GIGIL is Making Advertising Magic in the Philippines Thanks to Co-Founders Herbert Hernandez and Badong Abesamis

Manila has no shortage of advertising agencies, from promising newcomers to branches of established giants. In a city teeming with creatives, it can be surprising to hear that one agency stands out from the crowd: GIGIL. Co-founded by Herbert Hernandez and Badong Abesamis, GIGIL has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the Asia Pacific (APAC). 

In March, the Financial Times released its annual list that ranks 500 high-growth companies throughout APAC, and GIGIL was one of only 11 Filipino companies to make the list. The majority of the list is still made up of tech companies, but rising revenues across Fintech, Financial, and Professional Services mean that a diverse range of companies is represented. GIGIL is the only advertising agency to be included on the list and comes in 30th out of 500. 

In the Philippines’ Growth Champions project, produced by the Philippine Daily Inquirer and international market research firm Statista, GIGIL landed squarely at #2 out of the Top 25 firms in the country as ranked by profit. The criteria to be included in the list were stringent and highly specific.

Inclusion in the project meant that a company achieved:

• Revenue of at least ₱5,000,000 in 2018
• Revenue of at least ₱30,000,000 in 2021
• Independence (acts as an independent entity in its business decisions and does not rely on parent or related companies for significant sales)
• Headquarters in the Philippines
• Primarily organic revenue growth between 2018 and 2021

Late in 2022, the Campaign Brief published the 20th year of The Work, which features the best and most creative advertising of the year from Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. GIGIL was able to retain its position as APAC’s #5 ad agency of the year, making it the company’s third straight year at that placement.

Based on its rating within The Work, GIGIL can be considered the #1 ad agency in the Philippines and #3 in all of Asia. Abesamis attributes GIGIL’s success to their “brave” clients, who are willing to sign on for innovative campaigns that push boundaries and start conversations.

GIGIL’s 36 acceptances into The Work included campaigns from brands like RC Cola, Choco Mani, Cheers, Orocan, Netflix, Jollibee, Allianz, DiskarTech, Silid Aralan, Push Pinas, Danes Cheese, Dole & Seasons, Accenture and the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines. 

Amazingly, every single GIGIL employee worked on at least one accepted entry into The Work, making it a true company-wide win. The universally strong team also earned a Bronze Lion in the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the second year they’ve won in the same category.

About Badong Abesamis

With more than 20 years of experience in marketing communications, Badong Abesamis brings expertise in writing to the creative team at GIGIL. Abesamis’ work has received hundreds of international and Filipino advertising honors and he has been contracted by the country’s biggest brands to create campaigns for them.

During his long career, Abesamis has held positions at Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett Manila, McCann, and TBWA. Prior to founding GIGIL with Hernandez, Abesamis was the Chief Creative Officer at Y&R Philippines, where his work helped the agency win its first Philippine Agency of the Year plates and Cannes Lions. Despite Y&R Philippines’ 30 years in the industry, it wasn’t until Abesamis’ tenure that these honors were earned. In 2016, his team won the Philippines its first APAC Effies medal.

Badong was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Creative Guild of the Philippines in 2010 and named its Chairman in 2016.

About Herbert Hernandez

Herbert Hernandez graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Santo Tomas, where he was first in his Advertising class. He was picked up by JWT Manila before being named Creative Director at DM9. He later moved on to Y&R Philippines, where he served as Executive Creative Director – and began to work with Abesamis.

With multiple wins at Cannes and the Spikes Festival of Creativity, Herbert Hernandez is a decorated advertising veteran. His team won Y&R its first Philippine Agency of the Year plates and the first APAC Effies gong for the Philippines.

Incredibly, Herbert Hernandez isn’t just an advertising rock star, but an actual rock star. He plays lead guitar and writes songs for Filipino bands Moonstar88 and 6cyclemind, both staples of the alternative rock/pop scene. He has won ‘Alternative Album of the Year’ and ‘Most Downloaded Song’ at the Awit Awards.

In 2017, Abesamis and Hernandez left Y&R Philippines, striking out on their own to form GIGIL. In the last five and a half years, they have achieved massive success by merging their complementary skill sets: Abesamis is a talented writer, and Herbert Hernandez supplies the visuals. Now, with a track record that precedes them, GIGIL enjoys the luxury of choosing from clients that seek them out. Always on the cutting edge, Hernandez and Abesamis are reaping the rewards of their risk-taking, making GIGIL both a critical darling and a fan favorite in the world of advertising.