Recognizing the brands who left the biggest impressions on us this year.
2021 brought with it new challenges, but also glimmers of hope as the world collectively looked forward to the future. As restrictions were cautiously eased, the nation and businesses also took bigger strides towards recovery. We saw some exceptional work from brands this year, whether it was wowing audiences with sincere campaigns that benefited society or strengthening relationships with their customers. Brands remained resilient through adversity, never shying away from being creative as they sought to connect with their communities.
Indeed, instead of bowing down to the uncertainty that shrouded much of the year, leading brands were unfazed and levelled up in 2021. From working with influential voices on Twitter, to identifying cultural moments that resonated best, brands tapped on various Twitter’s innovative solutions to launch campaigns and connect with their audience. Across Southeast Asia, marketers and advertisers showcased a wide range of new ideas this year, helping their brands secure a place under the spotlight.
In recognition of this extraordinary work, and as we reflect on the toughest of years, Twitter today announced its #BestofTweets 2021 Philippines Awards to celebrate and applaud the brands that broke through the chatter to create standout campaigns.
- Best Campaign for Driving Positive Change in Society
It’s commendable when brands pursue programs for social good, and more so empowering when it allows its audience to be part of it. Unilever Philippines’ (@UnileverPhils) annual #Shop2Give campaign has been running for four years, with proceeds given to UNICEF to support Filipino children in need. This year, they went above and beyond with the new #Shop2GiveCare campaign, adding Gawad Kalinga as another recipient charity to serve over 30 underprivileged communities. They also gathered influencers to draw support for big shopping events and drive even bigger impact for those who need it the most.
- Best Brand Voice
When it comes to messaging, ads on finance usually take the firm, product-driven approach. However, the road less taken can sometimes take you to new opportunities for growth. Best example would be Union Bank of the Philippines’ (@unionbankph) #WillUBMine campaign, a clever take on adding human-centric touch to product information, piquing the interest of its target audience. The campaign takes customer service in the eyes of love, demonstrating that they are the only bank that truly knows how to love their customers. Likewise, the Filipinos showed love for the brand. The overall response is positive with significant lifts across ad recall and top-of-mind awareness.
- Best Virtual Event
Ever since the rise of e-commerce, shopping days have become one of the most awaited sales of the year among consumers as well as brands. To stand out among the sea of virtual events, Lazada Philippines (@LazadaPH) turned to Twitter to bring their “shoppertainment” event to life. Lazada knew that Twitter is not only the home for entertainment-related conversations, but is also the platform to connect to big shopping moments.
To kickstart the campaign, they released Branded Notifications, sending customers various deals in the lead up to the big show. During the live stream, the full suite of Twitter’s ad solutions were also deployed, including the powerful and effective Live Event Page. Finally, Lazada engaged various popular K-pop and local celebrities, and merged the live event and shopping experience as much as possible, while leveraging Allowlisting to enhance fan-idol interactions and fuel up conversations.
- Best Use of Video
Tagalized shows have always been a part of every Filipinos’ TV experience, so it’s a smart move for Viu Philippines (@Viu_PH) to tap into that culture by releasing #TagDubOnViu. The campaign was rolled out in different ad formats, with its highlight video series showing the reactions of different personalities as they watched the dramas in Tagalog. Engrossed in the shows, their reactions – be it scared, worried or amused – were authentic and engaging to watch. This creative approach enticed Filipinos to see and try out the experience for themselves.
- Best Campaign from a Newcomer
Being a new player in the game can be daunting, but BYS Cosmetics (@byscosmetics_ph) powered through and emerged as a winner. They launched the new SKIN by BYS skincare line on Twitter, determined to go where beauty and skincare aficionados are. Coupled with a K-drama star as its ambassador, the campaign was a surefire hit as it connected to K-culture and its passionate fandom.
BYS Cosmetics also flawlessly executed Twitter’s ‘Tease, Reveal and Sustain’ launch strategy and boldly explored multiple ad formats to drive full-funnel metrics. In the highly saturated beauty market, their strategy to lead in a space where competitors are not yet fully present, paid off multifold. The skincare brand saw success on every front, from impressions and video views to online traffic.
