How Coca-Cola Canada Evolved Its Balikbayan Offering with a Trip to the Philippines

With two years under its belt, Coca-Cola Canada’s 'Balikbayan Magic' campaign has proven a smash hit amongst the Greater Toronto Area’s Filipino community. Put simply, the decision to offer free shipping and custom-designed boxes – thereby allowing users to send heartfelt holiday gifts overseas – is fundamentally thoughtful, and has helped build the brand’s reputation as one that shows up for the communities it serves.

Despite this success, however, the team at WPP Open X, led by VML, wasn’t content with just letting this year’s initiative slip by with a casual announcement. Having turned the Sari-Sari store of community member Tita Rosita into a giant Balikbayan box last year, this time around, the agency took things to the next level by sending her to the Philippines, in order to deliver holiday gifts in person. An opportunity which saw her reconnect with family whom she hadn’t seen in years, it all served to create a heartfelt hero film, reminding viewers of the power of this annual undertaking.

Equally important in enhancing such sentiment was the film’s soundtrack, created by the team at TA2 Sound + Music. An endeavour which also required an overseas adventure, and the use of instruments not typically heard within North American advertising, it all came together to create a story that was as rich from a compositional perspective as it was from a production and creative point of view.

To learn more about how all of this came to life, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with the team from WPP Open X, and TA2 Sound + Music’s president and audio director Steve Gadsden for a chat.

LBB> From the top, what did the invitation to bring another edition of this campaign to life mean to you? And how did that translate into your ideation process?

VML> Coming back for a third year gave us the opportunity to advance a platform we’ve been building steadily with Coca-Cola, whose continued support and belief in the programme reflects its commitment to honouring and celebrating shared traditions.

The first two years established the sending side of the Balikbayan tradition, which was the right foundation. This year, the brief amplified the idea of connection, so we explored territories that would bring that emotion and feeling a bit more to the surface, to make it feel personal.

We’ve seen firsthand how meaningful the Balikbayan tradition is for Filipino-Canadian families, so our ideation with Coca-Cola started from that foundation. We wanted to explore what other stories lived within that experience, and we found ourselves thinking about the other side of the journey – what it feels like when a Balikbayan box arrives in the Philippines and the joy it brings. That perspective opened the door to a completely new way of bringing the tradition to life.

LBB> Specifically, what inspired the decision to connect Tita Rosita with her family? Given that this isn't the first time you've worked with her, had this been a consideration for a long while?

VML> There were many ideas at the start of planning, but connecting Tita Rosita with family evolved from both our team and the Coca-Cola team getting to know her more personally last year. We’ve seen that her connection to the community is truly special. When we learned she hadn’t been home in many years, it sparked the idea of exploring the story from her perspective, and the meaningfulness behind that journey of connection.

We treated the reunion as an unscripted anchor, and built the creative framework around it. The writing focused on context to the story and connection: leaning into Tita Rosita and her role in her community and with her family. The emotional beat was always going to come from what actually happened in that room, so our job was not to manufacture the moment, but to build a structure that let the real moment sit at the centre.

LBB> Speaking of emotional beats, who directed? What made them the right person to capture this story?

VML> We partnered once again with director Marc André Debruyne, and there were so many reasons he was the perfect fit for this project. Marc André has an incredible eye for emotional storytelling; he knows how to capture small, intimate moments and make them feel cinematic. But what truly set him apart was the connection he built with Tita Rosita. She felt completely at ease with him, which allowed her to open up and share her stories with such honesty. That trust translated directly into the film, giving it the heart, warmth, and authenticity that only Marc André could bring.

LBB> And what was the filming experience like? Do you have any anecdotes from the experience?

VML> Making this trip happen took a mix of planning, patience, and a little bit of luck. In particular, keeping everything a surprise was no small feat. We had to coordinate the whole family while making sure no one, especially Tita Rosita, accidentally let the secret slip. Although a typhoon in Manila forced us to adjust our original plans, it did not dampen Tita Rosita’s excitement. Her joy was so genuine and contagious throughout the entire process.

