GCash won the highest local honor at the YouTube Works Awards Philippines 2026 for a campaign that combined relatable storytelling, first-party customer data, multiple video formats, and Google’s artificial intelligence-powered advertising tools to convert audience engagement into loan applications.
The fintech company’s “GLoan with Free Health Insurance: Loan Song Syndrome” campaign was named Best of Philippines and also received the Masters of Media award during the ceremony held in Manila on August 5.
Prep Palacios, Google Philippines Country Manager
Speaking at the event, Google Philippines Country Manager Prep Palacios described YouTube as an ecosystem that brings together culture, trusted creators, shopping experiences, and AI-powered advertising across multiple screens and video formats.
“From Shorts and long-form videos to living-room TV content, podcasts, and online shopping, YouTube has built a complete ecosystem that connects with millions of Filipinos every single day,” Palacios said.
She added that the platform’s greatest advantage lies in the trust viewers place in creators, enabling brands to transform product discovery into informed purchasing decisions and measurable business outcomes.
From a catchy jingle to loan applications
The campaign promoted a GLoan offer bundled with free health insurance, positioning GLoan as more than simply a source of emergency funding.
Rather than relying on technical explanations of lending and insurance, GCash used relatable “close call” situations, Filipino humor, and a catchy jingle inspired by a familiar 1990s song to make the offer easier to understand and remember.
Watch the campaign here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7J40pQ76U0
“When emergencies happen, having quick access to a financial ‘lifeline’ or a loan can make all the difference,” GCash Chief Marketing Officer Neil Trinidad said.
After establishing the creative concept, GCash used different YouTube formats to engage consumers throughout the customer journey.
The campaign began with longer-form videos explaining the offer. A video-view campaign, supported by GCash’s first-party eligibility signals, targeted consumers who already qualified to access GLoan.
GCash then launched a video-reach campaign alongside six-second bumper ads to reinforce the campaign’s memorable jingle and key messages among viewers who had already engaged with the content.
The final phase connected these awareness campaigns with GCash’s always-on Performance Max campaign, using Google’s AI-powered advertising tools to convert consumer interest into actual loan applications.
GCash reports higher usage and lower acquisition costs
According to GCash, the campaign increased daily active users by 14.5%, while daily loan disbursements grew by 36.7% compared with the previous quarter.
Search interest for “free health insurance” increased by 684%, while the campaign improved by seven percentage points the number of consumers who viewed GCash as a dependable source of emergency or additional funds.
The campaign generated 96.5 million impressions, reached 8.8 million people, and recorded 48 million views, according to the case study presented during the roundtable.
By running brand-building and performance campaigns simultaneously, GCash also reduced customer acquisition costs by 95% compared with its search-engine marketing baseline.
“In the end, we didn’t just make GLoan more memorable. We made protection more accessible,” Trinidad said.
The campaign demonstrates how fintech companies can use video not only to build awareness but also to identify qualified users, reinforce brand messaging, and drive measurable business outcomes.
Google highlights YouTube’s evolving marketing ecosystem
Beyond recognizing this year’s winners, Google used the awards to reinforce YouTube’s growing role as more than a video platform, positioning it as a marketing ecosystem that combines creators, artificial intelligence, commerce, and multiple viewing formats to help brands drive measurable business results.
Google said YouTube’s expanding advertising and creator tools are designed to help marketers connect storytelling with consumer action, from product discovery to purchase.
IMAGE CREDIT: YouTube
The company also highlighted new capabilities that allow advertisers to collaborate more closely with creators and connect campaigns with online shopping experiences.
The broader strategy reflects Google’s efforts to position YouTube as a full-funnel platform where brands can build awareness, strengthen customer engagement, and generate measurable business performance. The company discussed these initiatives in greater detail during the event.
Philippine winners advance to regional competition
The winners were selected by a panel of industry leaders, with the process audited in partnership with Deloitte.
Del Monte Philippines received The Big Bang award for its Centennial Celebration campaign, while Jollibee won Multiformat Storytelling for “Jollibee Christmas 2025: Every Family’s Christmas Joy.”
Colgate Total’s campaign featuring Davao Conyo and Dr. Vicki Belo received the Brands & Creators award, while Maggi Philippines won Best of Festive for “Get Pasko Ready with Maggi.”
WPP Media was named Media Agency of the Year, Publicis JimenezBasic received Creative Agency of the Year, and HIIP Philippines was recognized as Specialty Agency of the Year.
The winning Philippine campaigns will represent the country at the YouTube Works Awards Southeast Asia later this year.
Fintech marketing moves beyond awareness
For financial services companies, GCash’s victory demonstrates how fintech marketing is evolving beyond brand awareness toward campaigns that combine creative storytelling, first-party customer data, and AI-powered advertising to produce measurable business outcomes.
Rather than simply generating views, the award-winning campaign showed how a financial platform could explain a bundled lending product in an engaging way, reach consumers most likely to qualify for the offer, and translate audience engagement into actual loan applications.
The recognition also reflects a broader shift in digital marketing, where brands are increasingly expected to demonstrate not only creative excellence but also clear business impact.
