Photo courtesy of Marketing Excellence Awards Philippines.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – This year’s Marketing Excellence Awards Philippines (MEA PH) marked a monumental evening of aweSM wins for SM Supermalls (SM), who took home seven trophies for innovative campaigns done in collaboration with SVEN – The Digital 1st Agency!
Hosted by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Asia’s leading source of advertising, marketing, and media intelligence, the annual competition celebrates the country’s most outstanding marketing campaigns, recognizing creative excellence, successful strategies, and effective delivery.
After scoring nine shortlists, SM emerged victorious last October 13, 2023, with three golds, two silvers, and two bronzes for its initiatives AweSM SuperKids Zone at Roblox, You’re Always Welcome Here, and #SuperKidsDayAtSM2022.
AweSM SuperKids Zone @ Roblox
Digital Agency: SVEN
- Gold: Excellence in Gaming
- Silver: Excellence in Marketing to a Specific Audience
- Bronze: Excellence in Digital Marketing
When the pandemic stripped Generation Alpha (Gen A) of the fun mall experience that’s always been part of Filipino culture, SM needed a radically different way to build an affinity with this emerging consumer base, so it partnered with SVEN to create a one-of-a-kind mall going experience for Gen A in the metaverse!
The AweSM SuperKids Zone was launched in Roblox last May 2022 and has since been revamped to gamify five of the most iconic mall areas for better brand recall: the Cyberzone, Food Court, SM Markets, SM Store, and Toy Kingdom.
By meeting Gen A where they were, the AweSM SuperKids Zone @ Roblox was a clear success, engaging an abundance of SuperKids and their families while continuing to thrive on Roblox, SM’s socials, and offline through the brand’s online-to-offline encounters.
This initiative also won under the Retail category in The Drum Awards for Marketing (APAC) last May 2023.
You’re Always Welcome Here
Digital Agency: SVEN
Creative Agency: Leo Burnett Manila
- Gold: Excellence in Brand Strategy
- Silver: Excellence in Communications / Public Relations
- Bronze: Excellence in Customer Engagement
When the world emerged from a two-year pandemic that accelerated advancements in e-commerce and physically separated mall-goers from SM, its ever-functional message of “Everything’s Here at SM” needed a refresh to be better aligned with today’s diverse shoppers.
Looking beyond just the products and services it offered, SM ushered in a new malling era that’s all shades inclusive and absolutely aweSM by shining the spotlight on what made it the iconic brand it is today – the people! In positioning itself as the ultimate human experience champion, SM promised whoever you are or who you’re with, whatever you like or what you’re in the mood for—“You’re Always Welcome Here”.
In partnership with SVEN, SM brought this message to life offline, online, and even in the metaverse! By maximizing its presence and use of social, everyone was seen and heard: passionate fandoms of all kinds on Twitter, thriving communities on Facebook, younger shoppers on TikTok, and even Gen A on Roblox.
#SuperKidsDayAtSM2022
Digital Agency: SVEN
Event Agency: Voice Power Events Management
- Gold: Excellence in Event Marketing
The pandemic took away opportunities for kids to explore and interact freely with their peers, affecting their emotional, cognitive, social, and physical development. As a brand that has never failed to play an essential role in the lifestyles of Filipino families nationwide, SM helped SuperKids bounce back with #SuperKidsDayAtSM2022!
In this carnival-inspired online-to-offline experience, SM encouraged exploration with an Augmented Reality-powered treasure hunt that encouraged participants to roam the malls, celebrated imagination by engaging them in costume contests and magic shows, and fostered connections by creating avenues for bonding and making friends – all in all a truly super experience for all the SuperKids who attended!
Through these groundbreaking campaigns, SM and partner agency SVEN prove that the best branded consumer experiences are always rooted in effective and relevant strategies that are human-1st at the core.