TNT, the value brand of Smart Communications Inc., won a gold award at the SMARTIES Philippines for its network campaign in the Creator/Influencer/Celebrity Marketing (Impact Marketing) category.
The awards program recognizes innovative marketing campaigns that deliver meaningful results for brands and businesses.
Launched in February 2026, the campaign was developed with Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, with Wavemaker Philippines-WPP Media serving as the media agency. It featured paranormal investigator and content creator Ed Caluag, who used his popular ghost-hunting content to highlight TNT's network performance.
The campaign turned network lag, a common frustration among mobile users, into a humorous haunted-house scenario.
In the video, Caluag livestreams his paranormal investigation, but lag repeatedly interrupts his encounters with ghosts. The increasingly frustrated spirits eventually turn the tables on him, giving TNT a creative way to demonstrate the importance of a responsive mobile connection.
The campaign drew inspiration from TNT's recognition for having the Philippines' best mobile latency in the Ookla Speedtest Awards. It translated the technical benefit of low latency into an entertaining story that audiences could easily understand.
“This recognition reflects how we continue to find fresh and engaging ways to bring TNT’s brand promise to life. By combining the authenticity and entertainment value of creator content with the strength of our network, we were able to turn a common frustration into a story that Filipinos could relate to and enjoy,” said Lloyd R. Manaloto, first vice president and officer-in-charge for Smart.
The campaign premiered on Caluag's digital platforms before expanding its reach through Meta, Google, YouTube, and TikTok. It generated more than 659 million impressions, reaching mobile-first consumers across the platforms.
The award highlights TNT's use of creator partnerships to make technical network benefits more relatable to consumers, positioning content creators as collaborators in storytelling rather than simply as brand endorsers.
TNT and Smart continue to expand their 5G network nationwide while earning recognition for their network performance.
Ookla also recognized Smart with the Best Mobile Video Experience award in the Philippines, underscoring the network's performance as more Filipinos rely on smartphones for video streaming, entertainment, and other digital activities. PR