The Philippines celebrates brand resilience and innovation during the pandemic

The Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA) recently held the first-ever virtual PANAta Awards for responsible and innovative brand building.

The theme of the 11^th edition was Pandayon – a combination of the words’ “padayon” (to continue) and “panday” (to craft or to mold) – to highlight the resilience, innovation and dedication of brands to help Filipinos and communities in need during the pandemic.

“Amidst this unique backdrop of the pandemic, it is imperative that brand communication not only deliver a functional and emotional message but also help address a bigger social purpose,” said PANAta jury head Ed Sunico, VP Communications for Southeast Asia, Unilever.

From nearly 200 entries received, McDonald’s Philippines took home the Grand PANAta Award for their emotional Mother’s Day campaign “The Story of Us”, honouring single mothers redefining the meaning of a happy family unit. The campaign also bagged the Gold award for Brand Bravery and the WFA-supported special award for Best in Brand Positioning.

PANA introduced a new award category “Gawad Pandayon” to recognise great examples of brand actions in response to Covid. The Ayala Group bagged the Authenticity Gold award for how the company helped Filipinos cope with the pandemic, while the Courage Gold award went to Nestlé Philippines brand Milo for their campaign “Home Court”, helping parents keep their children active and sporty at home with Milo’s online sports clinic and lessons.

Other winners include Procter & Gamble, Unilever, NutriAsia, Unilab, Splash Corporation, Bank of the Philippines Islands and Mega Global Corporation, among others. You can watch the PANAta awards show in full on PANA’s Facebook and Youtube channels.

For more information, contact PANA.