Showing off a wide range of home products in an ad? That’s a brief that creative angst is made from. But creative angst can lead to creative brilliance – especially when the client is happy to go along on a wild ride. So Gigil gave Mandaue Foam a burglary story with a surreal edge. Three burglars attempt to rob a seemingly ordinary house. As they search for valuable items, household products – lampshades, bed frames, dining furniture, and light bulbs – begin to multiply and multiply…and multiply, causing the robbery to spiral out of control.

64 million views, a 200% spike in online brand mentions and conversations, 63.22% increase in online sales vs the same period in 2023, a 221% increase in online sales post-campaign and the brand’s highest online sales in 2 years demonstrated that great creativity can yield great results. And prestigious awards.

Herbert Hernandez, chief creative officer, GIGIL, took The Stable behind the scenes to find an adventurous client, an agency intent on excelling for them and an exploration of production ideas – the secrets of superb, perhaps?

The Stable: Please explain the background to the campaign.

Herbert Hernandez: A cool client, Mandaue Foam, asked us to create a film that would promote the wide variety of products they offer across their stores. They’ve long been known as a complete home store, offering furniture, décor, and accessories for every part of the home, though many people still primarily associate them with mattresses.

The client wanted something truly creative from the start. He even said, “No deadline, just make it really, really good.” That kind of trust was both inspiring and challenging. Of course, we still managed the timeline carefully so we wouldn’t lose momentum.

Our offline and online reviews rarely took more than ten minutes, which shows how strong the client’s confidence was. The biggest challenge for us was not to disappoint that trust. Some of the selling details, like the end shot showing more products, were actually initiated by the agency because we wanted to make sure the material worked harder for the business.

In the end, it was really us pushing ourselves, not just to make a beautiful, entertaining film, but to create something that truly reflected how much Mandaue Foam has to offer as a home brand.

The Stable: What was the primary aim of the campaign?

Herbert Hernandez: The main goal was to showcase the variety of Mandaue Foam’s products in the most interesting and unexpected way possible. The client already knew what they were looking for. They wanted something entertaining, bold, and different.

The Stable: Where did the idea come from?

Herbert Hernandez: Together with the team, we immersed ourselves in the brand. We visited their factory and several store branches, and honestly, we were surprised by how much variety they actually had. Even we ended up buying things after the immersion.

The agency presented several big ideas to tackle the challenge of featuring multiple products in one film. The client wanted something entertaining, and to his credit, Mr Ryan Yu chose the most unusual concept, a “robbery” story that plays with motion and timing effects.

It was inspired by cinematic motion effects and became a standout idea in furniture retail, something you don’t usually see in the category.

The Stable: A standout idea in furniture retail. What do you think is the secret to selling left-of-centre ideas like this to clients?

Herbert Hernandez: Honestly, we didn’t expect the idea to be approved at first because of the sensitivity around using “robbery” as a theme. But credit goes to Mr Yu, who saw that it would be talkable and would cut through the clutter.

There’s really no secret to selling creative work. It all depends on the client’s openness and taste. In this case, the client was the one asking for creativity from the start. That’s what’s great about GIGIL clients. We don’t have to sell creativity itself; we just present different ways and levels of pushing the boundaries. We’re lucky to have clients who trust us enough to go all in.

The Stable: A tricky production? How was it achieved?

Herbert Hernandez: At the storyboard stage, we honestly didn’t know how to pull off the visual technique we wanted. It was something completely new for us.

But together with director, Marius Talampas, and Arcade Film Factory, we experimented until we achieved that cool motion effect that became the film’s signature. Sometimes, you don’t need to have all the answers at the beginning. What matters is the drive to explore and make it happen.

The Stable: What does it mean for GIGIL to have a very local campaign recognised in awards globally (MAD STARS, D&AD, Cannes…)? Why do you think Steal achieved it?

Herbert Hernandez: During judging at MAD STARS, we heard that the jury loved how the film turned a typical “brochure brief,” a request to simply feature products, into something fun, fresh, and unexpected.

What made Mandaue Steal special is that it came from a real business problem, not an awards-driven idea. We didn’t make it to win awards. Our only goal was to help the client’s business. Winning was a bonus that validated we were on the right track.

Especially now, in the age of AI where everything seems easy, creativity remains the real currency of an agency. We don’t create to win awards; we create to make work that works, and if it wins, that’s the cherry on top.

Winning at MAD STARS felt great because it showed that good work lifts the whole industry. It gives direction and acts as a compass for other agencies and clients who want to pursue brave creativity.

Winning at Cannes Lions and D&AD means even more because it proves the idea can cross cultures. It validates both our team’s hard work and the trust of our clients.

Right now, we’re actually working on the sequel to Mandaue Steal. We still don’t know exactly how we’ll do it, but that’s part of the fun. Sometimes, not knowing everything at first is exactly where the best ideas begin. Wish us luck!