'Itigil ang Kasal, I-fasten ang Seatbelt': How BBDO Guerrero Turned PAL's Safety Video Into a Soap Opera

Philippine Airlines got a lot of people talking when they released their PALSafetynovela, a unique in-flight safety video that's inspired by Pinoy soap opera tropes. (You already know what we're talking about.) It "premiered" offline to the first passengers of their new flagship aircraft: the first Airbus A350-1000 in Southeast Asia, then online on December 31, 2025, at 12 noon. As of writing, the six-minute video already has 10,000 shares on Facebook and more than a million views on YouTube.

Co-presented by Mastercard, the safety video is a collaboration between the flag carrier and BBDO Guerrero, a full-service creative agency led by creative chairman David Guerrero. This isn't the first time that the two brands have partnered up. The centerpiece of their "Care That Comes From The Heart" campaign, "Alaga" (Care), was a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of the airline's crew and staff.

They also worked on the "Fly With Her" program, an initiative by PAL aimed at increasing female representation in the airline’s pilot workforce. It delivers a touching narrative of a young girl discovering her passion for aviation, finding the courage to let her dreams take flight, and finally flying a PAL aircraft—the film stars an actual Filipina PAL pilot.

The local advertising industry was also behind the Department of Tourism's campaign name, "It's More Fun in the Philippines!," which ran from 2012 to 2023—when it was replaced by the "Love the Philippines" campaign under current tourism secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco. Much like their "It's More Fun in the Philippines!" concept, the PAL safety video includes wide shots of popular Philippine spots, like Boracay, Bacolod, Cebu, Albay, Palawan, and Pangasinan, as a footnote to the drama-filled clip.

The PALsafetynovela is produced by Arcade Film Factory, with director Marius Talumpas, director of photography Dix Buhay, and production designer Juan Manuel Alcazaren.

To know more about how the agency came up with this weird-but-ridiculously-funny concept, Esquire Philippines got in touch with BBDO Guerrero creative directors Mica Dela Rosa and Caleb Cosico. Dela Rosa joined the agency in 2019 and was promoted to her current position in 2024, while Cosico—like his colleague—started out as a copywriter in 2016 and landed his current position in 2022.

Esquire Philippines: This is a departure from the traditional, procedural in-flight safety video. What was the creative process behind this collaboration, and how did the team arrive at such a bold concept?

BBDO Guerrero: We’ve long faced the problem of people not paying attention to safety instructions. While the trend of unconventional safety videos has been around for years, the challenge was making one that’s distinctly Filipino—and something that people would watch from beginning to end.

So we looked into our own viewing culture and found the answer: our deep love for teleseryes. We’re a nation unapologetically obsessed with soap operas, so much so that we grew up huddling at the neighbor’s window to watch their television, masterfully switching between channels just to catch two teleseryes airing at the same time slot, and seeing TV screens at restaurants and carinderias dedicated to daily viewing, day and night. And for millions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who fly Philippine Airlines, the teleserye is an important connection to home. It unites Filipinos across all generations and continents. It shapes our local pop culture. Plus, it allows us to showcase the beautiful destinations in our country since a lot of these are usually set in provinces. It made perfect sense.

Safety is extremely important, so it’s imperative that we hold people’s attention throughout the film and ensure they listen intently to the instructions. We then created a complete dramatic narrative that seamlessly followed the exact sequence of safety guidelines set by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), while incorporating the classic Pinoy teleserye tropes—forbidden romance, family obligations, and “Itigil ang kasal!” Every part of the plot is designed to parallel a safety instruction so we can keep viewers engaged, carefully crafting a balance between education and entertainment.

Bringing it to life was truly a collaboration across agency, client, and production teams. Every line and frame was meticulously reviewed by the PAL safety and cabin departments to ensure 100 percent compliance and approval from CAAP. Director Marius Talampas and Arcade Film Factory brilliantly executed the film in the most faithful way, with music by Hit Productions Inc., color grading by Barebones Inc., and production supervision by Just Add Water Productions Inc. It took real bayanihan to create this love letter to the teleserye culture we all grew up with.

