The encyclopedia · Marketing & Brand · Marketing decision · 2023
TNT made SIM registration funny and registered 29.8 million subscribers
Facing a deadline that would deactivate unregistered SIMs, budget telco TNT ran absurd comedy films that drove 29.8 million registrations.
TNT (Smart Communications)
The solution
TNT, the value brand of PLDT's wireless unit Smart Communications, is aimed at ordinary Filipinos. In 2023 the government required every SIM to be registered by April 26 or be deactivated, to curb scam and spam texts. But after three months only 54% of TNT's user base had registered — millions of subscribers risked losing their numbers, taking TNT's business with them.
Other telcos responded with fear: celebrity-endorsed public service ads warning of disconnection. People tuned out. TNT and agency GIGIL chose the opposite route, leaning into TNT's playful 'fun telco' personality with the insight that a deactivated SIM means no social media, no banking, no contact — no life.
GIGIL made three short comedy films showing absurd consequences of not registering: a mother locked out of her family's recognition because her number changed, a man with IDs tattooed all over his body because he couldn't receive a one-time password, and a man using homing pigeons in place of social media. They were posted where Filipinos actually spend time — Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
The films got 56.8 million views and 1.6 million engagements across the selected platforms (over 100 million views in total across social media, by adobo's count). Within ten days more than 7 million TNT subscribers registered, and the campaign ultimately drove 29.8 million registered SIMs — the most of any Philippine telco — achieving 80% customer retention.
Why it worked
- It treated the law like a content brief: the compliance message was disguised as the kind of video Filipinos would click anyway.
- The fear was real but the frame was funny, so the warning traveled through shares, memes and word of mouth instead of being ignored.
- Brand mentions rose 100-fold during the campaign and positive sentiment climbed from 12.6% to 51.1% — the humor built affection, not just compliance.
- The Philippine government ended up using the films in its own registration drive, a free endorsement no media buy could buy.
What can be applied
When the audience has tuned out scare tactics, humor can out-deliver fear. Making compliance look like content people would click anyway can move mass behavior fear-based messaging failed to move.
Aftermath
TNT became the No. 1 Philippine telco for successful registrations, beating four competitors with 29.8 million registered SIMs and 80% retention, and its 'Mother' film won back-to-back ADFEST golds — Film Lotus in 2024 and Effective Lotus in 2025 — plus a Stevies 2024 gold, APAC Effie 2024 silver and the YouTube Works Philippines 'Force for Good' award. As of end-2024 TNT remained the country's biggest mobile brand with almost 35 million subscribers.
Sources
- TNT's SIM Registration video wins back-to-back golds at ADFEST 2025
- ADFEST 2025 winners details — SIM Registration Drive (Effective Lotus Gold, Customer Acquisition & Retention)
- GIGIL's recent film encouraged TNT customers in the Philippines to register their SIM cards
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