TNT, the value brand of Smart Communications Inc., has won a gold award at the SMARTIES Philippines for its network campaign under the TNT SMARTIES Creator/Influencer/Celebrity Marketing (Impact Marketing) category.
The SMARTIES Philippines is a marketing awards program that recognizes innovative and effective campaigns that demonstrate meaningful impact for brands and businesses.
The TNT SMARTIES campaign: network lag meets ghost hunting
Launched in February 2026, TNT’s award-winning campaign was developed with Ace Saatchi and Saatchi, with Wavemaker Philippines WPP Media as the media agency. It featured paranormal expert and content creator Ed Caluag, who brought TNT’s network benefit to life through an entertaining story inspired by his popular ghost-hunting content.
The campaign tackled one of the most frustrating experiences for mobile users: network lag. It took this into an unexpected setting: a haunted house. In the campaign video, Ed investigates paranormal activity while livestreaming his experience, only to have his encounters with the ghosts repeatedly interrupted by lag. The increasingly frustrated ghosts eventually turn the tables on Ed, creating a humorous way for TNT to highlight the importance of a responsive and reliable mobile connection.
Built on a real network achievement
The creative idea was built around TNT’s recognition for having the Best Mobile Latency in the Philippines in the Ookla Speedtest Awards. This translated the technical benefit of low latency into a story audiences could easily understand and enjoy.
659 million impressions
Premiering on Ed Caluag’s own digital platforms, the campaign was subsequently amplified across Meta, Google, YouTube and TikTok, generating over 659 million impressions and extending the campaign’s reach among mobile-first Filipinos.
“This recognition reflects how we continue to find fresh and engaging ways to bring TNT’s brand promise to life,” said Lloyd R. Manaloto, FVP and OIC for Smart. “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.”
A growing body of work
The SMARTIES Gold adds to TNT’s growing body of work that combines its fun and entertaining brand personality with meaningful product and service messages. It also reinforces the value of collaborating with creators not simply as endorsers, but as partners in developing stories that can make technical benefits more accessible and entertaining for audiences.
Watch the award-winning campaign here: TNT x Ed Caluag.
Giancarlo Viterbo
Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.
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