Jasper Cajilig is a senior art director at Gigil Philippines, the agency of “Unexpected Ads, Unexpected Results”. Rule-breaking creativity rides high in its priorities. Jasper has built his experience at a vast range of top-tier agencies beginning with training programs at Ogilvy Philippines, Dentsu Jayme Syfu, and TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno. He then finessed his craft, moving up the creative ladder at J. Walter Thompson (now Wunderman Thompson) and BBDO Guerrero before joining Gigil Philippines. In 2024, his work made it to the Top 4 of the The Brief #4 by Cannes Lions.
Jasper discussed with MAD STARS his keys for making advertising that grabs attention and makes an impact.
MAD STARS: What will you be looking for in the work that you assess as a MAD STARS judge?
Jasper Cajilig: There is a rapid rise of Ad blocker usage to tune out ads. So, when assessing a work, I’ll be on the lookout for the campaigns that make those interruptions worth the time.
MAD STARS: The theme of this year’s MAD STARS is “AI-vertising, AI Advertising Marketing Era”. What is your view of AI’s role in advertising? Are you using it? If so, how?
Jasper Cajilig: AI is a powerful tool, but it’s still just that—a tool. It can speed up execution and optimize campaigns, but it can’t replace that gut feeling that keeps us up at night. Personally, I see AI as a friend, but never a replacement for the actual spouse—our humanity.
MAD STARS: Gigil has a remarkable track record for effectiveness. What do you think are the keys to effective advertising?
Jasper Cajilig: We have an unspoken rule of flipping the canvas over and painting on its back. Challenging the methodology leads to breakthroughs, and that’s where real magic happens. But no matter the magic trick, for work to be truly effective, it must simply solve a problem.
MAD STARS: The advertising industry is forever fighting for creative [read: brave] work. Why does creativity in advertising matter?
Jasper Cajilig: Andy Warhol once said, “In the future, everybody will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Quite frankly, anyone can grab attention today—but it’s fleeting. The beauty of bravery in creativity is that it lets you break away from following trends and instead become the trend, creating a lasting impact.
MAD STARS: If you could pick the three pieces of work that make you say, “I wish I’d done that,” what would they be and why?
Jasper Cajilig: This has to be the hardest question for any ad nerd to answer, but so far:
Scrabble’s Syphilis (Ogilvy Singapore)
Yoshida Hideo Memorial Foundation’s Pure Design (Dentsu Tokyo):
Pedigree’s SelfieSTIX (Colenso BBDO):
What they all have in common is their simplicity, but more importantly, none of them feels like an ad. Close runners-up would be Pepsi’s Better with Pepsi (Alma DDB Miami) and Pond’s Bodybuilder (Ogilvy Singapore).
