It is not a mere assumption to say that the Omnicom-IPG merger has changed the trajectory of the advertising landscape. To cope, some agencies have rewritten names and identities, and a few battled for independence.
If one came to think that TREYNA’s rebranding last December ended there, the group has since returned with another surprise on a platter: unveiling a new brand identity inspired by the Philippine flag.
The design draws from 1978—the year Lintas was founded—taking cues from Filipino comics, hand-painted billboards, and the broader pop culture and design landscape. These influences have been reinterpreted through a contemporary lens, incorporating bold primary colours and halftone elements to reflect the group’s values of courage, curiosity, and a distinctly ‘kulit’ (playful) spirit.
As Leigh Reyes, TREYNA Creative Chair, said in an intimate speech, “Our culture is important because it is this culture that informs the work that many other people will see…It comes from a culture that used to be about populist creativity, meaning work that pleases many, that evolved into what we call the challenger culture, which was never take the status quo as is.”
In this exclusive feature, we spoke to TREYNA Group Chairman and CEO Mike Trillana and Chief Creative Officer Abi Aquino on how the new tagline ‘Curiosity, Courage, and Culit (Playfulness)’ captures the agency’s evolving identity while reinforcing its long-held challenger mindset.
The challenger mindset
When asked how the rebranding came to mind, Abi earnestly mentioned that it came in panic, but is clothed in ‘a palpable want’.
“It just so happened that the things that these new worldviews were proposing were very aligned to who we were and how we behaved on a day-to-day basis. So we’ve kept the stuff that still reflected who we are, the challenger mindset,” said Abi.
What came in as a new addition to this existing mindset, according to Abi, was the new tagline itself.
Pondering on what makes them a little different from other agencies, Abi shared how innately curious they are as an agency, and how they are additionally ‘kulit’ (playful).
“We’re very comfortable living in a state of contradiction. That’s why there’s a section that goes, matulis na mababaw, mabait na gagi (sharp but shallow, kind troublemaker).”
Rebrand after another rebrand, when asked how they consider consistency as an agency, Abi highlighted how they need ‘the face’.
“I think with advertising, in our industry, the brand lives the most in the people, the culture, and the work. Yes, identity—we need the face—but the consistency is there because we make sure everybody’s on the same page and fights for the same things, and stands for the same results.”
Talking about their new logo and visual direction, Abi recalled the 1970s, when Filipino comics came onto the scene.
“And then how do we now reflect the values that we have of being curious, being brave, having a challenger mindset?… That’s represented in both colours. The halftone, the polka dots. The polka dots are the makulit (playful) part, the curious part. It’s—oh God—if you’re curious, if you are a design element, you will be polka dots,” mentioned Abi.
Looking ahead to their 48th company anniversary this September, Abi also highlighted how the people in the company are basically their north star.
“I’m excited about our leaders…The current batch of leaders that we have, I feel, is the best iteration of our generation. I’m excited because we’ve cast them in their very specific roles. We have dreams for them, and we feel that, oh my God, this person is going to rock. It’s going to be hard, but he’s going to rock it.”
Despite these new recalls, Abi also underscored ways of navigating AI into their systems. Agency-wide, they shared that their aim is to encourage experimentation across the board.
“We’ve been actively experimenting and beta testing with systems and programmes for that…Meaning both front of the house and back of the house. And really trying to figure out where AI is most relevant and most impactful. So to be clear, we don’t see AI as a reason to downsize the agency.”
As the agency approaches its 50th anniversary in 2028, TREYNA emphasises evolution over legacy, focusing on future opportunities rather than its past achievements.
Reintroducing TREYNA PR
Alongside creative output, TREYNA has expanded its capabilities into public relations, brand activation, performance marketing, user experience and interface design, and content production, supported by three acquisitions in the past eight years. With this, their PR unit, for Mike, has been their biggest growth driver.
“What I love is that they probably represent most of our legacy of non-complacency. So, if you look at our numbers now, 40% of our revenue did not exist, or came from services and capabilities that did not exist eight years ago. And the biggest shining example of that is PR,” Mike explained.
Mike also shared the importance of PR in communication campaigns, as the media landscape right now, he highlighted, has become fragmented.
“There’s no more free TV, or limited inventory. Everybody’s going social first. And inevitably, when you say social first, that’s the domain already of PR. There’s no social without KOL, without PR. So that’s why we felt strongly that it was absolutely necessary for us to do that.”
Besides these new ventures, TREYNA has consistently prioritised cultural resonance in its campaigns, from Selecta Cornetto’s “Hanggang saan aabot ang P20 mo?” to Fita’s “Sportscar, Yung Red!” and Purefoods’ “Goodbye, Carlo”. Its work has also become embedded in Filipino daily life, for instance with the phrase “We’ve Got It All for You” at SM Malls.
As TREYNA moves closer to its 50th year, its latest rebrand signals not just a visual refresh, but a continued commitment to adaptation in a rapidly shifting industry. By reinforcing its challenger mindset while expanding into new capabilities, the agency positions itself to remain relevant—balancing legacy with the demands of an increasingly fragmented and digital-first landscape.
