Field Notes
Although my role was Creative Director, our involvement began much earlier—starting with research and strategy, in collaboration with Studioriley. This was the second Global Flagship Store that Anonymous worked on, following the successful launch of UNIQLO’s Singapore flagship in 2016.
The Philippines is one of my favorite places in the world, and over time, Manila has become a second home. It’s not just about the amazing food—the people here are among the most hospitable, friendly, and thoughtful I’ve met.
Community is everything. Filipinos celebrate one another, support each other, and prioritize family and friendships above all else. This is evident in daily life—visit any restaurant, and you’ll find most tables set for six to ten people, while smaller tables for one or two are rare. Meals aren’t just about eating; they’re about time spent together.
Beyond its warmth, the Philippines is on the rise. It’s one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, home to breathtaking natural landscapes, and a hub of world-class creative talent—underrated and overlooked outside the country (for now).
During our research, we interviewed filmmakers, architects, chefs, urban planners, call center agents (a key industry powering the economy), and more. A recurring theme emerged in our conversations—people often said:
“Manila has potential…”
“The moment is just around the corner.”
This insight became the foundation for our campaign: “Our Future is Here.”
The research findings and recommendations were compiled into a book, a microsite, and a keynote presentation—delivered to Mr. Tadashi Yanai, President of Fast Retailing, and key executives at UNIQLO’s global headquarters in Tokyo.
Following this, my role shifted from research to execution: turning insights into a marketing strategy, store concept, and launch campaign.
To bring this to life, I assembled a multidisciplinary team of Filipino creatives—photographers, filmmakers, illustrators, graphic designers, musicians, fashion stylists, editorial writers, and animators—showcasing the incredible talent within the country. This was complemented by a small core team from Singapore—including a copywriter, designer, and producer.
The campaign developed over 10 months, from January to the October 2018 launch. During this period, I traveled to UNIQLO’s headquarters in Ariake, Tokyo four times to present the proposal to Mr. Yanai and John C. Jay, President of Global Creative.
During the research stage, we uncovered three key insights:
- Filipinos are among the highest users of social media globally.
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Community is deeply embedded in Filipino culture—people celebrate and uplift each other.
- Most advertising and brand campaigns in the Philippines rely heavily on influencers and celebrity endorsements.
Challenging the Status Quo
Our marketing strategy aimed to break away from celebrity-driven advertising and position UNIQLO as an everyday brand for all. Instead of relying on traditional endorsements, we focused on real, inspiring Manileños who are shaping the city’s future.
A Community-Driven Approach
We launched a public nomination campaign, inviting the community to nominate everyday people driving Manila forward. The entire process took place on social media, where anyone could post an image and a caption explaining why their nominee deserved to be featured.
This was UNIQLO’s first-ever public nomination-based casting call globally—a campaign built from the ground up, amplifying real voices and real stories. The response was overwhelming:
- 3,000+ nominations were submitted.
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10 individuals were selected to be part of the campaign.
- They were featured alongside brand ambassadors Atom Araullo and Pia Wurtzbach.
This campaign wasn’t just about promoting a brand—it was about celebrating the people shaping Manila’s future and reinforcing UNIQLO’s role in everyday life
For this campaign, I wanted to capture a raw and honest portrayal of Manila—one that felt real, not staged. Instead of a traditional fashion shoot, we took a documentary-style approach, ensuring the visuals reflected the energy and grit of the city.
To achieve this, we brought on Paco Guerrero, a documentary and travel photographer who had also worked on our research phase. Unlike most campaigns, where the photography and film are handled separately due to the fast-paced nature of production, we made the unconventional choice to have Paco shoot both the campaign visuals and the film. This ensured a cohesive visual and narrative approach.
A Story-Driven Approach
The TVC film was designed to go beyond aesthetics—it told the stories, attitudes, and aspirations of our cast, featuring:- 12 individuals—a journalist, architect, filmmaker, chef, football player, entrepreneur, artist, dancer, and more.
- 12 forward-looking locations across Manila, capturing the city’s energy, ambition, and transformation.
- A massive production effort—with a 180-person crew, police escorts (to navigate Manila’s notorious traffic), and even a helicopter for aerial shots.
Here are storyboards from our final presentation to UNIQLO, along with behind-the-scenes photos from the production.
