Samgyupsalamat turns Filipino gratitude into a 59.7m-view national campaign

Philippine restaurant chain Samgyupsalamat has launched its first major national campaign, marking 13 years since it pioneered the country’s unlimited Korean barbecue grill format.

Created with indie agency GIGIL and directed by Marius Talampas of Arcade Film Factory, the campaign centres on a film series that celebrates what it describes as a distinctly Filipino trait: “endless gratefulness.”

The series leans into a familiar social dynamic in the Philippines, where expressions of thanks often escalate into a back-and-forth exchange. Rather than ending with a simple “you’re welcome”, gratitude becomes performative, warm, and at times competitive. The campaign reframes this behaviour as a cultural insight – one that aligns closely with the brand’s name, which loosely translates to “thank you for having samgyeopsal.”

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Titled Unli-salamat (Unlimited thanks), the campaign blends humour with sentimentality, showing characters attempting to outdo each other in expressing appreciation in increasingly unexpected situations.

The tone reflects both the convivial nature of dining and the brand’s longstanding relationship with its customers.

“For 13 years, Filipinos have shown up for us – night after night, table after table. Unli-salamat is our way of saying: the gratitude goes both ways, and like everything we do, it’s unlimited,” said Engr. Dexter Julio, CMO of Samgyupsalamat.

The campaign has accumulated 59.7 million views to date, reflecting broad reach across digital platforms. For GIGIL, the work continues its exploration of culturally specific insights, while director Talampas and Arcade Film Factory adopt a narrative style that balances humour with everyday familiarity.

In a crowded F&B landscape, Samgyupsalamat’s campaign suggests that emotional resonance – when executed with precision – can be as scalable as price-led propositions.

The work was developed with creative partners Herbert Hernandez and Badong Abesamis, who led the direction alongside creative director Jeano Cruz and managing partner Jake Yrastorza. Media duties were handled by NAKS!, while audio was produced by HIT Productions.

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