Philippine Airlines awards creative business to DDB

Philippine Airlines (PAL) called a pitch last year for a creative agency to manage a handful of projects, including those related to its 70th anniversary celebrations this year.

With the win, DDB Philippines will provide PAL with end-to-end business solutions focusing on advertising to strengthen the airline's market position and drive business. 

"We want the Filipino to fall in love with PAL again. This goes beyond advertising because it involves all customer touchpoints which we are working closely with PAL to improve and to harness. After not being aggressive in marketing for some time, we want to develop solutions that would bring them back to where they were before the low-cost airlines came to play," said DDB Philippines managing director Roy Santiago on the agency's plans for the airline.

Santiago explained that the agency's relationship with PAL started through a business consultancy engagement. "We proposed a business solution for them that leveraged on the strengths and assets of the airline that would allow them to achieve their business goals. We prepared a roadmap which will initially capitalize on their 70th anniversary, and then developed the solution into a strategic framework that positions PAL effectively given the competitive, price-driven environment."

He continued, "Given the business solution and framework that we proposed, it was a natural that the communications assignment be given to DDB for better synergy and integration. Both PAL and DDB agreed that we continue to execute the communications platform because this should seamlessly link to the airline's overall marketing strategy."