NGL, we wouldn’t mind it if these Filipino commercials got turned into their own movies.
Related: 7 Filipino LGBTQIA+ Commercials That Captured What It Means To Love
As the most common form of marketing, commercials and ads are meant to sell something or make a certain service or product look appealing to consumers. But because of how often we see them, commercials can end up being monotonous and just white noise in the background. We’ve all been in that scenario countless times where we’re waiting to press “Skip Ad” when we’re watching something on YouTube. But there are local ads that cut through the noise with efforts that will have you stopping in your tracks.
ICYDK, weird, wacky, and eccentric Filipino commercials have always existed, just ask the Y2K babies, and the past few years have been a goldmine of out-of-the-ordinary yet effective ads that won people over with their humor, off-kilter tone, quality, and one-of-a-kind concepts. The creativity and talent that local creatives displayed with these commercials are top-tier. TBH, if more commercials were made like the following recent videos on this list, we would be happy to watch two ads in a row on YouTube.
COCO PHILIPPINES – STRESS DRILON
The minds of the creative team that conceptualized this were operating on a new plane of existence when they made this recent ad that blew up on social media. The Stress Drilon meme becomes a reality in this commercial starring broadcaster Ces Drilon. The veteran journalist is seen going about her day but quickly falls apart with a growing pile of inconveniences, from putting salt in her coffee to going to the office and not realizing it’s a Sunday.
Luckily, she has an outlet to let out her anger by punching a giant cup of Coco milk tea while letting out a flurry of curse words. And just like many of us, Ces Drilon gets over her stress with a nice cold cup of milk tea. Relatable af if you ask us. And FYI, if you want to poke and punch that giant Coco cup in the commercial, you can do so at SM Megamall in the Fashion Hall.
RC COLA – FAMILY
Few local brands have won over netizens with their commercials in recent years quite like RC Cola has, with this effort from November 2020 being a prime example. It starts in typical Pinoy teleserye fashion with a kid confronting his mom about whether or not he’s adopted as violins play in the background. The video then takes a 180 after the son asks his mom why he has four glasses on his back, as his mom reveals her secret, she’s secretly an RC Cola bottle. Does it make sense? Absolutely not. But did we watch it from start to finish? You bet.
KILL BOKSOON: TODO NA ‘TO!
Todo na 'to! Rufa Slay Quinto is so MOTHER. Kill Boksoon is now streaming on Netflix, go go go! 🪓 #RufaMaeQuinto #KillBoksoon pic.twitter.com/Dw6fhowHx8
— Netflix Philippines (@Netflix_PH) April 4, 2023
It probably will be studied a few decades from now Netflix Philippines’ ability to incorporate Pinoy humor and culture into their marketing campaigns. From having Derek Ramsay recreate his iconic anti-piracy ad with Chris Hemsworth to reuniting the Sexbomb Girls to share the news of the streaming service’s newest and more affordable subscription tiers, their commercials are commercialing. Our favorite though is when they tapped an icon of Pinoy pop culture, Rufa Mae Quinto. This advert for the Korean action film Kill Boksoon sees Rufa Mae say her iconic lines and goes to town with her various weapons after she realizes that the 70% off sale for patis at the grocery store is no longer applicable.
OROCAN PHILIPPINES – PA-STAR ANG OROCAN
While most plastic container sellers are marketing their products in 2023, Orocan Philippines is doing so in 3023. From their infomercial, Ms. Hurt, to a boy’s surreal experience of getting chased by a dog, Orocan knows how to show off their products in fun and unique ways. Our pick goes to their take on the divine power of constellations. A man who is taking a bath is left disappointed when he realizes that his water pail has a hole at the bottom. But his predicament is solved when he looks to the sky, and an Orocan utility pail lands safely on the ground like a sponsor’s gift in The Hunger Games.
KERATIN – KERATIN?!
this advertisement very gen z lang kakatawa 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/6s4YGXKlzH
— bini cunty lex 🇵🇸 (@f4ggotism) April 29, 2024
What could have been a simple shampoo commercial from Keratin became one to remember, remember?! Maja Salvador’s line delivery is quintessential Pinoy bakla humor and the aspect ration changing whenever she repeats a word or phrase is gold, gold?! The marketing ate with this one.
DANES CHESSE – BACON YAN
The craziest thing about being creative is that you can promote a block of cheese made with real bacon like it was a character in a comedy series. That’s the route Danes Cheese took by having a sentient block of cheese go through different scenarios where he has to explain to people what the spots on his body are before he goes through a bit of an existential crisis (and not to mention a sequel ad where his seemingly unfaithful father deals with the fallout of having cheese variants). It’s unexpected in the best way possible to market cheese.
JULIE’S BAKESHOP – NO TO TITA SHAMING
To celebrate their 40th anniversary, Julie’s Bakeshop decided to share a message of how things can still be fresh even after four decades. So, how did they do that? By making a commercial that only someone who has a mind of a mastermind can think of. Two titas are seen exercising at a gym while dressed in 80s workout wear. They are then harassed by a man who makes jokes at the expense of their age.
Julie herself then pops out behind him and puts the tita shamer in his place by turning him into bread dough. But even in this form, he’s still making fun of the titas with a laugh that would make Annoying Orange proud. The ad ends with the guy getting baked as pandesal and everyone in the gym just watching with stoic faces. It’s giving arthouse film, and we’re here for it.
MEGA TUNA – MAIINGIT SILA SA SARAP
There are some meals out there that are so good that they can make anyone jealous, including animals. Or at least, that’s what Mega Tuna thinks in their commercial that had a lizard get so jealous of someone eating Mega Tuna flakes that it imagined itself reversing roles with the human as it ate the tuna while the human was watching from the ceiling. And if that wasn’t enough, another advert had the top half of a manananggal fight its bottom half over the tuna flakes.
Continue Reading: 7 Unexpected Crossovers Between Korean Stars And Filipino Brands We Can’t Stop Thinking About
