Since its introduction, Kwentong Jollibee has been more than just a consistent online phenomenon, touching our hearts over the years with heart-tugging scenes and cathartic onscreen moments from the cute, the fun, and downright heartbreaking. The series of video shorts has proven to be a marketing and advertising marvel that shook and even reshaped the industry, particularly with the now-anticipated release of the brand’s annual Valentine’s series that started in 2017.
With over 36 short films released and more than 800 million views collected on Facebook and YouTube, the fastfood giant’s narrative genius has continuously attracted support and recognition here and abroad for its distinctly Filipino storytelling that charts familiar and universal human experiences of love, loss, joy and pain.
This year, a new trio of short films has been introduced told with the help of local filmmakers JP Habac and Antoinette Jadaone, uncovering what love really means and the many ways this can be discovered and experienced.
In a press statement, Jollibee AVP and Head of Brand PR, Engagement and Digital Marketing, Arline Adeva shared, “It’s the sixth year of the Kwentong Jollibee Valentine series and what we always realize is that love comes in different forms and can be defined in myriad ways, unique from person to person. The stories were inspired by true-to-life experiences of real people in the pandemic, with unexpected twists that lead people into finding what love truly means for them.”
“As in our past runs of Kwentong Jollibee, our goal is to celebrate the uniqueness of each love story and showcase the timeless lessons that can inspire and give hope to our viewers. All three episodes are anchored on powerful truths that surfaced during these challenging times when all kinds of relationships were somehow put to the test.”
Single, taken, taken for granted? From its rich library of short films, here are some picks (spoilers ahead) of the most memorable Kwentong Jollibee flicks that always get a rewatch from the Rank Magazine team (with an order or two from Jollibee, of course.):
“Date,” 2017
Date serves as the last installment of the video campaign that was released in the Kwentong Jollibee Valentine Series of 2017, and the most somber among the three. It started with a friendly voice call from a father with instructions to his son on what appears to be a surprise date inside a Jollibee store for his mom. The slow, heartwarming set-up leading to a heart-wrenching revelation. And in that recorded message taken on his last moments, it’s the line, “Ibinilin na kita kay Joey. Siya na rin ang Valentine’s date mo.” (I’ve asked Joey to look after you. From now on he’ll be your Valentine’s date.) that remains a constant tear jerker to this day.
“Vow,” 2017
One of the most iconic releases from the Kwentong Jollibee series, Vow follows the classic story of a guy who fell in love with a girl upon seeing her inside a Jollibee store (Because where do you find true love, really?!). Starting from that day, he knew that the girl is worth all of his efforts and not a day was spent without a smile on his and her faces. But as in real life, unlike in the movies, the guy doesn’t always end up with the girl of his dreams. The one video that launched a thousand, foreigner reaction videos. Press 1 for #TeamNaFriendzone.
“Crush,” 2017
Crush is a light-hearted story from 2018 that follows a young, innocent college-set romance that started off with a guy who writes short messages on post-its attached to, well, what else but a Jollibee Yum! Burger to a girl he secretly likes but seemingly cannot get. But this small crush is not to be disregarded. Fast forward to their reunion, it was revealed that the two souls get their storybook ending. The video got a lot of attention that the following year, the story of the couple gets met with an “interquel” of sorts with the video, “Homecoming.”
“Proposal,” 2019
Proposal tells the story about Hans’ shattered fairytale that becomes a way for him to understand what true love is, following him escaping the pitfalls of despair—fake beard and all. Well, most of us experienced that; heart shattered to have something better, it is either through another heartbreak or something that will last for a lifetime. Either way, once the heart is shattered, the most important thing is the lesson we learn. One thing’s for sure, it should always be for yourself.
“#CoupleGoals,” 2020
#CoupleGoals tells the story of the perfect couple (if there ever is a thing), Lisa and Matt, who have been sharing their perfect relationship on social media—or so people thought. In reality, they are not a picture-perfect couple, struggling a lot with issues on time and priorities until eventually, bigger questions of whether staying together is worth it or has become a chore no one benefits from launched an inward look at themselves and their relationship. Will they still be #CoupleGoals?
“Status,” 2018
Dating is a tedious guessing game of “Are we or are we not a good fit?” And it gets taxing to find love and affection, sometimes in the wrong places. Status follows the story of a young woman in deep disarray after a couple of fleeting relationships that often ends in heartbreak. But in the end, in our constant quest for love, we often forget the love we already have. The heartwarming video speaks volumes of the value of unconditional love found in our homes and the impact our support systems give in our self-empowerment.
“Parangal,” 2017
Kwentong Jollibee doesn’t just churn out content meant for Valentine’s Day. Even before the annual tradition of sharing stories for love month, the brand has consistently released short films in every occasion. The 2017 video Parangal brings us to a graduation. A young man who speaks in his commencement rites pulls the focus from him and shifts it to his single mother, who fought tooth and nail to give him the future he deserves. The video is linked to one of the videos off the Valentine’s series of the same year, Date, and was released in time for Mother’s Day. If that’s not a well-oiled Kwentong Jollibee cinematic universe, we don’t know what is.
“Kahera,” 2016
Kahera brings us to two disparate characters: a stern grandmother and a young Jollibee crew. Working the cashier of the restaurant, the young professional takes varying levels of scrutiny from the regular customer, from her name tag, diction, and attention to details. It was later on revealed that the two are connected, highlighting the value of support from our family. Released in 2016, the video was meant for Grandparents’ Day and gave us all the reasons to celebrate the love we get from our lolos and lolas.
“First Date,” 2021
First Date is about finding your true love in the midst of the pandemic, set during life under quarantine. Could that even happen? In the video, Mara took a while before she finally got to introduce herself to her perfect love—one who held her hand in changing flat tires, fixing her faucet, and even getting out of her comfort zone. The video amplifies the message of self-care and self-love in a time of questions and uncertainties. That in order to love others, the longest journey of all is learning to love one’s self—warts and all.
Introduction and additional text by Leo Balante