Jiang Nan, GIGIL turn hotpot chaos into art via 'Gallery of mess'

A new print campaign out of the Philippines is reimagining the dining mess as a visual love letter to flavour. Jiang Nan Hotpot and Grill has teamed up with GIGIL Manila for "Gallery of mess", a print and design series that embraces the splashes, spills, and smears of a sauce-fuelled feast - reframing them not as accidents but as artwork.

Launched in June 2025, the campaign showcases the brand's five signature sauces not by showing them in pristine dishes, but by capturing the aftershocks of indulgence. Clothes and pants get splattered in delicious residue, while sauce trails escape mouths without shame, and every shot tells a story of a meal that couldn't be contained.

The approach leans into the unfiltered and raw. At a time when social feeds are curated and spotless, "Gallery of mess" turns the lens to the aftermath - where chaos, flavour, and satisfaction collide.

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The campaign was developed by the team at GIGIL Manila and Katok, with art direction from Jasper Cajilig and Natasha Calaquian, and creative leadership from Badong Abesamis and Herbert Hernandez.

"With food this good, you're bound to make a mess," Calaquian said in a LinkedIn post. "To promote Jiang Nan's signature sauces, we highlighted the smears, stains, and spills that come with eating great food - turning what's usually an embarrassing mess into a mark of a meal worth remembering."

This reflects the personality Jiang Nan has built since its founding in 2017 - irreverent, expressive, and anything but ordinary.

Under the tagline "Not your ordinary hotpot", the brand has grown steadily from its first location in Makati to seven branches across Metro Manila, with further expansions on the horizon in Mandaluyong, Marikina, Baguio, and Tagaytay.

Despite that growth, Jiang Nan is holding on to its identity: steeped in the flavours of southern China, but unafraid to spill some sauce in the process. And with "Gallery of mess", it's turned that identity into something proudly tangible.

The hot pot and food market in the Philippines is carving out a growing niche within the country's expanding foodservice industry. According to GII Research, the Philippine foodservice market is projected to reach US$36.27 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual rate of 14.52% from 2025 onward.

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