I’ve always been fascinated by the behind-the-scenes content that comes with DVDs—sometimes, it’s even more compelling than the film itself. So when planning the campaign, I thought: Why not bring the audience into the process?
As a lead-up to the UNIQLO Global Flagship Store opening, we commissioned a series of eight 1-minute films to showcase what goes into creating a UNIQLO campaign.
To bring this vision to life, we worked with: Photographer-filmmaker Carmen Del Prado – to produce and shoot the films. Illustrator Craig Halili – to visualize the concept through storyboards, which were used for presentations in Japan and as a guide during filming.
These short films didn’t just document the process—they gave the audience an inside look at the people, ideas, and effort that made this campaign happen.
To ensure the highest production quality in line with UNIQLO’s global campaigns, we brought on Keigo Nakamura from Monster Films Japan as a production consultant. After wrapping the shoot, I traveled to Tokyo for post-production, working with Keigo-san and his team on the final edit, color correction, photo touch-ups, and overall asset delivery.
This was our second collaboration with Keigo-san and Monster Films, following our work on UNIQLO Wherever You Go (2017). Keigo-san, known for producing the iconic UNIQLOCK campaign, was introduced to us by Koichiro Tanaka of Projector Japan.
Designing the store experience
A Global Flagship Store is more than just a retail space—it’s an opportunity for UNIQLO to be a good neighbor and an active part of the community. That’s why it was essential to collaborate with local creative talents and present them to the world. The store was envisioned as a vessel for culture—a platform to showcase Manila’s creativity and identity.
This strategy was first introduced for the UNIQLO Singapore Global Flagship Store and has since been adopted in other key markets, including Vietnam, India, and the new UNIQLO Tokyo at Marronnier Gate Ginza 2.
The idea came from a Japanese tradition: when moving to a new place, people offer small gifts to their neighbors as a gesture of respect, gratitude, and acknowledgment of any inconvenience caused. Inspired by this, we saw an opportunity for a Japanese brand to embody this spirit of goodwill—to not just enter a city, but to contribute meaningfully to its cultural landscape.
For UNIQLO Manila, this meant collaborating with Filipino artists, designers, musicians, and animators to create a store experience that truly reflected the city’s unique energy and talent.
Bringing Manila’s Creativity to Life
The store’s hoarding (or board-ups, as they’re known in the Philippines) was illustrated by Plus63, a design studio composed of Dan Matutina, Joanna Malinis, Raxenne Maniquiz, and Craig Halili. Their artwork became a central visual theme for the launch, extending beyond the store’s exterior.
In the weeks leading up to the opening, their illustrations were featured on paper bags distributed across all UNIQLO stores in the country. On opening day, the designs were transformed into exclusive Japanese sensu fans as giveaways for customers. The artwork also came to life through animated versions displayed inside the flagship store, seamlessly integrating Manila’s creative energy into the retail experience.
A Soundtrack for the Future
To further enhance the in-store experience, we commissioned a custom soundtrack exclusively for UNIQLO Manila—making it only the second UNIQLO store in the world to have music designed specifically for the shopping experience.
Produced by Erwin Romulo and Malek Lopez, the “Soundtrack for the Future” featured a lineup of acclaimed Filipino musicians, including Caliph8, Nonplus, Moon Fear Moon, Auspicious Family, Carol Bello, and Mark Laccay.
The music was designed to dynamically shape the store experience, with different audio elements playing in various sections, encouraging customers to explore the space in new ways.
Type Play
A signature feature of UNIQLO Global Flagship Stores worldwide is the immersive digital experience—LED and LCD screens wrapping the space, creating a dynamic, technology-driven environment.
For UNIQLO Manila, we collaborated with a motion designer to produce a series of custom animations, integrating the “logo play” visual identity we designed with the energy and vibrancy of the city. These animations were projected throughout the store, seamlessly blending UNIQLO’s global aesthetic with Manila’s unique character.
Opening Day
On October 5, UNIQLO Manila—the second UNIQLO Global Flagship Store in Southeast Asia—officially opened its doors.
I was on-site to oversee the shoot for the Making Of film, capturing the final moments before the opening and conducting an interview with Mr. Yanai.
After 11 months of research and production, collaborating with a global team of incredibly talented individuals and navigating hundreds of meetings across Singapore, Manila, and Tokyo, we successfully launched the UNIQLO Manila Global Flagship Store.
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Felix Ng
Co-founder, Anonymous
@felix.anonymous