Philippines – Jollibee has been known for its heartwarming ‘Kwentong Jollibee’ (Jollibee story) series, its brand of short films that stirs audiences’ emotions through its relatable stories. Part of the appeal of the narratives is that they are inspired by true events – human stories by ordinary people.
This time, the top fast-food chain is taking a different route. For its latest ‘Kwentong Jollibee’ film which will be launched tomorrow, 15 October, it decided to bring front and center the story of a national personality – the first-ever Olympic gold medalist in the Philippines, Hidilyn Diaz, who recently brought pride to the country in the Tokyo Olympics.
Diaz attained the victory last July 2021 in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 for the sport weightlifting, besting countries China and Kazakhstan. From the momentous win, the untold story of the hardships she went through in training and in life came into the spotlight, and this is what Jollibee aims to immortalize through its latest short film titled ‘Ginto’.
Unveiled in a media launch Thursday, 14 October, Jollibee aimed through a creative narration to tell the story of Diaz – both her immediate journey leading to the gold medal and her humble beginnings before she became every Filipino’s pride today.
Partnering with a young actress who portrays Diaz, the film showed how Diaz grew her simple dream as a young girl to the national pride today that has now been imprinted in the country’s history. The film showed how Diaz used to work with improvised barbells in native gyms and also the experience she’s had in Malaysia just before the Tokyo Olympics 2020, where she found herself going back to dealing with improvised training due to limitations brought by the pandemic.
Francis Flores, JFC Philippines’ country and regional marketing head and Jollibee Philippines’ marketing head, said, “For Hidilyn, the road to gold at the Olympics has been full of ups and downs but what’s incredibly powerful about her story is that it brings the message of not giving up and working hard for your dreams.”
Flores adds, “Aside from being proudly Pinoy, Hidilyn embodies positive values that we at Jollibee also stand for. We are very proud to welcome her to the Jollibee family.”
The film also marks Diaz’s signing with Jollibee as an official ambassador.
Translated from Filipino, Diaz commented, “Of course I feel honored to be a part of the Jollibee family because when you say Jollibee, it’s a trademark for Filipino. As I was growing up, Jollibee has already been there and now that my life story is now part of ‘Kwentong Jollibee’, that’s a big thing for me.”
She adds, “I am very happy that my story will be able to give inspiration to every Filipino especially during the pandemic.”
The film was developed together with creative agency McCann Worldgroup Philippines, who hopes that the new ‘Kwentong Jollibee’ would make a mark in the hearts of Filipinos just as its previous works have.
“The Kwentong Jollibee films have always been about hugot feelings. It capitalizes on making the Filipinos cry, laugh, go ‘awww’ by using unexpected story narratives about romance, family, and relationships. In this new ‘Kwentong Jollibee’, we tried to capture a different kind of hugot – the feeling of pride for the accomplishment of a fellow Filipino,” said NJ Mijares, creative director of McCann Worldgroup Philippines.
Narratives of ‘Kwentong Jollibee’ usually revolve around commemorative themes such as Valentine’s Day and Independence Day. The fast-food chain has also launched in May its first-ever global campaign with a story set in the future, narrating the story of a migrant Filipino family in New York City to send across the message of hope.
Everyone can catch the premiere of Hidilyn Diaz’s special Kwentong Jollibee film on Jollibee’s official Facebook page and Jollibee Studios YouTube channel beginning 15 October.
