Philippines’ well-loved is also the most-awarded brand in 2018: Jollibee cements marketing thought leadership with brand, executive honors

Jollibee remains the most awarded quick service restaurant in the country this year with its industry-leading marketing campaigns that have won the approval of experts and audiences from around the world. To date, the well-loved fast-food chain has garnered more than 50 major recognitions from prestigious award-giving bodies in the country and abroad.

Reaping the most awards and recognitions for the country’s leading fast-food chain is its game changing brand love campaign with creative agency McCann World Group Philippines, the #KwentongJollibee Valentine Series which captured millions of hearts when it was launched in February 2017. The trilogy that encouraged viewers to celebrate the joy of love with the now iconic “Vow”, “Crush” and “Date’ stories remains one of the most viral campaigns in recent history and started the trend of heartfelt brand stories told in long form videos in the Philippines.

It was one of the campaigns which shone brightest at the 2018 APAC Effie Awards in Singapore as Jollibee went home with 2 Golds, 1 Silver, and 2 Bronze trophies. The brand also bested other companies from all over Asia to win Brand of the Year (2^nd place) and Marketer of the Year (3^rd place) awards. The Effie Awards recognizes the region’s most outstanding marketing communication works that brought results in meeting strategic objectives.

Kwentong Jollibee also received the Bronze recognition for Tangrams Effectiveness at Spikes Asia 2018 for its innovative digital marketing strategy that stood above the rest of Asia Pacific brands. The Tangrams is headed by a panel of top client and agency professionals who review campaigns that have transformed businesses and brands. The campaign was likewise shortlisted as one of the best for having driven results in Asia at the WARC Prize for Asian Strategy. Moreover, it was also one of only three campaign finalists from the Philippines at the New York Festivals International Advertising Awards 2018, earning a shortlist spot in the Creative Marketing Effectiveness category.

At the 2018 Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards, the brand went home with several more top awards led by its 2 Golds and 1 Bronze for outstanding brand storytelling for Kwentong Jollibee. Its other campaigns such as the Grandparents’ Day IMC and Jolly Spaghetti advocacy campaign also managed to score Gold and Silver metals, respectively. At the 2018 Kidlat Awards, Jollibee took home a Silver for its record-breaking “Vow” and Bronze for the rest of the videos under the Valentine trilogy. 

The brand’s winning streak for its Valentine series continues with its 2018 lineup— “Homecoming”, “Signs”, and “Status”—taking the spotlight during the YouTube Ads Leaderboard Philippines for 1^st semester of 2018. All three videos, along with the Alex Wassabi for Jolly Crispy Fries, made it to the list of the most watched YouTube ads in the country during the period. This is the first time in the history of the YouTube Philippines Leaderboard that a brand dominated their semesterly ranking by claiming four out of the ten spots.

Jollibee has also launched various online thematic campaigns that put the spotlight on its flagship products and other delicious food offerings, as well as engaging PR campaigns, events and activations that resulted to sustained brand buzz. Among these are the Jollibee Chickenjoy Perfect Pairs Campaign, Yes to Jollibee Burger Steak with Anne Curtis, The Return of the Choco Mallow Pie, and the Jollibee Family Values Awards, among others, which contributed to Jollibee’s great haul of metals from the PR industry’s top award-giving bodies such as the Anvil and Philippine Quill Awards.

“For us in Jollibee, we always want to create campaigns that are relevant and engaging for our market. We are constantly thinking outside of the box and challenging ourselves to deliver unforgettable and effective digital marketing and PR campaigns that will help further drive sales and foster brand love,” said Francis Flores, Jollibee’s Brand Chief Marketing Officer and PH Marketing Head. “We share the international recognitions that we have received with the Filipinos who love the brand. These awards are a proof that the Philippines can indeed compete with foreign brands when it comes to world class advertising, PR and marketing.”

Jollibee’s Brand CMO included in Asia Pacific Power List 2018

For his tireless efforts to steer the well-loved Filipino brand to global prominence, Flores himself was recognized by Campaign Asia as one of the 50 Most Influential Brand Marketers in the Asia Pacific region. The first-ever list drawn up by Campaign Asia’s Editorial Team honors the region’s best marketers for adapting and taking advantage of the digitization of their customer experience and sales models using connected channels, to reach a loyal base and deliver a strong brand purpose. Flores is the only Filipino to be included in the so-called Asia Pacific Power List of 2018.

The Campaign Asia write-up on Flores reads: “This was a great year for Jollibee, as the Filipino chain continues to evolve into a truly global brand. Opening its first European venues in Italy and the UK, and sweeping up awards at events such as the APAC Effies were just a few noteworthy touchstones. Jollibee’s success is no sudden lightning bolt, however, but the culmination of more than a decade of work by its CMO, Francis Flores. For many Filipinos, Jollibee isn’t just a fast-food chain. Controlling over half the market, it is intrinsically part of the community, and Flores has doubled down on this identity, championing campaigns that put a focus on warm hearts rather than hungry bellies. Events under Flores’ stewardship, such as the Jollibee Family Values Awards (now in its eight year) have helped humanized the chain but it is the social-media dominating Kwentong Jollibee online video series of 2017-2018 that has been Flores’ absolute triumph”.

With a growing number of global distinctions and accolades bestowed on the fast-food chain, people can look forward to more breakthrough and highly-effective marketing campaigns from Jollibee that showcase the Filipino brand of creativity in whatever communications channel and platform.