As if his music and advertising careers weren’t enough, Herbert Hernandez has found another way to combine them since 2010: he founded Lakihan Mo Logo (“Make the Logo Bigger”), an idea Herbert Hernandez describes as “a commercial break for people making commercials.” Ad agency talent is brought together in bands for Lakihan Mo Logo, a concert series in Manila that provides a stress-relieving outlet for them.
Some musicians have been signed as recording artists after performing 58 concerts over the last 12 years. To raise money for seriously ill advertising industry members, Hernandez organized 12 “Rockovery” concerts. Almost as long as Herbert Hernandez has enjoyed success as a musician, he has also gained recognition and appreciation as an advertising executive. As a visualizer and designer at J. Walter Thompson (JWT) Manila, he designed brochures and packaging for their company in 2003.
Hernandez was promoted to Art Director within a few months, and he would keep getting promoted, now lamenting that he didn’t take adequate risks at the beginning of his career because he was too focused on moving up the corporate ladder. As a Senior Art Director at JWT, Hernandez moved on to DM9 JaymeSyfu DDB after three years. During his six years at DM9 JaymeSyfu DDB, Hernandez rose from the position of Creative Director.
In 2010, Hernandez won a silver Cannes Lions Festival award for his Mini Cooper “Roller Coaster” poster at the Cannes Lions Festival. At the 2011 Cannes Lions Festival for the Department of Tourism of the Philippines, he won a bronze award for outdoor. In addition to Spikes Asia, Clios, Philippine Creative Guild, Ad Congress Araw Awards, and Tinta Awards, some of his work has won awards.
Hernandez’s work won Spikes Asia awards, Clios awards, Asia Pacific Advertising Festival awards, Cannes Lions awards, and Ad Stars awards. In 2017, Abesamis and Hernandez decided to start their agency, and GIGIL was born. They boast the world’s largest client list, and they’ve won a ton of awards. According to them, passion and hard work are more important than raw talent.
The ideas presented by GIGIL often “beg to be discussed,” which reassures Hernandez and Abesamis that their job is being done correctly. They believe brands and ideas must be discussed to move culture, people, and, most importantly, products. They create compelling reasons for people to buy their products. For clients looking to stand out, their calculated risk-taking results in big results.
