Gigil

Gigil is an independent advertising agency founded in the Philippines in 2017 by Badong Abesamis, Herbert Hernandez, and Isabel Prollamante. The agency is headquartered in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, and works across brand strategy, creative development, advertising, experiential activity, social content, entertainment marketing, and campaign execution. Its name was chosen from the Filipino word “gigil,” commonly associated with an intense emotional impulse or passionate urge; the founders adopted it to express the agency’s commitment to energetic, hard-working, emotionally resonant ideas. Before launch, the founders considered names including “No Plan B” and “Toyo.” They ultimately selected Gigil after Abesamis proposed a name that reflected the partners’ desired culture and creative ambition. The agency officially began operating in October 2017. After Isabel Prollamante relocated abroad, Jake Yrastorza joined the leadership team as managing partner. Gigil has developed work for a broad range of local and international clients, including 7-Eleven, AirAsia, Globe, Jollibee, Levi’s, Netflix, Procter & Gamble, RC Cola, Unilever, Vivo, Grab, Smart Communications, TNT, Mandaue Foam, CoCo Tea, Cheers, Orocan, KonsultaMD, Belo Medical Group, Wellspring, Canva, Knorr, Closeup, and other consumer, technology, telecommunications, entertainment, healthcare, and retail brands. Its work frequently uses humor, local language, public-space interventions, unusual visual metaphors, and social participation rather than relying only on conventional product demonstrations. The agency gained international attention through campaigns such as Shop2Give, Dr. Internet, Levi’s Studs, RC Cola’s Basta, Cheers Party, Netflix-related activations, Smart’s FIBA Basketball World Cup promotion, Grab’s Summer and Sorry campaigns, CoCo Tea’s Cool work, TNT’s SIM Registration Drive, Netflix’s 4Dish Pot, and Mandaue Foam’s Home Store Steal. These campaigns received recognition at events including Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, Effie Awards, Spikes Asia, ADFEST, D&AD, the London International Awards, MAD STARS, the Boomerang Awards, the YouTube Works Awards, and regional award programs. Gigil announced an international expansion in January 2023, opening offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto to serve clients and opportunities in the United States and Canada. In September 2025, it announced a further expansion into Cambodia through an office in Phnom Penh. The agency’s growth has been recognized by Philippine and international business and advertising publications, which have ranked it among fast-growing companies and leading independent creative agencies in the Philippines and Asia-Pacific. Gigil has also faced criticism. In 2021, its Pandemic Effect campaign for Belo Medical Group was criticized for its treatment of appearance, weight, acne, body hair, and pandemic-related distress. The advertisement was withdrawn, Gigil apologized with the client, and the agency’s membership in the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines was suspended for one year. In 2024, descendants of former Philippine senator Gil Puyat filed a complaint concerning a Wellspring guerrilla-marketing stunt that temporarily changed “Gil Puyat Avenue” signage to “Gil Tulog,” using a Filipino-language wordplay related to sleep. The case illustrates both the agency’s willingness to use public interventions and the legal and reputational risks of such tactics.

