Objective

JOY is here! The sequel to the box office record-setting Filipino film Hello, Love, Goodbye would begin its theatrical release in the US and Canada on November 15, more than 5 years after its predecessor. Consumer behavior online has shifted over this time and would require tapping into and uniting a targeted North American fanbase on social media to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Our social media strategy for Hello, Love, Again centered on driving pre-sales and building momentum through authentic connections with Filipino and AAPI communities in North America.

To generate excitement and intent to purchase tickets, we would develop a highly-targeted social media campaign that would: 

• Celebrate Filipino talent and storytelling in a way that would authentically resonate with the North American Filipino community 
• Highlight the undeniable chemistry between the lead actors Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards both on and off screen to activate their local fanbases  
• Leverage the prestige of Hello, Love, Goodbye, the highest-grossing Filipino film, to position Hello, Love, Again as another cultural moment not to be missed
• Echo the film’s relatable story, centering on OFWs, which would resonate within Filipino-American communities, building momentum for an experience demanding to be shared with loved ones

Through these efforts, we aimed to create strong audience engagement across social media and build anticipation for the film’s theatrical release.

Strategy

First and foremost, our digital campaign had to stand out in our target audience’s feeds. The social creative and messaging held a distinct aesthetic and tone of voice. When the Star Cinema studio account shared content tailored to the North American release, the social post was immediately recognizable for our audiences. The strategy signified an importance, differentiating us for fans to recognize when the studio accounts were speaking directly to the US and Canadian followers, and proved to be very effective. 

Social shares were exceptionally high for posts such as the trending Female Filmmaker Friday and the Digital Postcard. While celebrating Director Cathy Garcia-Sampana, we not only integrated Filipino American Heritage Month into our trending content but reminded audiences of the success and cultural significance of the first film Hello, Love, Goodbye. Because the OFW storyline is so relatable to so many Filipino Americans, it was important that we make the audience relate to the storyline. The JOY IS HERE Digital Postcard emphasized the theme of staying connected with your loved ones, regardless of whether they were close or far away. Through the entirety of the campaign, building momentum for an experience that needs to be shared with loved ones together was a major goal that proved to be most impactful. Our megastars Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards talked about the importance of staying connected with friends and family in an exclusive social interview. 

Through talent interviews and direct-to-camera scripting, we created captivating social video content that highlighted the undeniable chemistry between the lead actors. These videos, amplified by Kathryn and Alden, generated massive appeal and excitement amongst fans. 

We activated North American-based online fan groups to be our advocates for sharing updates and amplifying our domestic release messaging - including theater listings and direct links to purchase tickets. Our social grassroots efforts were most effective when fan sites exclusively debuted content, such as a special fan message recorded by Kathryn and Alden. The video on TikTok was KathDen Official Fans Club’s highest viewed post of the entire campaign.

The film felt closest to home in North America when we highlighted the cast’s appearance at the Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA. Domestic audiences felt connected to our stars as they shared a social-produced cast selfie video, which became the highest organic performing content from the campaign with over 2.1 million views across Star Cinema's Instagram and Facebook. We also saw significant engagement on the premiere sizzle with 500 comments across social platforms.

Results

Hello, Love, Again made headlines with its record-breaking North American debut - becoming the highest grossing opening weekend for a Filipino film at the domestic box office with $2.4 million and boasting the highest theater average of the weekend at $9.7K. We amplified the film’s Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 96%, proving the movie successfully resonated with its target audience. 

A true cultural moment in North America, fans shared their JOY for Hello, Love, Again. Our targeted social media efforts culminated to more than 20 million impressions with over 6 million combined video views. From grassroots outreach to North American based fan groups to targeted posts and personalized messages from talent to their domestic audiences, the campaign was a far-reaching celebration of this International cinematic feat.

Media Coverage: 

• “A highly targeted social media strategy was employed, featuring scripted content tailored for North American audiences, fan engagement initiatives, and grassroots outreach. The campaign leveraged the strong fan base of Bernardo and Richards, along with strategic partnerships with platforms like ABS-CBN’s TFC and Cinema One, creating a cohesive push across digital and social media.” Deadline
• “The film’s success owes much to a well-crafted marketing campaign that went beyond targeting the Filipino diaspora. By engaging Asian American, Hispanic and mainstream moviegoers, “Hello, Love, Again” managed to expand its audience base while celebrating Filipino storytelling.” MSN
• “The campaign utilized social media content customized for North American viewers, and the fan base of the leads, alongside partnerships with ABS-CBN’s TFC and Cinema One platforms.” Variety

Media