- Most Tweeted about Brand
Spotify Philippines (@Spotify_PH) once again led the music conversations on Twitter in the Philippines. To maintain the top spot on the Twitter charts, Spotify understood the assignment: they make an effort to
understand their audience’s behavior and interests – then leans in with gusto. They also tap into cultural
moments like Halloween or phenomena like K-pop to drive cultural relevance and spark exciting
conversations amongst fans. By identifying the most culturally relevant topics that fans are interested in,
Spotify could wrap the brand into the conversation, leading to rich conversations about music – and of
course, about Spotify.
- Best Launch on Twitter
KFC Philippines (@KFCPhilippines) knew just how their Double Down all meat burger won the hearts and palate of Filipinos; so when they brought the meal back due to popular demand, the #DoubleDown
launch spurred awareness, hype, and even purchase intent by focusing on its mouth-watering
ingredients. Fans Tweeted excitedly that they needed, or even deserved, the delicious Double Down. The
result is a delightful success on impressions, engagements, and organic traffic.
- Best Connection to Culture
The Philippines is the 3rd biggest #KpopTwitter community globally, so imagine the excitement among Filipino fans when Pond’s Philippines (@PondsPH) revealed on Twitter that Wendy from Red Velvet was their new ambassador of its latest product: Pond’s Triple Glow Serum.
Despite a limited budget, they were able to pull off a full-fledged launch strategy by leveraging different creative ad formats to engage Filipino K-pop enthusiasts. The campaign paid off with overwhelmingly positive conversations on Twitter and even better ROI, with engagement rate and video views outperforming industry benchmarks.
“We set out to spread the word for the launch of the new Pond’s Bright Triple Glow Serum with our newest K-pop superstar Wendy of Red Velvet but were instantaneously surprised by all the amazing support we got from her Reveluv fan club over Twitter. Twitter proved to be an essential channel for us to create a movement and constant engagement with K-pop fans and enthusiasts, it was a creative challenge to produce content that the K-pop fans would love consistently, keep the excitement going, while ensuring branding was also clear. We thoroughly enjoyed creating, and Twitter allowed us to reach and engage with the K-pop community in the Philippines seamlessly,” said Jackie Kawsek – Assistant Business Performance Manager, Pond’s.
- Best #OnlyOnTwitter
This year opened more opportunities for safe domestic travel. To encourage local travellers, the Philippines Department of Tourism (@TourismPHL) used a fun and engaging way to raise the delicate topic of travelling during a pandemic. The highlight of the innovative #SafeTripPH campaign was Twitter’s emoji engine, which was deployed to share correct information about travel guidelines in unexpected ways. The Twitter’s emoji engine enabled the campaign to customize over 30 emojis to match more than 30 local destinations, each with customized replies, images, and landing pages. They also used different ad solutions including Carousels and Conversation Button to further drive engagement and conversations. The lighthearted and innovative approach that also delivered educational messages is unique to Twitter. And a brave move by the Department of Tourism for taking the route less travelled.
“This year has shown us that creativity knows no bounds and we’re truly inspired by how brands throughout Southeast Asia leveraged our service to launch their campaigns and connect with their communities. The industry has shifted yet again this year; and marketers look to Twitter to break through the mold and drive conversations around their brands and products. This year’s winners raised the game on Twitter by tapping into insights from the talk on Twitter. They were not afraid to lead the conversations and not just follow. The winning brands also dialed up their innovation through experimenting with new features, as well as exploring bold and creative ideas. From groundbreaking launches to the most creative use of Twitter; these winning brands made us laugh, cry, reply, and Retweet. It’s one thing to be trending—another to leave a lasting impression. #BestOfTweets is our platform to celebrate those brands and we can’t wait to see what they do next in 2022,” said Avril Chua – Brand Strategist, Twitter NEXT, Southeast Asia.
This year’s list shows that brands should not be afraid to be different among the pack. As long as you get the pulse of your audience and the message you want to share, conversations and connections will surely follow. Cheers to this year’s best of the best!
