Philippine Airlines Turns Onboard Safety into Drama Filled Telenovela

Philippine Airlines (PAL) and BBDO Guerrero have taken a familiar onboard touchpoint and transformed it into one of the most unexpected creative showcases of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). Without being part of the official line up, PAL captured industry and audience attention alike for its new in-flight Safetynovela - a safety video crafted with the emotional intensity of the country's most iconic telenovelas..

The film entitled ‘Care That Comes From The Heart’, reimagines traditional aviation safety communication through a fresh creative lens: narrative storytelling rooted in Filipino culture. Instead of procedural demonstrations, the film uses drama, tension, and emotional beats to deliver required safety information in a format designed to be watched and not ignored.

For industry watchers, the film marks a notable moment in entertainment and branded experience. It shows a flag carrier leaning fully into cultural insight to make a mandatory piece of safety communication connect meaningfully with passengers.

Alvin Miranda, vice president for marketing at Philippine Airlines, said, “This project challenged us to rethink safety communication from the ground up. Filipino audiences connect through story, emotion, and shared cultural language so we embraced that truth. The Safetynovela reflects our commitment to elevating even the most functional parts of the journey.”

​David Guerrero, creative chairman at BBDO Guerrero, added, “We are all familiar with in-flight safety videos, and this familiarity can lead people to pay less attention to them. Working with Philippine Airlines, we wanted to change that by tapping into the love people have for Telenovelas and creating one they’d watch all the way to the end. The Metro Manila Film Festival is the perfect stage for the Safetynovela, connecting us with an audience that loves a good story.”

The Safetynovela serves as a creative bridge between safety and entertainment, aligning with PAL’s brand platform, Care That Comes From The Heart, which centres on genuine Filipino warmth and emotion. It also affirms the flag carrier’s mission to champion Filipino culture across its products and services.

The full film will soon debut onboard PAL’s A350-1000 aircrafts, with additional viewing available on the airline’s official social media channels.