McDonald’s Philippines Bag Tops Honors at Marketing Excellence Awards, Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards

McDonald’s Philippines was the runaway winner in two of the recent marketing and advertising awards shows in the country, earning the highest accolades like “Marketer of the Year,” “Advertiser of the Year,” and “Company of the Year,” alongside a haul of metal honors for its various campaigns.

McDonald’s back-to-back win at the Marketing Excellence Awards–Philippines and Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards affirmed the quick-service restaurant’s (QSR) commitment to marketing effectiveness and creative excellence, together with consistent and dynamic collaboration with partner agencies Leo Manila, OMD Philippines, Eggshell Worldwide, Silverpush, and Wagawin.

The company was named Marketer of the Year at the recent Marketing Excellence Awards–Philippines sponsored by Marketing Interactive, “Asia Pacific’s leading source of advertising, marketing, and media intelligence.” McDonald’s also clinched two Gold, six Silver, and two Bronze awards for various campaigns, which included the following:

• “M Everywhere,” Gold, Excellence in Experimental Marketing
• “ReClassified,” Gold, Excellence in CSR/Cause Marketing
• “Atin ‘To Chicken McDo,” Silver, Excellence in AI-Powered Storytelling
• “Ride the Arches,” Silver, Excellence in Integrated Marketing
• “Ride the Arches,” Silver, Excellence in Marketing to a Specific Audience
• “McDonald’s Conversational Campaign,” Silver, Excellence in Omnichannel
• “M Everywhere,” Silver, Excellence in Social Media Marketing
• “Forever Date,” Silver, Excellence in TV/Video Advertising
• “McDonald’s Holiday Treats,” Bronze, Excellence in AI-Powered Storytelling
• “McDonald’s Conversational Campaign,” Bronze, Excellence in Data-Driven Marketing

Meanwhile, at the Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards held last June, McDonald’s bagged Advertiser and Company of the Year. McDonald’s Philippines Assistant Vice President for Corporate Relations and Impact Adi Hernandez was also recognized as the Corporate Communications Officer of the Year. Organized by the University of Asia and the Pacific School of Media and Marketing, the awards “believe that people, businesses, brands that effectively create a better world deserve to be recognized, positively reinforced, and serve as an inspiration.”

McDonald’s haul of awards at the Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards included:

• “ReClassified,” Grand Prix, Leaders for Corporate Purpose (Care for the Environment)
• “ReClassified,” Gold, Masters of Everyday Purpose (Human-Centric Solutions–Integrated Media)
• “ReClassified,” Silver, Champions for Humanity (Education and Lifelong Learning–Integrated Media)
• “ReClassified,” Silver, Builders of Society (Advocacy–Integrated Media)
• “Easy Maging Best Me,” Bronze, Champions for Humanity (Education and Lifelong Learning–Integrated Media)

Said Hernandez: “It is a great honor for us to receive multiple recognitions from prestigious award-giving bodies such as the Marketing Excellence Awards and Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards. But more than the metals and industry recognition, what we strive for in all our campaigns and initiatives is to deliver feel-good moments for our customers, and make a positive impact in the communities we serve.”

She added: “These awards are also a testament to what we value and how we get the job done through partnership and collaboration between the McDonald’s team, our agencies, and media partners. We’re excited for what’s next as McDonald’s continues to grow here in the country, and we look forward to introducing memorable and meaningful programs and campaigns that are consistent with the McDonald’s experience that our customers love.”

Marketing Excellence Awards–Philippines

The “M Everywhere” campaign won the Gold Award for Excellence in Experiential Marketing and Silver in Social Media Marketing. Developed with Leo Manila, the playful campaign showed the Golden Arches hiding in plain sight in various places and objects.

Meanwhile, the “Atin ‘To Chicken McDo” campaign featuring the massively popular group SB19 received the Silver Award in Excellence in AI-Powered Storytelling. In the same category, McDonald’s Holiday Treats 2024, which ran during the Christmas season, received the Bronze award. Both campaigns were the result of the collaboration between McDo and its agency partners—OMD Philippines, Leo Manila, and Eggshell Worldwide, with Silverpush as tech-enabler.

The “#ForeverDate” film—which aired around Valentine’s and which featured the loving bond between two seniors preparing to go out on a date—received the Silver Award for Excellence in TV/Video Advertising. The film was developed with Leo Manila.

Also scoring two Silver Awards was the “Ride the Arches” campaign, which positioned McDonald’s stores as cycling stations, encouraging serious cyclists and bike enthusiasts to cycle from arch to arch. Developed with Leo Manila, “Ride the Arches” was recognized in the Excellence in Integrated Marketing and Marketing to a Specific Audience Categories.

The McDonald’s Conversational Campaign, developed with partner agencies OMD Philippines and Wagawin, received the Silver for Excellence in Omnichannel and the Bronze for Excellence in Data-Driven Marketing.

Last but not least, a much-deserved Gold Award for Excellence in CSR/Cause Marketing was given to “ReClassified,” an initiative that repurposes decommissioned restaurant furniture into chairs and tables for public elementary schools.

Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards

“ReClassified” also partly drove McDonald’s Philippines’ triumph at the Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards, receiving the Grand Prix for “Leaders for Corporate Purpose: Care for the Environment.” The QSR was recognized for leading “the sustainable transformation of their workplace, culture and communities, creating value for all stakeholders.”

“ReClassified” was also bestowed the Gold Award for the “Masters of Everyday Purpose: Human Centric Solutions–Integrated Media” category, the Silver Award for the “Champions of Humanity: Education and Lifelong Learning–Integrated Media” category, and another Silver Award for the “Builders of Society: Advocacy–Integrated Media” category.

Leo Manila, McDonald’s Philippines’ agency partner for “ReClassified,” bested all other competitors and was named Agency of the Year.

Also recognized was McDonald’s campaign supporting its employees’ growth and well-being, “Easy Maging Best Me,” which received the Bronze Medal for the “Champions for Humanity: Education and Lifelong Learning–Integrated Media” category. “Easy Maging Best Me” was developed in partnership with TBWA\SMP.