by Andrea Ebdane, Joaquin Mercado, and Rachel Ogsimer
Art by Lia Javier

From champion weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz to trending skateboarder Margielyn Didal – the Philippine 2020 Olympics’ Team has definitely made history. Our athletes are walking out of the stadium with a gold, two silvers, and one bronze – the country’s biggest medal haul since 1924 – and we as a nation couldn’t be more proud.
And as Filipinos online celebrated our athletes’ winning moments, different brands joined in on the fun with their creative trendjacking posts. With this, here are 9 Olympic-themed ads we think deserve a gold medal!
Talk about effortlessly witty. I stood up clapping for our athletes AND these ads.
You have received a creative ad’s worth of GCash for CARLO PAALAM w/ MSG: Congrats on the win, Paalam, and nice work on the video, GCash. Your new balance is PHP 10/10.
Cars aren't the only ones that can give us a lift. Just like how Hidilyn Diaz didn’t just lift weights at the Olympics — she also raised our spirits sky-high! Toyota Philippines' winning take on a common expression is both casual and clever; makes us wanna go on a victory drive, maybe?
As far as golden opportunities go, Puregold took the full 24 karats. This ad made good use of Puregold’s name, but it’s also a good reminder of Hidilyn Diaz’s solid performance.
What’s not to love about mini boxing glove pencil erasers? This ad sure knew how to deliver a winning punch! We have to commend National Bookstore for their creative take on Nesthy Petecio's epic victory.