Holidays don’t always look traditional, especially when you’re celebrating far from home. It’s a truth familiar to millions of Filipinos, yet universal in resonance.
Jollibee’s 2025 Christmas campaign leans into that reality in a deliberate evolution of its long-held nostalgic playbook.
“We wanted to reflect how the Filipino family and the ways we celebrate have evolved,” said Dorothy Dee-Ching, VP and head of marketing at Jollibee Philippines, to Campaign Asia-Pacific. “The joy of Christmas feels complete not because of how traditional or perfect our family setup is, but because of the love and connection we share.”
That insight was the creative brief for agency Forsman & Bodenfors to shift away from the hyper-idealised festive tableaux toward slice-of-life realism.
Dee-Ching said, “Our goal wasn’t to move away from nostalgia but to evolve it. To show that the joy of being together endures, even as the definition of family grows broader and more inclusive. That’s the kind of truth that always resonates with Filipinos.
"Today’s audiences connect most deeply when they see themselves reflected in the story... in all their real, imperfect, and modern forms,” she added.
For a brand so deeply embedded in Filipino culture, departing from the glossy Christmas tropes comes with creative risks, particularly in a culture where family ties are sacred.
Internally, the team navigated sensitive discussions about how far to stretch the definition of family while staying true to the brand’s values. But Dee-Ching said one belief carried them through:
Every expression of love and togetherness deserves to be celebrated. Whether it’s single parents, frontliners forming kinship at work, couples with fur babies or balikbayans reuniting after years apart, these stories reflect Filipino life today.
Authenticity was the priority. “We believed that authenticity would make the emotion even stronger,” Dee-Ching said.
In a recessionary climate, where every marketing peso is scrutinised, CMOs can no longer rely on sentiment alone. For Dorothy Dee-Ching, the play on emotion is a commercial strategy in its own right.
“Emotion is not separate from business results but the bridge that drives them,” she tells Campaign.
When people see themselves in a story, she explained, the connection becomes powerful enough to influence real behaviour. “When people feel deeply connected to a brand, they don’t just remember it—they choose it, advocate for it, and return to it.”
That philosophy will determine the measurable impact of the campaign. The first benchmark of success is emotional resonance: whether Filipinos genuinely recognise their own lives, families, and struggles in the film. Next is cultural participation. So the measure of whether 'Buo ang Saya ng Pasko' enters the wider holiday vocabulary, shared across social conversations and personal stories. And finally, the hard metrics will be restaurant visits, sales lifts, and improvements in brand power.
Dee-Ching calls this the Return on Emotion, a framework she believes powers traditional ROI, especially in a year when families are looking for comfort and connection wherever they can find it.
CREDITS:
Client: Jollibee
Creative Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors Singapore
Executive Creative Director - Firrdaus Yusof
Senior Creatives - Frances Cabatuando, Sithum Walter
Designer - Yen Wee
Head of Strategy - Siddhant Lahiri
Senior Strategist - Uli Chan
Group Client Director - Adrian Ortiz
Senior Client Manager - Pixie Gan
Head of PR - Deborah Abraham
Senior Producer - Joshua Tan
Singapore Production House: Freeflow Productions Pte Ltd
Director - Roslee Yusof
Director of Photography - Mitch Ayers
Executive Producer - TzeNi Ong
Filipino Production House: TwoFold
Executive Producers - Mara Bernaldo and Lougie dela Cruz
Production Managers - Sheila Cusi and Glenda Mugol
