Manila, Philippines – Following the global rollout of the much-awaited fast-food collaboration of McDonald’s and K-pop group BTS for their limited-time meal combo, the PH social media saw a trend surgeon the collab, with a mix of both the positive and the negative side of trends, new insights from media intelligence and insights business Isentia shows.

Trend-wise, the social buzz on the collaboration, or the number of times a particular term is used online, totaled 33,330 from 11 June to 25 June where 32% of those buzz words, approximately 10,563, were seen during the launch day.

“BTS’s influence and popularity is undeniable. They have cultivated more than a loyal fanbase – they have created advocates who are more than willing to defend them and all-out express their admiration and support for them. For companies and brands, it is important to understand at what level your customers are,” said Victoria Lazo, insights manager at Isentia Philippines.

Part of the popularity of the ‘BTS x McDo’ meal collaboration can be attributed to the creative upcycle featuring the BTS x McDo meal coming from ‘ARMYs’ or BTS fans online. For instance, many fans are collecting the meal combo’s packaging and are posting it online, while some get creative and repurpose them such as tumbler wrapping or a bag.

https://twitter.com/98tigerMac/status/1406891218768842752

One social media buzz that also contributed to the hype was a fan tweet that showed the Iloilo Business Park lighting up in violet colors, the attributed color of BTS, in celebration of the much-awaited McDonald’s meal collaboration.

https://twitter.com/IloIlo_ARMY/status/1404780837288103937

There is no shortage as well of creative ‘spin-offs’ from the online community regarding custom meal collaborations, featuring artists such as Taylor Swift, Sarah Geronimo, and Regine Velasquez.

https://twitter.com/RvinXXXtian/status/1406588547356712960

Lastly, stories of inspiration from the community also further augmented the hype, as for the instance of one foodpanda driver in the country, who expressed gratitude on social media because of the constant influx of BTS x McDo meal delivery orders. In response, ARMYs raised in total PHP45,230 to donate to the said delivery rider, thanking him for his hard work.

“Over the years, brands have taken advantage of the positive impact of celebrity endorsements on consumers’ purchase behavior. Tapping prominent personalities, as well as social media influencers, has been a staple marketing strategy used by companies to create waves to promote brand awareness, shape perception, or push for brand loyalty,” said Kate Dudang, insights manager at Isentia Philippines.

Despite the positive outlook of said campaign, there has been a relative fall-out within the local sphere, including customers who purposely crumpled the packaging of the meal and posted it on social media.

Infamously, the term ‘biot’, or the Cebuano term for gay, was used by a lot of ‘haters’ and ‘trolls’ in a negative way to equate them with BTS. Caught within the issue as well are several Grab delivery riders, who posted on social media the homophobic remarks.

It should be recalled that Grab Philippines recently published a statement, stating that they have suspended the drivers in question and are working towards enforcing their culture of inclusivity within the company.

Despite these fall-offs, the campaign still went on actively, with McDonald’s Philippines offering customers exclusive BTS content on their own app, as well as free drink upgrades to those who ordered the BTS meal via Ride-Thru. The fast-food chain in the country also convinced fans to eat the BTS meal with fellow fans by only charging 7 PHP per address to those who order for others. 

https://twitter.com/McDo_PH/status/1411550343264182273

“What BTS did with the BTS meal is beyond product interaction, we analysts saw an amazing display of dedication from the ARMY. This display of brand dedication opens up many avenues for other brands to capitalize on certain trends and personas. From preserving the packaging and turning it into different BTS-themed items to outright uninstalling delivery courier services apps for calling BTS slurs. But with all that said, calling the ARMY ‘just a fandom will forever be an understatement,” said Francis Calucin, insights analyst at Isentia Philippines.

Korean pop music or most commonly known as ‘K-pop’ has now become a global force to be reckoned with, despite its relative local roots in South Korea. Part of the rising popularity of K-pop nowadays can be attributed to frequent use of social media. Data from Twitter shows that K-pop stars averaged 1.2 tweets per day by second-generation stars, 3.5 tweets per day by third-generation stars, and seven tweets per day by fourth-generation stars. The latter also tweeted 5.8 times more than second-generation stars, and two times more than third-generation stars.

With the combination of global popularity of these groups and the evident presence across social media channels, it is no wonder that a lot of brands, both locally and globally, have tapped into the growing popularity of K-pop groups to be their respective brand ambassadors.

