TNT, the value brand of PLDT mobile wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), won another gold award for its viral SIM Registration video, “Mother,” at ADFEST 2025, Asia’s renowned international festival of advertising creativity.
This year, it won the prestigious gold award in the Effective Lotus category, continuing its winning streak after grabbing the gold award in the Film Lotus category last year, besting around 200 entries.
Produced in collaboration with advertising agency GIGIL and production company Arcade Film Factory, the one-minute and 28-second video tells the story of a mother soaked in the rain outside their house because her family could not recognize her mobile number.
True to its brand essence, TNT’s campaign used absurd humor to encourage subscribers to register their SIMs, in accordance to SIM Registration Act, which was enacted to protect mobile phone users from spam and scam texts, which have become rampant since the pandemic.
ADFEST described the Effective Lotus category winner as “works that are not only creative, but also have significant and measurable impact.” The juries based the recognition on four criteria, including Creativity/Idea/Insight with 30%; Strategy with 15%; Execution with 15%; and Results with 40%.
Launched in April 2023, TNT’s SIM Registration campaign videos immediately gained over 100 million views across social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, with viewers organically sharing them for being “unskippable,” “creative,” and “funny”. Within just 10 days since the videos were posted, over 7 million subscribers registered their SIM, proving the campaign’s effectiveness.
A string of local and international awards
As of end-2024, TNT remains the biggest mobile brand in the Philippines with almost 35 million subscribers.
“We thank our colleagues in the marketing and advertising industry in the region for recognizing TNT’s efforts to inform and protect our customers,” said Lloyd R. Manaloto, FVP at Smart. “We share this accolade with our almost 35 million subscribers who continue to put their trust in TNT,” he added.
TNT’s back-to-back ADFEST gold awards adds to its string of local and international recognition for the campaign’s creativity and effectiveness. It bagged a gold in Stevies 2024; silver awards at the 2024 APAC Effie Awards, Kidlat Awards 2024, and Boomerang 2023 Awards; crystal awards in South Korea’s MAD Stars 2023; and a bronze in Tambuli 2024.
Moreover, the campaign won the ‘Force for Good’ Award in the 2024 YouTube Works Awards Philippines and was cited as Best Ad of the Week by Bestads. The viral video was also shortlisted at the prestigious New York Festivals 2023 Advertising Awards.
The ADFEST 2025 Effective Lotus gold award is another milestone for TNT, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Aptly called “AniberSaya 25,” TNT lives true to its promise of being the people’s mobile brand as it caters to the mobile needs of ordinary Filipinos through its superior mobile network, affordable and value-packed data offers, and fun-filled experiences.