Herbert Hernandez is the co-founder of GIGIL, a creative agency that has built up a fierce creative reputation worldwide. In just seven years, it has been named Philippines Independent Agency of the Year and Philippines Creative Agency of the Year by Campaign, making history as the first indie agency to dominate a category long ruled by global networks. The agency has been awarded most effective creative agency in the Philippines and the most effective independent agency in Asia. And in 2021, it was Ad Age’s International Small Agency of the Year. Most recently, GIGIL made history at ADFEST 2025 in Pattaya, Thailand, becoming the first Filipino agency to be named Independent Agency of the Year. The agency also secured a spot in the Top 5 Southeast Asia Agency of the Year rankings, placing fourth among large network agencies.
Hernandez has been recognised as one of Asia Pacific’s top young leaders, earning a spot in Campaign’s 40 Under 40. He has also been named to Adweek’s Creative 100, that honours the world’s most fascinating creative professionals, icons, and game changers. His trophy shelf includes multiple wins at Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, One Show, LIA, AWARD Awards, Spikes Asia, ADFEST, AD STARS, and the APAC Effies. Hernandez also plays guitar after-hours for nationally renowned bands, 6cyclemind and Moonstar88. He composed one of the country’s most-streamed songs, Migraine, which has achieved 200 million plays; and he recently composed, Lasik, for the band, Hey June!, which became Spotify’s newest number one viral song in the Philippines.
Asian advertising has become known for its quirky humour – possibly kickstarting a global ad trend in the last twelve months. What do you think makes humour work in advertising?
Herbert Hernandez: In my opinion, quirky humour isn’t just an Asian advertising thing. It’s been around long before with Gerry Graf and the Skittles team influencing me, I’m sure it existed way earlier. Even the great Rory Sutherland has long championed the power of wit. What’s different now is that Asia, especially the Philippines, has fewer traditional TV platforms, so we have more freedom to play with long format online. Being too serious makes it harder to hold people’s attention. The moment they sense the content feels more like an ad than entertainment, they’re already tuned out and hitting “Next”.
What will you be looking for in judging MAD STARS. What makes great advertising?
Herbert Hernandez: With the economic situation right now, I’m looking for hardworking ads, like a classic product demo, but executed in a way that’s irresistibly entertaining while driving serious business impact. Work that resonates across the region, the kind of idea a client would never reject because it’s perfectly on-brand and certain to deliver results.
How do you see Asian advertising on the world stage? What are the challenges and advantages great advertising faces in the Philippines?
Herbert Hernandez: In award shows, Asian work often struggles to win because of cultural nuances that only local or regional audiences fully understand. That’s why I value ideas that are deeply insightful, deliver real business results, and still manage to get noticed in a sea of global work. We were fortunate to have RC Cola’s Miracle and Mandaue Foam’s Steals recognised at Cannes and D&AD. That was a rare blessing given how tough it is to break through at that level.
The rise of AI has brought new challenges, with some clients creating their own ads. But it has also made them value creativity even more. I see AI as just another tool, more powerful in skilled hands. With so much content competing for attention, clients are pushing us to go bolder and more inventive.
In the Philippines, the toughest hurdle is not usually the clients but the regulatory screening process that has many limitations. We respect that they are doing their job, but we are doing ours too, helping our clients create the kind of work that stands out and connects.
Advertising creativity is under duress throughout the world. What does it need to prove to clients to enhance its value?
Herbert Hernandez: In the era of in-house creative teams, what clients truly seek from external partners is a fresh and honest perspective. They know their brands better than anyone, but they also recognise the value of input from people who can deconstruct, reimagine, and build something entirely new. That is the expertise of a true creative partner, someone who can excite their team, bring a refined sense of taste, and craft ideas that feel both culturally relevant and connected to what is happening on the ground.
Great creativity is not just about making things look good, it is about making them matter in culture. That is why we encourage our people to live full lives outside advertising so they can bring richer, more original insights into the work.
What did you want or need that made you co-found Gigil? Were there surprising challenges and how did you conquer them? What made Gigil work?
Herbert Hernandez: Badong and I started GIGIL to build a culture where great work happens consistently, no matter the brief. “Gigil” is that urge to give your best, whether it is for a national campaign or a simple flyer.
The biggest challenge was the business side. We had no finance person, so balancing the happiness of our people with growth was tough, especially as client budgets kept shrinking. We pushed through by expanding into media and social, going beyond the Philippines, and focusing on work that gets noticed. Great work attracts the right clients. It always has.
GIGIL works because we partner with clients who want bold ideas. Many of them push us to go further. Their dreams matter, and we believe great ideas can come from anywhere. What we have is a team of Gigilians, all driven to create work that moves business.