There have been countless examples across the globe of the rising number of K-pop brand ambassadors, ranging from automotive brand Hyundai, insurance brand Prudential, to local brands such as Philippine telcos Globe and Smart, and more recently, global fast-food chain McDonald’s.

Looking at these brand ambassador examples, most of them have unified reasons as to why they chose to tap into K-pop groups: bringing favorite groups closer to the brands’ consumer base, while integrating the K-Pop group’s trademark into the brand’s objective into being customer-centric. 

And while this seems like a positive message for brands to delve into, some customers feel like brands should instead focus on improving their services rather than tapping into K-pop brand ambassadors. For instance, insights provided by media intelligence and insights company Isentia unveiled that Filipino customers shared their concern about Philippine telcos tapping into K-pop ambassadors.

With these seemingly divided thoughts from brands and consumers, it begs the question: are K-pop brand ambassadors the new way for brand representation, or is it merely a ploy of some to garner traction and relevancy?

For our first-ever deep dive under The Inner State, MARKETECH APAC’s feature series, we spoke with four public relations industry leaders: Li Ting Ng, director of innovation and client experience at DEVRIES Global in Singapore; Sailesh Wadhwa, chief strategist at Edelman Malaysia; Andrew Sha, managing director at RedTorch Communications in the Philippines; and Elya Eusoff, general manager at Ruder Finn Asia Malaysia, to once and for all, get their take on the tipping point for brands realizing the impact of K-pop brand ambassadors, and how integrating them can affect the overall health of their brand; their brand value and reputation.

K-pop brand ambassadors: why them instead of local ones?

According to Li Ting Ng of DEVRIES Global, part of the growing trend of K-pop brand ambassadors can be attributed to the fact that prior to its global expansion, K-pop stars have long been tapped by Korean brands themselves to be their front for both their local and global campaigns. However, with the spread of the so-called ‘Hallyu’ or ‘Korean wave’, there had been a steadfast rise of non-Korean brands finally hopping into the K-pop brand ambassador scene.

And with the now evident mainstream success of K-pop globally, Ng also noted that non-Korean brands tapping into the bandwagon can be highly likened to the phenomenon of roping in Western figures, like a Hollywood A-lister actor or actress who have been signed as a brand ambassador.

Such global recognition of these brand ambassadors, Ng notes, can now help brands be able to streamline their brand campaigns to a much wider and global scale.

“In addition, as the world is increasingly connected across geographies, consumers do not distinguish between what the brand does in different markets. Therefore, everything consumers come across from a brand – whether online or offline – contributes to their overall brand perception,” she stated.

This is also agreed upon by Elya Eusoff from Ruder Finn Asia Malaysia, which, according to him, further stamps the brand’s quality of their products or services, and therefore linking the brand to be labeled as ‘international’ and ‘of quality’.

In an example given by Eusoff, he compares K-pop brand ambassadors to the fact that Malaysian brands have also tapped international celebrities in order to add recognition and relevance to their brand. For instance, athlete Usain Bolt was used to signify connection speed with Malaysian telco Celcom, while football player Roberto Carlos was showcased by AirAsia to signify ‘the possibilities of daring to dream, among many other similar partnerships. 

But perhaps, the most notable reason for the rise of these K-pop brands: the growing demographic of K-pop fans, which are well known to start large-scale fandoms. Ng notes that K-pop fandom is one unique asset within the K-pop scene, which in turn is a great opportunity for brands to tap into to grow their consumer base.

Sailesh Wadhwa of Edelman Malaysia also agreed to the aforementioned statement, noting that the heightened interest in K-pop groups can be hugely chalked up to the fact that the genre being a source of positivity for millions of fans worldwide, which pushes brands to think of innovative ways to incorporate the same cheer and positivity through their desired collaborations.

Meanwhile, Andrew Sha of RedTorch Communications also affirms the belief in seeing K-pop fans being the strength for brands tapping into K-pop stars, stating that long before ‘Hallyu’ became globally known, K-pop has been a dominant genre of interest across Southeast Asian nations, including Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. He also noted that with K-pop fans providing a large purchasing power in support of their idols, it is no wonder that brands can also leverage this to generate engagement and sales.

Will riding the K-pop brand ambassador wave work always?