Gigil emerged in the Philippine advertising market in 2017, founded by Badong Abesamis, Herbert Hernandez, and Isabel Prollamante. The founders wanted a name that conveyed intensity, passion, and commitment to craft. They considered alternative names before adopting Gigil, a Filipino term whose emotional force suited their ambition to create advertising that people would feel and remember. The agency launched formally in October 2017 from Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Its early work established a distinctive approach built around local cultural references, comedy, striking visual devices, and ideas designed to travel through social media and earned attention. Gigil served brands in food and beverage, telecommunications, retail, fashion, healthcare, transportation, entertainment, and consumer products. Campaigns for KonsultaMD, Levi’s, RC Cola, Netflix, Grab, Globe, Smart, and other clients helped position the company as an independent agency capable of competing with larger network agencies. The agency’s awards trajectory accelerated in the late 2010s. Shop2Give received recognition for advocacy, responsible citizenship, and e-commerce. Dr. Internet for KonsultaMD earned awards in healthcare, digital craft, storytelling, copywriting, and effectiveness. The Levi’s Studs campaign was recognized at the Clio Awards, Kidlat Awards, Tambuli Awards, Boomerang Awards, and Asia Pacific Effie Awards. Its Effie gold was described as a first for an independent Philippine agency, reinforcing Gigil’s reputation for combining creativity with measurable marketing results. In 2020, RC Cola’s Basta campaign became one of the agency’s most widely discussed pieces. The film used surreal humor, including a child questioning whether he was adopted because of an unusual physical detail, to make the beverage brand memorable. The work later received recognition at Cannes Lions, the Asia Pacific Effie Awards, and the Clio Awards. Gigil also worked on entertainment campaigns such as Netflix’s promotion of Trese and later campaigns connected with titles including Money Heist, Glass Onion, Squid Game, and other streaming properties. Gigil’s style often extends beyond conventional commercials. In 2023, it transformed the Globe at SM Mall of Asia into a giant basketball to promote Smart Communications’ association with the FIBA Basketball World Cup in the Philippines. Other work used billboards, public installations, NFTs, influencer participation, live events, and social formats. These executions reflected a strategy of turning a brand message into a visible event or participatory story. The agency expanded internationally in January 2023 with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto. In September 2025, it announced an office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. These moves broadened its potential client base while retaining the Philippine creative operation as its core identity. Gigil’s later work continued to receive recognition across global and regional award shows. Grab Summer, CoCo Tea Cool, TNT SIM Registration Drive, Netflix 4Dish Pot, Mandaue Foam Home Store Steal, RC Cola Miracle, Closeup Perspective Billboard, Jollibee Joy Meter, and other campaigns won or placed at Cannes Lions, D&AD, Spikes Asia, ADFEST, Clio, Effie, MAD STARS, LIA, YouTube Works, Boomerang, and MMA Smarties. In 2025, award bodies recognized Gigil as an independent agency leader in the Philippines and Asia-Pacific, while its creative directors were repeatedly ranked among the Philippines’ most awarded. The company’s history also includes reputational challenges. In 2021, the Pandemic Effect campaign for Belo Medical Group was criticized for presenting weight gain, body hair, acne, and exposure to bad news as undesirable pandemic effects. Gigil and Belo apologized, the advertisement was removed, and Gigil’s industry-association membership was suspended for one year. In 2024, a Wellspring sleep-supplement stunt involving modified Gil Puyat Avenue signage led descendants of Gil Puyat to file a complaint. These episodes demonstrate the tension between provocative creative work and the need for sensitivity, consent, and legal care in public advertising.

• 2025

  Expanded regional recognition

  [1]Gigilen.wikipedia.org

  Gigil receives extensive recognition at ADFEST, Spikes Asia, Cannes Lions, D&AD, Clio, MAD STARS, LIA, YouTube Works, Boomerang, and MMA Smarties.

• 2025

  Cambodian expansion

  [1]Gigilen.wikipedia.org

  Gigil announces an office in Phnom Penh.

• 2024

  Agency recognition and public-signage complaint

  [1]Gigilen.wikipedia.org

  Gigil receives major agency and campaign honors while a Wellspring stunt involving Gil Puyat Avenue signage prompts a complaint from Gil Puyat’s descendants.

• 2023

  North American expansion

  [1]Gigilen.wikipedia.org

  Gigil announces offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto.

• 2023

  FIBA basketball activation

  [1]Gigilen.wikipedia.org

  The agency turns the SM Mall of Asia Globe into a giant basketball for Smart Communications’ FIBA Basketball World Cup promotion.

• 2021

  Pandemic Effect controversy

  [1]Gigilen.wikipedia.org

  The Belo Medical Group campaign is withdrawn after criticism, followed by an apology and a one-year industry-association suspension.

• 2019

  Early international award momentum

  [1]Gigilen.wikipedia.org

  Shop2Give, Dr. Internet, and Levi’s Studs receive recognition across Philippine and Asia-Pacific advertising awards.

• 2017

  Agency officially launches

  [1]Gigilen.wikipedia.org

  Gigil begins operations in October in Taguig, Philippines, founded by Badong Abesamis, Herbert Hernandez, and Isabel Prollamante.

An independent, culturally fluent creative agency that combines bold humor, local insight, visual invention, and integrated execution to create attention-grabbing campaigns.