The best moment came when she walked through that door. The family was stunned into silence at first, unable to process what they were seeing. Then came the hugs, and everything shifted into this beautiful, emotional reunion – truly joyful and heartfelt. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when Tita was reunited with her family, and not many dry eyes for those back in Canada who got to see it on film! It was a special moment of connection and coming together that embodies the spirit of the Coca-Cola Balikbayan programme, celebrating the power of traditions that bridge continents and generations. It’s a memory we’ll never forget, and are so grateful to have been part of it.

LBB> Essential in enhancing the film’s magic was the soundtrack. Where did you start with this? Going in, where did the ideal balance between fresh and familiar lie, in your eyes?

Steve> Like VML, this wasn’t our first time working on the Balikbayan programme. In the first year, we took our time building a strong emotional soundtrack, but with a distinct sound and melody. We wanted people to know this was a Coca-Cola spot from the first note.

So, for this year, we talked about taking a fresh go, but there was such equity in the melody and motifs we had built. The music is intrinsically part of the story; a strong identifiable brand, almost like a tattoo. So, since we were going to the Philippines physically this time, I suggested diving in musically as well.

LBB> Tell us more about this! What made travelling overseas the right creative approach, and how did this experience influence your approach to composition?

Steve> The original music Jay Danley wrote is wonderfully open, simple and strong, making it easily embellished and accompanied for flavours and textures. So, after talking about it with the team, we realised the traditional instruments of the Philippines – which are very distinct in sound – would be the perfect way to elevate things. The community members we were speaking to would instantly recognise them, heightening emotional reaction to the story in the process.

As for getting the instruments, that was a crazy story. Composer Edward Zaski and I were working on a documentary a number of years ago that was set in the Philippines, and so we reached out to some mutual friends that had family in Manila. Through them we found a music store that carried handmade traditional instruments, about a 30 minutes outside of Manila. We bought the instruments based on photos they sent us. The store only had a scooter, and the nearest shipping depot was back in Manila, so they drove them one at a time to the depot, packed them up, and sent them off to us.

LBB> From here, what did it take to not only write around these instruments, but properly tune, play and mix everything for the final cut?

Steve> Fortunately for us, Edward has a keen interest in instrument design, and has previously studied the music of the region. So, we let him take the lead on creating a new arrangement, using traditional rhythms and patterns in the process.

However, actually, playing the instruments was another matter! Some of the stringed instruments didn’t have fixed bridges, so you had to slide a block around while playing. Additionally, there were many where we had to tune to the part we were going to play. Things like how hard you strummed would determine if the part would stay in tune the whole way.

With that said, the session was amazing! We had the whole team on hand, and we were sculpting the score as we went. We had initially covered the piece densely to have options going in. I personally sat and composed with the individual tracks, and then added some additional piano live in the room.

LBB> What lessons have you learned in the making of this campaign?

VML> The biggest lesson has been the power of speaking to a universal human truth. Even when people don’t share the exact same story, they can still deeply connect with its emotion and meaning.

Working on ‘Balikbayan Magic’ with Coca-Cola for three years has also taught us what it really means when a brand shows up for a community in a meaningful way. Listening, understanding their needs, and creating work that honours their experiences has been incredibly rewarding, and it’s shown us how impactful storytelling can be when it’s rooted in genuine care.

LBB> Since launch, how have people responded to the work?

​VML> The response over the last two years has been incredibly positive, and this year has been no different. The community continues to show us how meaningful the Balikbayan tradition is for their families, and how strongly they connect with the programme. We’re grateful to be part of it, and to help bring this year’s chapter to life.

LBB> Finally, what does the chance to continue this holiday tradition for another year mean to you?

VML> Continuing this campaign with Coca-Cola is really special for us for several reasons. The first is that it demonstrates Coca-Cola's ability to connect meaningfully with Filipino-Canadians through a longstanding tradition of celebration, family and belonging.

The second is that the idea is entirely born from Canada, and supported by members of the Filipino-Canadian community. Beyond our Sari-Sari partners and our shipping and logistics partner, other parts of the campaign like creative, marketing and PR all have a member of the Filipino-Canadian community supporting the work to make it as authentic as possible.