For Sha, brands hopping into the K-pop wave “will work,” as long as it is done right. Sha uses the example of photo cards, a well-known merchandise among K-pop fans, and he notes that buyers from both the brand’s home country and overseas will try to get hold of the product as long as it is relatable and appealing to them because they want to support their idol. 

However, there are mixed thoughts about the effectiveness of K-pop brand ambassadors, as Eusoff states that while a K-pop affiliation may bring value to the brand, they would still need to adhere to their core values from a corporate aspect, and not just merely ‘riding’ the trend, which in turn can bring a negative impact to their existing customers. 

Wadhwa also agrees with this reasoning, stating that while having K-pop brand ambassadors can have brands offer its customers a piece of the pop group’s existing story and persona, there is still a critical point brands should take into consideration, or else it only ends up as an ‘opportunistic tactic’ by the brand, which does not add up genuinely to the brand’s value.

Furthermore, Ng supports this reasoning by noting that brands should also take into consideration the proper affinity of the brand and the group they are pitching to be their front. She also added that just because K-pop has an international following or any related group, for that matter, doesn’t mean brands should immediately jump into this endeavor. Rather, they should ask themselves the purpose of the brand ambassador’s appointment, whether it is for the longer run or merely just to get a boost of attention and sales.

“We have seen many instances of K-pop collaborations resulting in products selling out almost instantly for the latter. However, while you may achieve short-term sales and buzz, it is important to question whether these consumers support their K-pop idols or support the brand or products,” Ng stated.

Tipping the pros and cons of K-pop brand ambassadors

Content, gamification, and activation or pure engagement: this sums up what unique experiences brands should apply as with any brand ambassador, according to Wadhwa.

“We’d like to view them as creative collaborations. And the best natural fit aside from values, personality and talent attraction fit, is their willingness to curate unique experiences for your brand. Given their currency with the audiences we intend to connect with, the brand story needs to have a natural fit, else we run the risk of being left out from the romance,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Eusoff notes that the factors of global link and reach to a much wider audience, as well as the possibility of faster and higher impact results are some of the advantages of tapping K-pop brand ambassadors. This was agreed upon by Sha, who added that factors such as increase in return of investment (ROI) and the brand being the front and center of buzz online or offline gives the brand an advantage to win some brand love. 

On the other hand, almost all of the public relation leaders agreed that extremely expensive fee and strict rules in engagement are the main factors that pose a low point for a brand seeking a K-pop brand ambassador, with Sha adding that one wrong move from the brand would result in immediate backlash from the fans, and Ng adding that the K-pop brand ambassador could potentially outshine the brand and its product or service being offered.

Pointers to ponder for brands venturing into the K-pop brand ambassador space

Both Sha and Eusoff agree that in order to truly work out a K-pop star-brand partnership, there should be questions considered regarding the relevance of the group to the consumers, as well as on the match of the K-pop star’s story and persona against what the brand truly embodies. 

Wadhwa agrees with this as well, stating that in addition to the science and rigor of choosing an ambassador is ticking the boxes on ROI metrics where the real question to ask is – what would the brand’s role going to be when these stars are romancing their audiences.

Meanwhile, Ng’s stance is for brands to take a precautionary route, noting that with issues emerging from the industry such as perpetuating toxic beauty standards, bullying, and its notorious training boot camps and contracts, brands should ask themselves how they should align themselves with the groups or idols they desire to work with.

“If you’ve decided that engaging a K-pop ambassador would benefit your brand, it’s key to recognize that K-pop talents and groups are brands of their own. Choosing the biggest and most popular talent or group may not necessarily add value to your brand, especially if it becomes all about your K-pop ambassador rather than your brand,” she concluded.

Singapore – Air conditioning brand Close Comfort, which has a presence in Australia, Singapore, Pakistan, and Indonesia, has recently launched a new character to represent its brand – ‘Ooh’. 

With Ooh, Close Comfort adds to their beloved mascot family a cartoon character that they aim to appeal to children as to provide an easily recognizable character to customers. 

Close Comfort is a personal air conditioning startup, founded in Australia by veteran engineer and researcher, Professor James Trevelyan. Close Comfort’s main proposition is sustainability – with the mission to provide environmentally friendly cooling solutions. 

Ooh is set to become a familiar face all around Singapore as he appears in Close Comfort’s advertisements. 