• Advertising services · 2017

  Integrated advertising campaigns

  Gigil develops integrated campaigns spanning film, digital, social, outdoor, experiential, and earned-media formats. Its work commonly combines a central cultural insight with highly visible executions intended to generate conversation and sharing.

• Marketing services

  Entertainment marketing

  The agency creates promotional work for entertainment and streaming properties, including campaigns associated with Netflix titles such as Trese, Money Heist, Glass Onion, and Squid Game.

• Advertising services

  Experiential and out-of-home activations

  Gigil uses public installations, altered environments, billboards, live events, and other physical interventions to turn advertising into a public spectacle. Examples include the giant basketball Globe activation and Netflix’s 4Dish Pot work.

• 2024

  Gil Tulog signage complaint

  A Wellspring sleep-supplement stunt changed Gil Puyat Avenue signage to “Gil Tulog.” Descendants of Gil Puyat filed a complaint over the use of the name and public signage in the guerrilla-marketing execution.

  Source

• 2021

  Pandemic Effect advertising controversy

  The Belo Medical Group advertisement depicted weight gain, body hair, acne, and exposure to distressing news as pandemic effects. Critics considered the treatment insensitive and insufficiently inclusive. The campaign was withdrawn, Gigil and Belo apologized, and Gigil’s membership in the Philippine advertising-association body was suspended for one year.

  Source

Read more

• 2025Home Store Steal

  Philippines

  A Mandaue Foam campaign built around a film and entertainment-oriented creative idea.

  Outcome. Received recognition at ADFEST, Spikes Asia, Clio, D&AD, Cannes Lions, MAD STARS, and the London International Awards.

  Source
• 2025RC Cola Miracle

  Philippines

  An RC Cola film campaign that continued the brand’s association with unusual, humorous storytelling.

  Outcome. Won a Clio gold and received recognition at Spikes Asia, D&AD, Cannes Lions, and the London International Awards.

  Source
• 2025TNT SIM Registration Drive

  Philippines

  A TNT campaign supporting SIM registration through an effectiveness-focused communication program.

  Outcome. Won a gold at ADFEST and was recognized at YouTube Works and MMA Smarties Philippines.

  Source
• 20244Dish Pot

  Philippines

  A Netflix outdoor and experiential campaign built around an oversized food-related installation and the platform’s entertainment content.

  Outcome. Won gold recognition at Lotus and Clio Entertainment awards.

  Source
• 2024Summer

  Philippines

  A Grab campaign centered on a seasonal consumer insight and film-led storytelling.

  Outcome. Won a Cannes Lions silver and recognition at MAD STARS.

  Source
• 2024Cool

  Philippines

  A CoCo Tea campaign developed as a social and brand-storytelling effort.

  Outcome. Named Best of Country and Best Brand Story at YouTube Works and received a London International Awards bronze.

  Source
• 2023Smart FIBA Basketball World Cup Globe

  Philippines

  Gigil transformed the SM Mall of Asia Globe into a giant basketball to promote Smart Communications’ sponsorship of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in the Philippines.

  Outcome. Won a bronze at the Clio Sports Awards.

  Source
• 2022Party

  Philippines

  A Cheers campaign built around an energetic party concept.

  Outcome. Won a Cannes Lions bronze and a London International Awards silver.

  Source
• 2020Basta

  Philippines

  An RC Cola film used surreal family humor and an unexpected visual gag to create memorability for the beverage brand.

  Outcome. Received recognition at Cannes Lions, Asia Pacific Effie Awards, and the Clio Awards.

  Source
• 2019Shop2Give

  Philippines

  A commerce-oriented advocacy campaign recognized at the Tambuli and ADFEST awards.

  Outcome. Won a Tambuli gold and silver and an ADFEST bronze.

  Source

Showing the 10 most recent.

• 2025

  Cambodian market entryStrategy

  Background

  Gigil continued its regional expansion after establishing North American offices.

  Action taken

  The agency announced an office in Phnom Penh.

  Aftermath

  Cambodia became an additional market in Gigil’s international network.

  Source

• 2023

  North American office expansionStrategy

  Background

  Gigil sought to extend its Philippine creative model and client reach into North America.

  Action taken

  The agency announced offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto.

  Aftermath

  The expansion established a wider international operating footprint.

  Source

1. 1Gigilen.wikipedia.org