During the Philippines’ favorite time of the year, there is a deluge of holiday-themed advertising everywhere: featuring cliché happy family get-togethers or made-up sob stories.

How do we rise above the season’s clichés and still promote brand love?

An online film about Daniel Cabrera, the homeless boy photographed studying outside a McDonald’s store in the Philippines. His photo was shared by Joyce Torrefranca, a student, on her Facebook page and went viral worldwide. The film recounts the story and their touching reunion one year later. The film was shared online via McDonald’s Philippines Facebook and YouTube pages at the onset of the Christmas holidays. Social media content featuring Daniel and Joyce were also released in the next weeks. Local and international media quickly picked up the film and expanded awareness for the campaign.