The story behind Ooh’s pancake-flat face is its fondness of pressing its nose against store windows in the hope of getting a look at Close Comfort’s nifty units. Over time, it starts to look more and more like the unit itself.

Close Comfort’s CEO and Director James Trevelyan commented that he is thrilled to finally be able to introduce Ooh to their audiences. 

“Ooh is not just the embodiment of our unit but also for all we stand for – sustainable cooling. We hope to reach out to many more families and help them keep cool and comfortable in an affordable yet sustainable way,” said Trevelyan.

Manila, Philippines – As the Philippine arm of e-commerce platform Lazada celebrates the middle of this year, they have recently appointed Philippine actor Alden Richards as its latest brand ambassador, which coincides with Lazada’s upcoming ‘6.6 Mid-Year Sale’ happening from 6 to 8 June.

Richards, who is recently signed as an actor to Philippine media network GMA, is best known for his multiple roles on Filipino television, including as on-screen partner of Philippine actress Maine Mendoza on the popular TV segment ‘Juan For All, All For Juan’ on noontime show ‘Eat Bulaga’. Aside from his roles on TV series such as ‘Ilustrado’, ‘Victor Magtanggol’, and ‘Destined to be Yours’, he is also a recording artist, entrepreneur, and online gaming streamer.

“I am very grateful to be a part of the Lazada family. I had the opportunity to work with them for their Birthday Super Sale last March, and I loved how everyone was just so excited and engaged. I’m definitely looking forward to this year’s 6.6,” the actor stated.

Meanwhile, Neil Trinidad, chief marketing officer of Lazada Philippines, commented, “We are half-way through the year and as we kick-off our 6.6 Mid-Year Sale with Alden, Lazada wants to turn this shopping festival into an opportunity to re-ignite hope and inspiration. We hope that our customers will continue to celebrate making it this far and finding ways to thrive during a very challenging time.”

Richards joins other local brand ambassadors of Lazada in the current lineup such as local actress Kathryn Bernardo, Philippine pop group SB19, and social media star Mimiyuuuh

The upcoming Lazada 6.6 Mid-Year Sale will allow shoppers in the Philippines to join, play, and stand to win ₱10m worth of vouchers and prizes on Lazada’s ‘6.6 Game-Game Super Show! 6.6 Sa Premyo at 6.6 Sa Saya’ this 5 June at 10:15PM, which will be livestreamed on LazLive on the Lazada app and GMA Network, and will be hosted by the whole lineup of Lazada Philippines’ brand ambassadors.

Manila, Philippines – As the company maintains its growth momentum for its financial results of the first quarter this year, China-based online education platform 51Talk has tapped the talents of top Philippine celebrity Maine Mendoza as its first-ever celebrity brand ambassador in the country

Mendoza has been a well-known television personality in the Philippines, most notably for her appearance as ‘Yaya Dub’ in the variety and public service segment ‘Juan For All, All For Juan’ of popular noontime show ‘Eat Bulaga’, which aired on GMA Network. She has been recognized as the most tweeted Filipino celebrity in the world in 2017, and enjoys wide influence on the internet, earning her title as the ‘Social Media Queen’.

“51Talk has the best training systems so whether you’ll be teaching full time or part time, you will be ready to hold classes in the comforts of your home in no time,” the 26-year-old actress said.

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Announced last 12 May Mendoza’s 51Talk ambassadorship has become a trending topic among Filipino netizens, with the hashtag #MaineFor51Talk trending on Twitter, reaching more than 30,000 tweets in the Philippines.

“Maine Mendoza is a well-known Filipino actress and social media influencer. Her appointment can further strengthen our brand recognition in the country. I look forward to continuing to execute our mission to deliver long term benefits to all stakeholders,” said Jack Jiajia Huang, founder, chairman and CEO at 51Talk.

Mendoza’s stint comes as 51Talk celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. 

At the annual strategic meeting held in Beijing last March, 51Talk announced plans to build a comprehensive yet tailor-made English education system, while committing to empowering its learners with qualified teaching resources and teachers.

In addition to the platform’s fiscal success, 51Talk has also achieved national-level recognition for its efforts over the past years in promoting Sino-Philippine people-to-people exchanges.

“Remarkably, our net revenues from K12 one-on-one mass market offering grew 36.0 percent compared to first quarter last year,” Huang said, adding that the performance was mainly driven by an increase in the number of active students.

