Hyun Bin, the new face of Smart

Recently, Smart revealed — to the delight of CLoY fans all over the country — that Hyun Bin is the new face of the brand. In the TV commercial, the swoon-worthy oppa is seen speeding through city streets in a sports car. The ad ends with Hyun Bin delivering Smart’s new tagline in Filipino: “Simple. Smart ako.”

This concept references the blazing speeds offered by Smart LTE and Giga Promos. According to third-party mobile analytics firms such as Ookla and Openisignal, Smart is the country’s fastest mobile data network.

Join Hyun Bin in the Smart Giga Life

The concept of racing through city streets carries over to his second TVC with Smart. In it, he invites us to join him in the Giga Life through Smart’s suite of offers that are designed to cater to a wide range of lifestyle needs and passions. For instance, fans of Hyun Bin can easily binge-watch his dramas and movies for hours on end — even with prepaid data — through Giga Video.

“More than Korean films and series, technology helped us share our culture,” says Hyun Bin. “I’m glad to be part of an era when we are blessed with the opportunity to inspire and entertain through connectivity. Because of streaming apps we are still able to live a life bigger than what we experience right now, which is what Giga Life is all about, and it’s all possible because Simple. Smart ako!”

Working with a K-idol

Wonder what it was like to work with Hyun Bin? According to the folks at Smart, it was a breeze. “Like his character Captain Ri, he didn’t make a lot of fuss,” said Lloyd Dennis Manaloto, Smart’s Vice President for Corporate Marketing and Strategy, at an online press conference to launch the campaign. “They worked with diligence and were very professional. The shoot was done in one day.”

“He seemed very nice and down-to-earth,” said Alfredo Panlilio, Smart’s President, CEO, and CRO. Panlilio also noted how Hyun Bin had to learn Tagalog for the commercial, and nailed it within a day. “He’s smart, pun intended.”

Why Smart?

This is the first time a South Korean superstar became the face of a local telecom company. “I said yes to Smart because I know that connectivity plays a big role in linking K-Drama to Filipinos,” said Hyun Bin. “I would not have felt this kind of reception from our friends in the Philippines if the fans did not have access to the content we offer.”

A groundbreaking partnership

For the executives at Smart, tapping Hyun Bin was a no-brainer. After all, part of Smart’s commitment to bring simple solutions to the Filipino is allowing them to enjoy their passions — which, for many, includes Hyun Bin and his body of work.

“The ‘Hyun Bin Phenomenon’ is pretty much due to digital technology,” said Jane Basas, Smart SVP and Head for Consumer Wireless Business. “Filipinos have developed the craze because they are able to stream his shows, hear the buzz about him online, share their excitement with their friends, and even get to interact with him through social media… This makes him a perfect ambassador for Smart as we empower Filipinos with technological solutions made easy so they can enrich their daily lives and pursue their passions.”

Bring Hyun Bin home

The avid Filipino fans of Hyun Bin recently had the chance to bring him anywhere they go through Smart’s limited-edition freebies. Smart subscribers scored limited-edition pillows, posters, and table tops as they renewed or signed up for a Smart Signature plan, or purchased Smart prepaid load.

Take a look for yourself:

So how does Giga Video work?

Smart’s Giga Video promo makes it so much simpler to stream K-dramas, fan videos, and clips on your phone. By registering to Giga Video 99, prepaid subscribers can get 1GB Video Every Day for YouTube, NBA, iWant, iflix, and Cignal Play, as well as 2GB of open-access data for 7 days. To register, dial *123#, then select GIGA>VIDEO.

What else is in the Giga Life?

But it’s not just K-drama fans who can benefit from Giga promos. Those who enjoy sharing their experiences with friends and loved ones on social media can subscribe to Giga Stories; mobile gamers can make the most of the Giga Games data pack; and music lovers can stream their favorite music while keeping costs low through Giga Music. And last April, Smart also launched Giga Work, which is the first data pack in the Philippines offering additional data for work and study apps every day.

Will you be joining everyone’s favorite oppa in the Giga Life?