THE battle between two fast-food giants in the Philippines continued, as they dominated for the first time the YouTube Ads Leaderboard released last week by Google for the first half of 2018.
McDonald’s entry, titled “Kumusta Ka,” topped the list with the on-screen reunion of Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion after more than two decades.
Running almost one minute-and-a-half, the video shows the iconic love team of the 1980s catching up over a meal, stealing glances at each other, sharing smiles and enjoying the romance in the air.
“It’s always an honor for something like Youtube to appreciate the work that we do. But more than that, I guess for all those who followed this content, thank you very much. This couldn’t be possible without everyone’s help,” Golden Arches Development Corp. Marketing Manager Carlo Pocholo A. Perreras told the BusinessMirror in a sideline interview during the unveiling ceremony held at the Café Fiesta, Google Office in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
“#KwentongJollibee2018: Signs” came in second. With a theme about young love, this “feel-good” ad is one of the three-part series presented on Valentine’s Day by the Tony Tan Caktiong-led quick-service restaurant.
Both the archrivals took 6 of the 10 available slots with a selection of digital ads made for special occasions. Aside from claiming the No. 1 position, McDonald’s second entry “One Sweet Day” occupied the last spot. Jollibee’s “Status” and “Homecoming”bagged the fourth and fifth places. Meanwhile, “Alex Wassabi for Jolly Crispy Fries” was ranked sixth.
They also won the hearts of the media during the event. Kumusta Ka was feted with Kilig and Isa Pa Please awards, while Status received the Lola Basyang accolade.
“We’re very happy to be back in a big way. We’ve been blessed to be invited and to join the leaderboard. But this is the first time that the whole campaign for Kwentong Jollibee and Alex Wassabi that is product-based. And then, we got the special awards pa,” said Arline Adeva, AVP/head of public relations and Digital of Jollibee Foods Corp.
Akin to previous cycles, locally made ads sustained their popularity in the H1 2018 YouTube Ads Leaderboard.
While most of the videos were about romance, other selected digital ads also showcased diversity in their length and format.
“Cerelac Let’s Eat, Bulilit!” of Nestlé Philippines got the third spot; “Cutiespotting” of Unilever-Selecta Cornetto, seventh; “Si Vivoree, may bagging crush? Watch to know more!” of Smart-TNT, eighth; and “Heart to Heart with Kris: Entry #37 Stuck In Traffic with the Aquinos / Kris Aquino / The Aquinos” of P&G, ninth.
All the finalists also underscored how brands are maximizing YouTube to bring out their narratives and make these even more timely and relevant for local audiences.
“Ads are determined by an algorithm that factors in organic and paid views, watch time and audience retention,” explained Gabby Roxas, country marketing manager of Google Philippines.
“YouTube brings to the foreground the role and impact of brands in the lives of their audiences, and the YouTube Ads Leaderboard shows us the many ways this can be done. Great stories elicit that strong response from audiences, enough to make millions watch on and anticipate the next episodes brands have in store,” he added.