Esquire Philippines: Why was it important for Philippine Airlines to move in this specific direction rather than sticking to a standard briefing?

BBDO Guerrero: This direction is deeply rooted in PAL’s brand equity of "Care That Comes From the Heart," which was also reflected in the creative process and every aspect of this campaign.

At its core, the film celebrates who we are as a people: our humor, our pop culture, our Philippine English accent, and yes, even our pagka-OA. By leaning into these familiar and endearing traits, the safety video becomes something that passengers can genuinely connect with, not just watch out of obligation.

It was also important for us to use this platform to showcase the breathtaking beauty of the Philippines. We deliberately chose to feature both popular and underrated destinations such as Hacienda Rosalia in Negros Occidental, Daraga Church in Albay, and Malcapuya Island in Palawan to help boost local tourism.

Our collaboration with Director Marius Talampas enabled us to pour great care into every detail of the film, ensuring we champion local talent and creativity. We wanted to give the spotlight to a mixture of young and experienced actors from the indie and theater scene. We also worked with local designers and craftsmen for wardrobe and production design. The music paid homage to the distinct sound and emotion of beloved Filipino love songs. We wanted this project to be a collective expression of our local artistry.

As the country’s flag carrier, PAL has a responsibility to represent the best of the Filipinos to the world. Taking this bold and culturally rooted direction allowed us to do just that.

Esquire Philippines: The video has clearly gone viral. What has the feedback been like so far from the public and the industry?

BBDO Guerrero: In this age, it’s hard to make a person watch a 15-second ad, let alone a six-minute safety film. So for people to willingly and wholeheartedly watch it till the last second (especially when they’re not in flight) means a lot. We’ve also seen netizens creating content out of it, from reaction videos to film analysis, production design breakdowns, and even fan edits of the characters on TikTok. Somehow, the campaign wasn’t just PAL’s anymore. It became the Filipino people’s, with everyone joining in to proudly share the Philippines with the world. There’s nothing more fulfilling than that.

The Safetynovela has received a seal of approval from real teleserye and film directors and actors, including Jose Javier Reyes, Mark Reyes, Edu Manzano, Kakai Bautista, and John Manalo. And it’s amazing how people pointed out specific details that are very Filipino and get the period references, like the hacienda mansion, Luisa’s wedding gown, and the teleserye-inspired music score. It’s a testament to the brilliant craft and depth of care that went into the making of the film.

We’re very thrilled that our unique Pinoy humor has resonated with global audiences. PALSafetynovela is still going viral across different countries, even reaching Charlie Puth! We’ve also gotten comments from people around the world wanting to visit the Philippines just from watching the safety video.

We’re immensely grateful that people enjoyed watching it as much as we had fun creating it.

Esquire Philippines: BBDO Guerrero and PAL have a long history of collaboration. How would you describe the working relationship between the agency and the flag carrier, and how much creative freedom are you given with these briefs?

BBDO Guerrero: Over time, our partnership has grown stronger, built on mutual trust and a shared understanding of the brand. PAL is very clear about their priorities, values, and what they want to stand for, which gives us a solid foundation to work from. At the same time, they’re open to creative exploration and encourage us to push ideas further, allowing us to tell their story in the most meaningful way.

Because of this, the working relationship feels truly collaborative. There’s healthy dialogue and willingness on both sides to refine ideas together. This balance of clarity and creative freedom helps us create work that feels authentic to PAL, whether it’s a purpose-driven campaign like Fly With Her, a more emotional piece like Alaga, or something unexpected like the Safetynovela.

Together, we’ve created an environment where creativity thrives and keeps our teams inspired to do their best work, enabling us to consistently raise the bar for the brand.

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