Herbert Hernandez, GIGIL Co-Founder and Award-Winning Musician Squeezes Achievement From His Creative Endeavors

Finding success as a creative in the modern world is simultaneously more difficult and more accessible than it’s ever been. The tools needed to begin a creative journey, be it in music, writing, or any visual art medium, have never been easier to find and pick up. However, turning that accessibility into market success is more difficult than ever, with every creative market already full to bursting with talent and skill. The most successful creatives in the modern age are the ones that can identify an underserved or targeted niche and capitalize on it.

Herbert Hernandez has built a creative career doing just that. From a career as a talented guitarist and collaborator for renowned bands 6cyclemind and Moonstar88, to over two decades in the advertising industry, Hernandez’s career has been defined by bold creative choices and delightfully disruptive campaigns. Both independently, and in collaboration with his business partner Badong Abesamis, Herbert Hernandez has taken the Philippines by storm.

With multiple awards under his belt both as a musician and as an entrepreneur—including being named to the Campaign Asia 40 Under 40 list for his success as co-founder of GIGIL—Herbert Hernandez demonstrates that with the right mindset, and a strong work ethic, you can find creative success in a number of industries. Specialization is one path to success, but there is room for more eclectic success. In Hernandez’s own words, “I just want to show that while there are people who are specialized in their fields, there are also people like me who are able to do many things too.”

Always The Artist

Herbert Hernandez has always been focused on and fulfilled by the arts. As a child his tastes were eclectic, but passionate; arts, music, film, all these different media appealed to him. They would rapidly become his main creative outlet and hobby, which led him to pursue a Fine Arts education. While an artistic career was his original plan, his education exposed him to the field of advertising—it was an immediate match for him. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Santo Tomas in 2002 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising.

While his education directly led to his love for creative advertising, Hernandez was already establishing himself as a talented musician. With his older brother working as his manager, he was able to balance his studies with his music—a balance he maintains today as a business owner.

Herbert Hernandez is a member of two Filipino bands: rock band Moonstar88 founded in 1999, and alternative/pop rock fusion band 6cyclemind which started in 2001. Both bands remain active today, and between them have released 12 studio albums to commercial and critical success. Combined, the two bands have received 11 awards and a further 14 nominations from bodies including the MYX Music Awards, Awit Awards, ASAP Pop Viewers’ Choice Awards, and the Wish 107.5 Music Awards.

Bold Vision, Bold Advertising

Hernandez’s advertising career from 2003 to 2017 was consistently marked by success and defined by a unique quality only he could bring. His projects were effective and award-winning, with awards from Cannes, Spikes Asia, the Clios, Philippine Creative Guild, ADFEST, APAC Effies, and more. All of this success only fueled Hernandez’s passion for the industry, and it was only a matter of time before he’d turn his eye on an advertising venture of his own.

Herbert Hernandez says that founding GIGIL, his now-lauded and successful advertising studio, was both the toughest and easiest decision in his professional career. Co-founding the company with Creative Guild Hall of Fame inductee Badong Abesamis in 2017 was a risk only mitigated by the success of his music career, but it’s a risk that’s paid off in spades. Hernandez’s music career taught him that a solo act is rarely successful, and so he took care to choose a business partner whose skills augmented and complemented his own.

With Hernandez taking charge on music and visuals, and Abesamis leveraging his own extensive writing expertise, GIGIL has grown exponentially in the past seven years. Repeatedly listed as one of the Top 10 Hottest Agencies in Asia, and winning a broad swathe of awards including The Work’s Top Agencies 2023, where GIGIL Manila ranked #1 in the Philippines and #3 in Asia Pacific —maintaining a three year streak of Top 5 performance. With a portfolio including over 30 brands and an advertising strategy best described as bold and delightful, it’s no surprise the agency has seen such success.

GIGIL’s advertising services include the full array of digital and print advertising: social media ads, digital films, content development, SEO, print ads, billboards, events and promo, branding services, design and collateral, and so much more. Their digital campaigns have seen significant success—their Netflix, Levi’s, and RC Cola campaigns in particular experienced runaway virality that only brought more attention to the Filipino agency.

Ongoing Drive And Success

GIGIL itself continues to grow and succeed as an agency, and its success is colored by a dazzling array of industry awards and accolades. Its creative excellence was spotlighted at ADFEST 2024 for their ‘4Dish Pot’ and ‘Bag’ campaigns for Netflix and Mandaue Foam respectively. The former won the Gold Outdoor Lotus under the Interactive & Immersive Experiences subcategory, and the latter earned the Bronze Film Lotus under the Online Film: Consumer Goods subcategory.

GIGIL has also been honored with a number of business awards. For example, the agency was recently awarded the Gold Stevie Award at the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards 2024 for the agency’s TNT ‘SIM Registration Drive’ campaign in the category of Award for Innovation in Cause-Related Videos. GIGIL’s financial success was also spotlighted; the Philippine Daily Inquirer named GIGIL the No. 2 Philippine Growth Champion in 2023 in recognition of the agency’s financial performance and growth between 2018 and 2021. These are but a few examples of the accolades Hernandez’s company has earned in recent years, with no sign of slowing down or stopping.

Eyes On The Future

Herbert Hernandez has no desire to rest on his laurels—the creative drive demands he continue pushing the boundaries of music and advertising. Aside from the ongoing growth and success of GIGIL, he’s still working on music with his two bands and planning alternative and future projects. One such project was the launch of the platform Indierectory, a database designed to give employers access to independent talent—it’s Hernandez’s way of trying to help other artists find opportunities for their own success.

As for GIGIL, Hernandez is looking to expand its global influence. Expanding into the American and Canadian markets is a significant milestone for GIGIL, as it opens new strategic options and opportunities for the agency to succeed. Hernandez’s excitement about the expansion is palpable; he says, “I am very excited about being able to explore uncharted territories, collaborate with world-class talents, and open multiple offices around the world. We believe that the world is ready to experience the passion and innovation that GIGIL brings to the table.”

With new offices opened in New York and Toronto in 2022, GIGIL and Herbert Hernandez are well on their way to becoming the global creative force he knows they can be. That doesn’t mean that 6cyclemind and Moonstar88 are being left behind though—Hernandez’s music will continue to develop and grow with him for as long as he can manage it.