myDSL’s ‘Screen-Age Love Story’ Most-awarded Phl campaign at Cannes

MANILA, Philippines - Reinforcing the fact that creativity sells, a huge international victory was granted to Ace Saatchi & Saatchi and PLDT Home  thanks to a campaign about strong digital connections leading to strong emotional connections for the family and home.

The Screen-Age Love Story campaign for its broadband brand myDSL, recognized locally as Anna Banana, won two Gold Cannes Lions under the Branded Content & Entertainment category for Best Use or Integration of Digital or Social Media, and Best Integrated Content Campaign.

This is the first time a Philippine campaign has ever won a Gold Lion in this category. It also won two Media Lions — a Silver for Best Use of Social Media and a Bronze for Commercial Public Services. 

With four Lions, this makes it the single most-awarded campaign to have come from the Philippines.

Held annually in Cannes, France, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is arguably the most prestigious gathering of creative communication leaders and representatives from all over the world. Many have dubbed it the “Oscars of the advertising industry.”

Prior to Cannes, myDSL also received trophies from the UA&P Tambuli Awards, Frost & Sullivan Philippine Excellence Awards, Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands and the IABC Philippine Quill Awards for creativity, marketing and best practices.

Screen-Age Love Story was developed by PLDT Home’s creative agency Ace Saatchi & Saatchi. It tells a lighthearted tale about teenage boy Derek S. Lorenzo whose heart was broken by his crush, despite his efforts to win her over with his YouTube video, Anna Banana. Strong family connections came into play when Derek’s mom, dad and sister decided to cheer him up by finding him a new crush. A nationwide search by the Lorenzo family and myDSL was conducted, involving real teenage girls who submitted their audition videos until a new girl was found.

The story convinced consumers that myDSL was more than a broadband service that offered fast Internet. It was the brand that gave families the strongest connections at home.

All in all, Screen-Age Love Story received over six million Youtube views, triple-trended on Twitter with over a million Tweet views and received P10M worth of free media and word-of-mouth promotion. Most significantly, myDSL achieved record-high applications and subscriptions. 

“On behalf of PLDT Home and our agency partners from Saatchi, we wish to express our gratitude for the recognition we received from Cannes,” commented Ariel Fermin, PLDT EVP and head of home business. “We’ve always approached our business as a cause, and we took it upon ourselves, as industry leaders, to lead the positive revolution of the Filipino families in embracing the role of technology in delivering the strongest connections at home. This is who we are, and what we stand for.”