LOOK: How 21 brands honored Hidilyn with witty ads

Which one won the gold medal?
Jul 29, 2021

FOLLOWING the gold medal performance of Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz in the Tokyo Olympics, social media managers and brand agencies everywhere were fired up with creativity as they rode the congratulatory wave for our history-maker.

Orocan’s very self-aware post added much-needed food for thought to the brand bonanza. But it can’t be denied that Diaz’s victory gave us some very creative ads.

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Here are 21 of them, arranged in alphabetical order.

Army Navy

Gold foil, flag on a toothpick — Army Navy posted a very Olympics-appropriate photo as their congrats to Hidilyn.

Buddy’s

With pancit, everyone is a winner.

Burger King Philippines

Onion rings turn into Olympic rings in Burger King’s congratulations post.

“All hail, the new Queen Hidilyn Diaz!” wrote the burger restaurant on their Facebook page.

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Champion Detergent

Champion, naturally, has the perfect brand name for occasions like these.

Para sa unang ginto ng Pilipinas, mabuhay ka Hidilyn Diaz!”, the detergent brand writes on its Facebook page.

Ikea

The Swedish furniture giant, about to open their first Philippine outpost in Pasay, trumpeted their Bekant sit/stand desk with the line: “Lift this up or down like a GOLD MEDALIST.”

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It added, “We’re glad we don’t have to have your weightlifting skills to make this desk go up or down.”

Lazada

The e-commerce company, which is also a worldwide Olympic partner, also congratulated Diaz. Tweaking their “Nasa Lazada ‘yan” tagline slightly, it wrote: “Unang gold medal sa Olympic Games ng Pilipinas? Na kay Hidilyn yan!”

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    Max’s Restaurant

    The house that fried chicken built kept it stark and simple. “Thank you Hidilyn Diaz for showing us what it means to live,” the brand said.

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    McDonald’s Philippines

    McDo zoomed in on their iconic golden arches, and placed a little illustration of Hidilyn’s silhouette on top.

    “Salamat sa first-ever Gold! Salamat sa pagbubuhat sa buong bansa! #LoveKoTo” the page wrote.

    Mega Sardines

    “MEGA proud kaming lahat sa’yo,” said the canned seafood brand on Facebook.

    Its social media card featured a zoomed in photo of their signature product, stylized to look like a gold medal. Sister Facebook page Mega Tuna also posted its own version.

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    National Archives of the Philippines

    The National Archives celebrated this history-making moment with a unique play on the Olympic rings.

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    Netflix

    Netflix recalled another popular weightlifter in their extensive catalog of series: Kim Bok Joo.

    Omron Healthcare

    Omron, a provider of medical electronic equipment, goes for a play of words in their social media post. On the scale? 127 kilos, of course.

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    Pantene

    The shampoo and conditioner brand, with its “Strong and Beautiful” slogan, also congratulated Hidilyn on her win.

    “Break nothing but barriers and records. Always and in all ways, go for GOLD!” the brand wrote on their Facebook page.

    Polland Hopia

    Polland Hopia joined the congratulatory party… by hilariously turning Hidilyn’s barbell weights into hopia.

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    “Pa-hopia ka naman, Hidilyn Diaz! We are so proud of you!” it wrote

    Puregold

    Another perfect brand name. The retail store congratulated Diaz for her win, calling it “Pure GOLD.”

    “Taas noo, bawat Pilipino!” it said in the caption.

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    SM Supermalls

    The shiny globe in front of the Mall of Asia was all lit up in celebration of Hidilyn Diaz’s victory. Plus, the SM group is now calling her “AweSM.” Upon her return home yesterday, the brand posted, “You’re AweSM for bagging the golden medal!”

    Smart Communications

    Smart’s famous tagline gets a little tweak in their congratulatory message.

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    Starbucks Philippines

    The coffee shop thanked the athlete who brought home gold to the country.

    “Cheers to our first-ever Olympic Gold Medalist. You’ve lifted the spirit of the whole nation. Congratulations, Hidilyn!” it said, posting a pic of five coffee stains forming the Olympic rings.

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    Tokyo Tokyo

    The Japanese-inspired fast food chain congratulated the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist on their Facebook page. “Arigato and Kampai!” it said, in part, on its Facebook post.

    It also featured one of their products, also stylized to look like a medal.

    Toyota Motor Philippines

    TMP gave Hidilyn a social media thumbs up, with an underchassis image that also brings to mind a barbell. “Thanks for the lift, Hidilyn,” it wrote in gold font.

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    Uratex

    “Itulog mo ‘yan.” The manufacturer of mattresses and pillows has some very good advice for Hidilyn, which they posted alongside their message of thanks and a promise: “[K]ami naman ang maghahatid ng Uratex Orthocare mattress sa ‘yo at iba pang sleep products na kailangan mo.”

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    Of course, many brands went above and beyond congratulatory messages, offering incentives, whether financial and in kind, for the gold medalist.

    With additional reporting by Lio Mangubat.

    Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

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