To date, the number of active students reached 393,000, which is a 37 percent increase compared to the same period in 2020.

Mumbai, India – McDonald’s India has announced that Indian actress Rashmika Mandanna is the fast food chain’s new brand ambassador for its key advertising campaigns, especially in West and South India.

Mandanna has been featured in various Telugu and Kannada films such as ‘Kirik Party’, ‘Sarileru Neekevvaru’, ‘Geetha Govindam’, and ‘Dear Comrade’. She also currently has a total of 15 million followers on Instagram, making her a household name and a popular face among millennials, especially in the Southern states of the country.

“McDonald’s has been one of my favorite brands since I was a kid. I’d literally lived on McDonald’s when I was in college. When they reached out to me for this association, I was absolutely thrilled! I am delighted to represent a brand that is passionate about serving yummy food with great quality to its consumers,” Mandanna stated regarding her appointment as brand ambassador.

She added, “McDonald’s has been serving Indian consumers for 25 years and counting now and is definitely a preferred choice across all age groups. I am really excited about my partnership with such an amazing and trusted brand.”

Meanwhile, Arvind RP, director for marketing and communications at McDonald’s India (West and South) said, “We are delighted to have Rashmika onboard. She is someone who connects strongly with millennials and is a popular youth icon.”

Mandanna, popularly known as the ‘National Crush’ has expressed her love for food through her social media handles, on several occasions. Rashmika will be a part of key brand campaigns and will play a pivotal role in enhancing ‘brand love’ for McDonald’s across key markets.

Singapore – ECOVACS ROBOTICS, a home service robotics maker, has tapped K-drama actor Hyun Bin to be its newest ambassador for its five market countries: Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The partnership with Hyun Bin is a perfect representation of the new theme for the ECOVACS’ full range of home service robotics, “The Best Just Got Better”. As an influential artist in Asia, Hyun Bin imbues a sense of courage, constantly challenging himself to try multi-faceted characters. Together, ECOVACS and Hyun Bin aim to show a mutual belief of always challenging ourselves to pursue a better tomorrow, regardless of our current achievements.

Highly popular in South Korea, Japan, China, and countries in Southeast Asia. Hyun Bin is a household name known for his starring roles in many Korean films and television dramas such as ‘Memories of the Alhambra’ rising to popularity through the recently produced ‘Crash Landing on You’. 

ECOVACS believes appointing Hyun Bin as ambassador will further enhance brand image and strengthen brand reputation in Asia-Pacific region.

“Hyun Bin is popular across Asia. If you’ve seen his films and TV shows, he exudes an air of confidence, warmth, elegance and comfort. ECOVACS also believes in elegant design, of being in trend and confident in our ability to give customers the warmth and comfort they expect from our products,” said David Qian, chief executive officer at ECOVACS ROBOTICS.

He added, “We’re proud to have Hyun Bin on board as our brand ambassador, and play a part in our strategy to strengthen the emotional connection between our brand and users.”

The upcoming collaboration campaign with Hyun Bin will be part of the upcoming grand launches of their home cleaning robot products namely DEEBOT T9 and DEEBOT N8 PRO. The collaboration will include a series of TVC ads and digital campaigns as well.

Manila, Philippines – Two of Philippines’ telco giants Globe and Smart have been continuously tapping Korean superstars for the past year, and this time the rival has just been taken up a notch. 

On Monday, Smart Communications shocked Filipino fans by unveiling its new ambassador, K-pop group and global superstars BTS across its social media platforms. This comes shortly after telco Globe revealed K-pop girl group Blackpink as its new endorser. 

BTS will be headlining Smart’s campaign this year, ‘Live Smarter, Live with Purpose’.

Smart has been aggressive in the past months roping in Korean entertainment stars as part of their expanding network of brand ambassadors, including 2020 K-drama “Crash Landing On You” stars Hyun Bin and Son Ye-Jin in May and August last year respectively and Korean actor Park Seo-Joon in October last year as well.

Considered to be one of the most influential groups in the K-pop scene, BTS has been known for sending a timely message of comfort and hope to fans everywhere through their music.

Formed in 2010, BTS is composed of an all-boys ensemble Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, and are best known for their hit songs ‘Mic Drop’, ‘Fake Love’, ‘Blood, Sweat & Tears’ and their English single ‘Dynamite’.

