Non-Stop Experimentation Is the Secret to TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno's 13 Year Win Streak

2025 was a banner year for TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno, as the Disruption Agency continued its industry-leading push for growth and innovation in a rapidly shifting market. Recognising that AI, automation, and multimodal systems are evolving too quickly for any organisation to claim expertise, TBWA has adopted an active, disciplined approach to experimentation.

The results speak for themselves, with TBWA being named the Network Agency of the Year for an unprecedented 13th time by the Philippine Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies (4As). Internationally, the Agency was a perennial frontrunner, claiming metal at the likes of AdFest, CLIO, One Asia, and ICE, most recently claiming a Silver for Creative Agency of the Year, and a Gold Digital Innovation metal at the 2025 Campaign Asia AOY.

TBWA has long been a mainstay of local, regional, and international creative competitions and festivals; a number of this year’s winning campaigns showed an increased integration of cutting-edge technology. As spearheaded by TBWA\DLAB (Disruption Lab), an internal AI experimentation hub tasked with transforming the agency through rapid prototyping in a cross-departmental tech sprint model, the foray into new specialisations is very much in line with TBWA’s ethos.

“Experimentation has always been part of how TBWA thinks,” said chief creative officer Melvin Mangada. The recipient of a commendation as Campaign Asia Agency Head of the Year, Melvin shared, “It’s not about being ahead for the sake of being ahead, but to make sure our clients don’t get blindsided by what’s coming next,.” he added.

Over the last 12 months, that willingness to challenge traditional mindsets and ways of working has transformed every area of the agency’s operations, with TBWA\DLAB launching TBWAi, introducing AI-assisted workflows for strategy, creative, PR, social, and production. In-house learning sessions and workshops were introduced to keep everyone up to date, regardless of rank. Training for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) in order to craft AI-searchable content has also been introduced, leveraging the lessons learned from over a decade of digital expertise.

According to TBWA’s chief marketing officer Paolo Broma, the secret to evolving with technology lies not in mastering it, but in being willing to learn: “We don’t position ourselves as experts in a field that’s changing every week. What we are is alert, curious, and willing to learn fast.”

While lauded campaigns such as “Baha for Breakfast” and “#FixPH” reflected TBWA’s signature blend of human insights, meticulous craft, and social awareness; efforts such as ‘Last Broadcast’ and ‘Maarte Fair’ showed how AI is rapidly transforming the creative industry. ‘Broadcast’ used AI to resurrect slain journalists, allowing them to present their final reports after the fact, while ‘Maarte’ used AI-powered insights and generative AI to attract new audiences to the annual art showcase.

The integration of new technology with traditional techniques isn’t so much a trend, but an indication of the industry’s overall direction. As shared by Broma, “Developments in AI and creative tech are moving at a pace where standing still is the real risk. Our approach is to experiment nonstop, venturing into spaces where the rules aren’t settled yet.”

The shift towards AI is hardly unexpected, as individuals, brands, and governments around the world are increasingly incorporating it into their day-to-day work. Where TBWA’s efforts stand out is their dedication to tempering every technological advance used in its processes -from inception to final execution- with an element of humanity. According to Melvin, AI -as with any emerging technology- should be treated as a tool that enables and empowers creativity, rather than stunting it. And, as with any tool, it needs people trained in how to handle it.

This dedication to nurturing the Agency’s people was further recognised in Campaign Asia AOY wins for ‘Best in Culture’ and ‘Best Place to Work’, which highlighted the importance of TBWA\SMP’s human element.

“Creativity evolves when people are encouraged to test, challenge, and reimagine what’s possible,” shared Melvin. “Our teams don’t chase technology for spectacle; we explore it so we can understand how creativity can work harder for people, culture, and our clients. That spirit of curiosity and courage is what continues to shape the work we do.”

As TBWA\SMP draws plaudits for consistently redefining the possibilities of creative communications, one thing becomes immediately clear: “what’s coming next” is far closer than many expect – the disruption is already here.

Here’s to the future.