful e-commerce property — highest SOV, app users, online traffic, and repurchase rate from a single campaign.

These campaigns show independence allows reinvention. We go beyond the expected to deliver results that matter – for our clients, our agency, and our people.

Industry Leadership & Community Service

Purpose Over Profit — Leadership That Builds, Not Just Broadcasts

In 2024, we led with purpose—not prestige. While others chased scale, we focused on meaningful impact—uplifting communities, investing in future talent, and sharing our expertise.

Through Pawssion to Purpose, in partnership with SMFI Pet Care, we empowered fur parents facing financial strain to become creators and brand affiliates—turning pet care into livelihood and building authentic, community-rooted advocacy.

We expanded our industry contribution through CreaCon 2024, a free, full-day conference co-hosted with the University of Sto. Tomas. It engaged students and media leaders, led to internship opportunities, and reframed TV as evolving—not obsolete—through our THRends discourse series and white paper.

We also ran student masterclasses led by top marketing mavens, reinforcing our belief: mastering our craft means nothing if we don’t share and serve with purpose.

We don’t just shape conversations—we shape who leads them next.

Industry Leadership & Community Service

Purpose Over Profit — Leadership That Builds, Not Just Broadcasts

In 2024, we led with purpose—not prestige. While others chased scale, we focused on meaningful impact—uplifting communities, investing in future talent, and sharing our expertise.

Through Pawssion to Purpose, in partnership with SMFI Pet Care, we empowered fur parents facing financial strain to become creators and brand affiliates—turning pet care into livelihood and building authentic, community-rooted advocacy.

We expanded our industry contribution through CreaCon 2024, a free, full-day conference co-hosted with the University of Sto. Tomas. It engaged students and media leaders, led to internship opportunities, and reframed TV as evolving—not obsolete—through our THRends discourse series and white paper.

We also ran student masterclasses led by top marketing mavens, reinforcing our belief: mastering our craft means nothing if we don’t share and serve with purpose.

We don’t just shape conversations—we shape who leads them next.

In industries dominated by giants, be it fast food or automotive, Chowking and Changan chose to play a different game. While others spent big or shouted specs, these challengers went small, smart, and feelings-first. Chowking ditched the fanfare and flooded social with quick, culture-driven content that sparked scrolls, and turned them into sales—while owning 35% share-of-voice in Q1 and lifting positive sentiment to 76% with zero media spend.

Changan rewrote the car ad formula by leading with emotional impact over engine specs, turning genuine reactions into the brand’s most powerful proof point. “Get That Changan Feeling” delivered spikes in leads, site visits, and test drives—earning more tries, buys, and long-overdue attention. Both proved that big results can come from the unexpected. Just a closer read on culture, a second look at the industry norm, and a willingness to show up differently—winning big in the gap the giants can’t fit in.

In a year defined by industry shakeups and shrinking margins, Propel Manila stood firm—thriving where others scrambled to survive. While holding groups restructured and markets tightened, we stayed the course with clarity, not chaos. As an independent agency, we didn’t need to pivot reactively—we were already built lean, agile, and bold by design.

We turned adversity into opportunity by doubling down on what mattered: long-term partnerships, creative excellence, and systems that scaled with purpose. Even after a major client loss, we sustained growth, expanded organically, and won decisively—proving that great management isn’t reactive, but deliberate. Across all teams, we pushed forward with structure, consistency, and care. Our people systems inspired high retention and award-winning work, while smart investments future-proofed our operations.

This is not a story of survival. It’s a story of how Propel Manila defied the odds—thriving through discipline, while consistently delivering high-impact, digital-first creativity that truly matters.

At Propel Manila, we believe digital-first creativity should be human-first at its core. When human truth drives the idea, and culture shapes the execution, digital becomes more than a platform—it becomes a way to connect meaningfully.

With #PRsGoFurther, we honored Filipino athletes by matching Philippine Airlines PR flight codes with their personal record (PR) data, creating real-time digital tributes that celebrated every achievement.

For Chowking, we turned gamer hype into real-world hunger satisfaction by serving Chao Fan on-ground at the UAAP E-Sports Tournament—right as mouths dropped open online.

And with Move It, we transformed the Pinoy New Year overshare tradition into a 4,827-character caption promo hunt, turning emotional and humorous scrolls into rewarding moments.

Each was powered by insight, crafted with care, and designed around how people live. Because when creativity meets what matters, digital doesn’t just deliver—it moves people, shapes culture and leaves a lasting mark.

Future-Proofing Philippine Advertising Through Purpose and Innovation

In 2024, TBWA\SMP defied industry conventions by championing fresh voices, empowering future leaders, and reimagining how talent is nurtured. Rooted in purpose and driven by creativity, the agency led conversations that helped future-proof the industry—earning recognition across major award shows. Through its unwavering commitment to Creativity for Humanity, TBWA\SMP launched campaigns that empowered marginalized communities, reignited civic consciousness, and proved that advertising can do more than sell, it can serve.

“Bring out the big guns”. Something we say when we want to get an edge in the marketplace battlefield. Yet, the reality is we won’t always have the advantage in firepower. They say never bring a knife to a gunfight, but today’s cases show despite its limitations, having a sharp edge and a brilliant plan can be more than enough to beat the odds. Whether it’s a channeling a relatively fledgling McDo deals app in uncovering a fresh insight to take on a key business struggle that bigger brand assets had heretofore struggled to address; or taking a couple of niche brands for Del Monte and doubling down on its conviction, then surging past declining core brands to help turnaround the overall business for the company, VML Manila consistently proves its battle-tested mettle, getting the job done even against the odds.

In 2024, Leo Manila set a bold course to evolve beyond legacy strengths and energize its future. We strengthened our core by deepening integration with long-time clients—delivering faster, more cost-efficient content while preserving creative integrity. At the same time, we energized our roster with new wins

Financially, we achieved record-breaking growth in both gross revenue and net profit.

At the heart of it all: our people. Through expanded learning, refreshed recognition, and community-driven initiatives, we empowered Burnetters to learn, lead, and belong—ensuring we stay future-ready not just in capability, but in culture. We didn’t just grow—we grew meaningfully.

Creativity has always been at the core of VML’s beliefs and we continue to push boundaries and champion brave ideas. Combining strong insights, expert brand knowledge and great craft, helped VML win Back to Back Kidlat Creative Agency of the Year.

This year’s highlights include activation efforts that are rooted in deep culture insights, such as a literal photobombing Tooth to promote Colgate, or turning makeshift barricades into KitKat Break touchpoints. Over on radio, VML cleverly demonstrates the immediate pest-silencing power of Baygon, and the dangers of sharing your GCash OTP. Meanwhile, on DIgial Activation we combined fresh insights about Filipino post-night-out cravings, with sobriety tests and designed an in-app gaming experience designed to lead party goers to nearby McDonald’s branches. Finally, we found new ways to activate first party Data on the McDonald’s App to make fans feel seen, rewarded and celebrated with the quirky Superfan Quest badge race.