“Aside from their remarkable talent, BTS emerged as the biggest band in the world because of their meaningful and uplifting music that brings hope and encouragement to fans especially in the bleakest of times. It is, therefore, a big honor to welcome BTS to the Smart family so we may inspire more Filipinos to find purpose in everything they do and ultimately live Smarter for a Better World,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, Smart president and CEO.

“Just like BTS who are able to inspire millions of young people all over the world through their music, Smart Prepaid aims to bring about amazing experiences to the Filipino youth through technology to make life easy, fast, and simple. This way, the young generation is empowered to immerse in their interests and succeed with their pursuits,” said Jane J. Basas, SVP and consumer wireless business head at Smart.

BTS’ campaign with smart is set to be released by the first quarter of the year, centered around the theme of ‘passion with purpose’.

Manila, Philippines – The Philippine arm of e-commerce platform Lazada has announced that Philippine pop group SB19 is the brand’s newest brand ambassador in the country.

The all-boys group, composed of five members Sejun, Stell, Josh, Justin, and Ken, will join existing Lazada brand ambassadors actress Kathryn Bernardo, and social media star Jeremy Sancebuche, also known as ‘Mimiyuuuh’.

The group SB19 is known for their tracks “Alab”, “Go Up” and “Hanggang Sa Huli”.

“We are very honored and happy to now be part of the Lazada family. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to represent the brand we truly admire,” SB19 stated in Lazada Philippines’ press statement.

The new brand ambassadors will premiere on Lazada Philippines’ ongoing campaign #NasaLazadaYan, where they will join fellow brand ambassador Mimiyuuuh on January 20 for the launch of Lazada Philippines’ music video of the campaign.

“With their vibrant, encouraging, and unique individual personalities, SB19 definitely lends their energetic and fresh youth to our already dynamic roster of Lazada Ambassadors in the Philippines. We hope that our customers would also be inspired by the band’s enthusiasm and passion,” said Neil Trinidad, Lazada Philippines’ chief marketing officer

The newest marketing campaign encourages online shoppers of the platform to shop conveniently for the best products, price points, brands, and sellers through Lazada’s smart ranking where suggested products are ranked based on the preference and experiences of millions of shoppers, as well as Lazada’s unique personalization technology where relevant products are recommended based on the shopper’s search behavior.

“With shopping behaviors of Filipinos dramatically shifting online since the onset of the pandemic, Lazada remains committed to providing the best service and shopping experience to our customers. With Nasa Lazada Yan, we want to provide Filipinos the ease of finding what they need to tackle their to-do lists all with the help of the Lazada app,” Trinidad added.

Manila, Philippines – China-based game developer Moonton has tapped Filipino professional boxer Manny Pacquiao to become the new face of the company’s game, Mobile Legends.

The campaign started out with a teaser on Mobile Legends’ YouTube channel, where the video shows boxing material elements like boxing gloves and punching bags, with an announcer voice-over revealing the new collaboration with “The fighting pride of the Philippines.”  

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The teaser uploaded by Mobile Legends on November 13, hinting the inclusion of another in-game hero (Video Courtesy of Mobile Legends YouTube channel)

In a virtual press conference, Pacquiao shared his excitement with the new partnership, and took note of the growth of the local esports community.

“It is an amazing experience [since] I have seen how much the esports community in the Philippines has grown [and] how much the gaming community has embraced Mobile Legends Bang Bang, and with their skills, have elevated the game,” Pacquiao stated.

He added, “The dedication, the focus, the hard work that comes with building skills–these are present both in [actual] sports and esports. More importantly, that drive to succeed and conquer, as well as the spirit of camaraderie and fairness are also key threads binding the two.”

The recent company move is in line with its ongoing Project NEXT initiative, which seeks to provide “revamp” of the game’s original characters and improving them. As part of the campaign, Mobile Legends is launching a new hero based on Manny Pacquiao called “Paquito” which features boxing skills, with “damage” and “chase” specialty.

A Mobile Legends gameplay featuring the new “Paquito” hero, resembling Manny Pacquiao (Video Courtesy of OzaRess YouTube channel)

“Playing Mobile Legends has become a daily routine to all the [Filipinos]. The Philippine culture also provides a steady stream for the inspiration of in-game updates and collaborations,” William Mei, marketing manager of Moonton stated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6InxBaL_WM