Philippines – Finance company Skyro’s Flexi-Billboards were first installed in a Philippine province, meant primarily to be seen by people in Davao. Yet it soon captured the eyes of Filipinos nationwide over social media.
The billboards, as seen in a viral post on social media, appear flexible as they adjust around physical barriers such as electrical poles. This concept of advertising agency GIGIL complements Skyro’s offer of flexible loans, showing a witty side of the brand.
In an exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, Alvin Adriano, GIGIL’s new associate creative director, talks about how the creative billboards sprung from a simple concept and propelled Skyro’s message to unexpectedly more audiences.
Resonating with audiences through clever yet simple execution
Big ideas can also be simple, as GIGIL and Skyro have proven in their collaboration. Alvin says simplicity has been at the core of developing the out-of-home (OOH) ads, from the brainstorming sessions to its execution.
“It all started with a strong foundational idea. The team developed the campaign tagline ‘Kami na mag-a-adjust’ or ‘We’ll adjust’, which is based on the brand benefit of Skyro Flexi Loans’ due dates and payment terms being adjustable. This provided us with multiple avenues to explore and play with,” Alvin said.
Building on the idea, Alvin shares how his team used Skyro’s intended message of being flexible in setting due dates as a springboard for its visuals.
“During brainstorming sessions, the team’s thought process was, ‘What are the day-to-day things we see in our surroundings that Skyro can adjust?’ From there, the team came up with multiple ideas and eventually narrowed it down to obstructions blocking billboards, a common occurrence in dense metro areas in the Philippines,” he explained.
The simple yet clever idea also proved to be an advantage in ensuring that Skyro’s target audience would seamlessly get the message.
“From the copy to the layout of the billboard, the team ensured it would be easily read and understood, removing any layers that could make our message confusing or difficult to comprehend,” he said.
Enhancing Skyro’s brand awareness
The purpose of all OOH campaigns is to reach a large number of audiences, but this number greatly increased for GIGIL and Skyro once the billboards transcended from the physical to the digital realm.
“Shortly after we put up the billboard, it caught the attention of a local Davaoeño, who took a photo of it and shared it on Facebook, where it quickly went viral,” Alvin said.
“Originally targeting Davaoeños, the campaign has now expanded its reach across the country. Now, Filipinos nationwide are aware of Skyro and their adjustable loan offerings,” he added.
However, GIGIL also picked up insights to improve on in the next campaign, based on the audiences’ response to viral social media posts.
“The team also learned that there are still Filipinos who are hesitant to avail themselves of a loan despite Skyro’s compelling and flexible offerings. The stigma surrounding loans could be something the brand can address in the next campaign,” he said.
In concluding the interview, Alvin leaves a message to other creatives in the industry looking to incorporate unique concepts in their ads.
“It’s important for the idea to be entertaining at its core, capturing people’s attention with the aim of having the material resonate with them and hopefully spark positive conversations. Additionally, they should also expose themselves to a variety of ads, using this as an inspiration to craft something truly unique and original—an ad that stands apart from anything that’s been done before,” he said.
With the campaign being able to connect with audiences in a remarkable way, GIGIL and Skyro’s collaboration serves as a reminder for marketers to explore new ways to send marketing messages, demonstrating the art and power of simplicity.