Branded entertainment in the Philippines usually came in the form of TV or online video. However, PLDT Home DSL was constantly out-voiced. Unlike its competitors, they could not air ads on the top-rating TV network due to business conglomerate restrictions. We knew Facebook was key to aid awareness. Facebook needed to be the platform to showcase the brand promise: of how digital connections could strengthen personal connections and more crucially showcase how this could unleash a child’s potential. But Facebook being the Philippine's most popular social media platform also added the challenge of needing to be highly engaging to cut through the clutter to connect with our target.

So, for PLDT HOME DSL, the Philippines’ biggest home internet provider, how can we demonstrate how DSL's stronger digital connections can enable anyone to create stronger emotional connections with everyone? We created Ask Diego, the first advice site for adults answered by a 7-year-old kid. We found an unknown child actor and named him Diego S. Ledesma, then made the public believe he was real by giving him an unbranded Facebook account named Ask Diego. He launched it with a post inviting people to post questions or problems they needed advice with.

The centerpiece of the integrated campaign is Ask Diego, the first advice site for adults answered by a 7-year-old. We found an unknown talent and gave him an unbranded Facebook account (Ask Diego). He launched it with a post inviting people to post problems, and they did. Diego answered as many as he could with comments, photos and videos. Diego became famous, earning free coverage in every media touchpoint. After seeded that Diego was a DSL user, we made him the face of our brand with anintegrated campaign with ATL, BTL and digital materials, while keeping his Facebook unbranded.

The site evolved into something bigger than we expected. It became a safe haven for people to notonly share their personal questions, but their most personal stories. And when the campaign ended and Diego no longer responded to his audience, somethingspecial happened: his audience continued to use his help site to help each other.

72.9 million people reached online

468,795 unique users interacted with Ask Diego

There were significantly more people engaged in the campaign than the number of actual fans on the page.

412% increase in home internet subscriptions

71.5 million media impressions gained

9% average engagement rate on the Facebook page – 2471% more than globally-recognized standards of engagement levels for the fan base

Almost 14% Growth of subscriber base versus previous year (2013 – 870,560 to 2014 – 1,012,083)