How Philippine agencies are preparing for a year of applied creativity and precision

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Agency leaders across the Philippines are united by a shared sentiment: the industry’s next leap will not come from chasing the newest tools, but from applying technology with sharper intent and deeper creativity. Whether through retooled internal systems, converged intelligence platforms, or proprietary creative frameworks, agencies are aligning their capabilities toward work that is more purposeful, culturally grounded, and innately human.

Creativity remains the centre of gravity. For some, that means doubling down on ideas that shape culture rather than follow trends. For others, it’s about orchestrating media, commerce, and experience into seamless growth pathways that reflect the realities of Filipino behaviour - from live-selling to super apps to creator-led commerce. While AI and automation will play a defining role, they are seen not as replacements for imagination, but as accelerants that help teams uncover patterns, anticipate intent, and build richer, more resonant brand moments.

What also emerges is a recalibrated understanding of influence. Audiences are fragmenting, formats are multiplying, and attention is harder to earn. In this shifting landscape, agencies are rethinking not just how they reach people, but how they spark participation and lasting connection.

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Herbert Hernandez, founding partner of GIGIL

The next big shift in 2026 is not about discovering new tools but finally applying the ones already in front of us with real creative intent. At GIGIL, ideas remain the root of everything. Tools only matter when they help imagination break new ground and apply ideas for our clients’ objectives, not just for the sake of using them.

2025 was our experiment year. We spent the whole year doing R&D, building prototypes, testing workflows, and developing systems that are now being activated across the agency. These efforts expanded our creative possibilities and strengthened how our teams work.

For 2026, the focus is straightforward: application. Making things happen, not just watching trends happen.

We are rolling out our internal tools across departments at scale and pushing a pipeline of innovations that are all creative-driven, not trend-driven. Our budgeting reflects that direction. We are investing in execution and in ideas that can become real. The goal is simple: use technology to unlock braver creativity, not to water it down.

JC Catibog, CEO of dentsu Philippines

The future of advertising in the Philippines is moving beyond traditional campaigns and toward building seamless pathways to growth. As categories mature and competition intensifies, agencies are taking on a wider mandate, bringing together media, creativity, commerce, data, and customer experience to help brands simplify complexity and unlock new growth opportunities.

Media planning and buying are taking a backseat to immersive, signal-based experiences tailored to the uniquely Filipino digital landscape. This includes the country’s active social environment, the explosive rise of live-selling, the expansion of fintech and super apps, and the emergence of creator-led commerce.

The next wave of brand experiences will not resemble ads, but cultural moments that Filipinos choose to participate in.

Creativity is evolving as well; identity-driven and community-built ideas are replacing broad demographic targeting. The Philippines’ distinct storytelling traditions, humour, and collective optimism will continue to spark ideas that resonate widely and create communities with strong lifetime value.

Intelligence is set to transform engagement. With the rise of AI, digital twins, and synthetic audiences, brands can now model Filipino behaviours with greater nuance, from regional preferences to decision journeys shaped by the global Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) community. This creates opportunities to anticipate needs before they are expressed.

Jos Ortega, chairman and CEO of Havas Ortega

AI is not the future. How we use it is. Technology can now create, plan, and optimise in seconds, but it still cannot imagine, care, or connect. That is where the future of creativity begins - with people who know how to use intelligence to move culture.

At Havas Ortega, our Converged.AI strategy puts intelligence in the hands of everyone. It gives our people access to data, machine learning, and generative tools that help them see patterns, anticipate behaviour, and act with purpose. In 2026, we will continue to deepen this capability, turning global innovation into local insight and cultural relevance.

The goal is not to outsmart the machine but to make the work that only humanity can. Our investment and budgets will focus on learning, experimentation, and tools that elevate human creativity.

The agencies that will lead are those that blend data with empathy, precision with perspective, and speed with soul. AI can make the work. People will make the world.

Mary Buenaventura, CEO of Omnicom Media Group Philippines

The fragmented media landscape has made precision media planning increasingly essential for effectively reaching and engaging audiences across multiple touchpoints. The rapid growth of Connected TV and retail media platforms is reshaping measurement and attribution, creating opportunities for the industry to adopt more sophisticated tools and data-driven approaches to understand impact and optimise performance.

Omni, Omnicom’s advanced intelligence platform, remains at the core of our business as we adapt to a rapidly evolving environment to meet our clients’ needs. We are also committed to strengthening our capabilities and advancing talent training in AI and automation, enabling hyper-personalisation, enhanced performance, and agility in a dynamic landscape.

Organic growth will be a key priority in 2026. Over the past year, we have significantly deepened our in-house capabilities, enhancing our ability to deliver integrated and innovative media solutions.

These advancements position us to better serve evolving client needs, strengthen our market presence, and sustain long-term growth through creative, technology, and performance-driven strategies.

Additionally, we will embed specialists from shared services across client service structures to future-proof our talent, ensure operational efficiency, and maintain a competitive advantage.

Mike Trillana, chairman and CEO of MullenLowe TREYNA

The industry will be confronted with the imperative to answer briefs not just with brilliant, creative, and data-anchored insights but also with “points of curiosity” that allow audience and markets to evolve and be involved with a brand’s big idea.

In today’s hyper-personalised digital landscape, it’s all about the ability to “influence” and what drives true influence is the ability to spur curiosity. Curiosity taps into people’s natural desire to learn and discover, given today’s landscape. “Points of curiosity” then becomes a new lens with which we brief our creatives to inspire not just suitable but “curious” ideas.

At MullenLowe TREYNA, we have developed our own proprietary strategic “curiosity frameworks” that give us a new filter to view and challenge traditional campaign development. Ultimately, we believe that whether or not client implicitly asks for a point of curiosity, it is critical that successful campaigns that move the needle embed those in the campaign’s touchpoints.

Being able to unpack the nuances of curiosity and influence is critical in a country like the Philippines where free TV inventory is limited.

A clear majority of the briefs we receive from clients these days are solidly digital-first campaigns as marketers turn to digital media/platforms to make up for their reach numbers that were traditionally delivered via ATL mediums. And we see this trend only getting stronger.

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